View From the Team

These past two-plus pandemic years have certainly been life-changing — from disrupting work, school and travel to altering the way we shop, socialize and celebrate. Through it all, however, our families have provided a source of comfort that we can all be grateful for, which is one of the reasons we decided to make “family” a central theme of our March issue.

At the heart of our family lives are our homes — undoubtedly, the place where we’ve spent the most time during the pandemic — which, like the rest of our lives, have been undergoing a major transformation during this era. Indeed, when talking to friends and relatives, it may seem like everyone has been working on home renovation projects during this time. That’s no coincidence. With people spending more time at home than ever, a survey by Statistica reported that 76% of respondents said they’d made at least one improvement to their home during the pandemic, with 64% having renovated the exterior of their home and 58% revamping the interior.

So, what’s changed about how families are designing their homes these days? There’s a newfound need for private spaces, for one. Pre-Covid-19, much home design centered on tearing down walls and opening up floor plans, and while families still desire a place to gather together, they now also need dedicated spaces for a variety of other activities, from work to working out. (Our article “Design for Modern Times” on page 36 explores this and other family-friendly home design trends born during the pandemic.)

Marin Magazine's staff was recently chatting about this topic, and we realized just how many of us have been busy transforming our own homes over the past few years, too. Here are some of the projects we’ve embarked on: Editor in Chief Lotus Abrams and her husband beautified their backyard and added a built-in barbecue, expandable dining table and fire pit area for outdoor entertaining. Publisher Leah Bronson and her husband moved to a home with a pool and transformed their garage into a gym. During the pandemic, Dining, Calendar and Feature Writer Christina Mueller’s kids couldn’t handle sharing a room anymore, so the youngest moved into his own space, outfitted with a DIY desk and shelf. Senior Media Consultant Sharon Coleman quit her gym membership and created a makeshift workout area in her home office. And, Art Director Lisa Hilgers and her husband installed a slate patio and a firepit in the backyard, and also traded their small couch in the TV room for a larger sectional to accommodate their blended family of four kids.

If you’re planning your own renovation, you’ll find plenty of inspiration, tips and resources on our websites, marinmagazine.com and spacesmag.com, and by subscribing to our Better Letter email newsletter. Let's all take a moment to remember, however, that there are many people in our county for whom home ownership remains elusive. If you'd like to help, reach out to one of our local organizations, including Gilead House (gileadhouse.org) and Ritter Center (rittercenter.org), that provide services to individuals and family who are experiencing housing insecurity.

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