ARCHITECTURE

The Evolution of Home.

Two years ago, our lives changed dramatically. Seemingly overnight, we started spending 20 percent more time at home while juggling our newly intertwined personal and professional lives. During that time of great uncertainty, our homes became places of refuge, but they were also put to the test. They were suddenly functioning as an office, a school, a daycare, a gym, and a restaurant simultaneously. Coworkers were invited into our homes via Zoom calls. Dogs and children made inopportune appearances in meetings. And our kitchens were suddenly getting a lot more use.

While many restaurants, retail stores, and businesses have long-since reopened, the world – and our priorities – have changed. Businesses used to make the case for investing in office amenities like gyms, coffee bars, and green space, because people spent the majority of their waking hours in the office. Post-pandemic, that isn’t the case. Many companies are offering permanent remote or hybrid work options that allow staff to continue to enjoy greater work-life balance. While a benefit to employees, it means our homes will continue to get a workout. So how do we ensure these highly personal spaces evolve to meet our emerging needs?

DEFINING YOUR CORE VALUES

I believe it all starts with evaluating your core values and recognizing that these values might have changed in the last two years. Our homes represent the essence of who we are and what we care about. For example, perhaps the isolation associated with the pandemic illuminated how much you value hospitality. By identifying this value as central to your home, your space can be reimagined to ensure others feel welcome and comfortable. This might look like a highly flexible space plan that allows for gatherings of various sizes. Or it might be as simple as specifying warming drawers or a beverage bar that make entertaining seamless. Knowing what you value can provide a true north as you navigate the hundreds of decisions in a design project.

NAVIGATING PAIN POINTS

Next, it’s important to think through your home’s pain points. While some might have difficulty defining their core values, most everyone can identify the parts of his or her home that are frustrating or cumbersome. Perhaps, between work, activities, and social engagements, you used to cook just a few dinners a week in your kitchen. Now, you work from home permanently and find yourself preparing two or three times as many meals. Previously minor inconveniences in your kitchen design or layout might now feel like glaring frustrations. Perhaps the chaos of multiple children and adults spending more time at home has made you recognize that your house lacks the storage to contain life’s clutter. Jotting down the pain points and

challenges in your home’s design can be crucial to understanding projects to be prioritized and charting a path forward.

FAVORING FUNCTION

Thinking through these pain points most frequently points to issues related to function. Even the most beautiful space will wear on you if not designed for the way you live.

In the last two years, we’ve seen an increasing number of clients coming to us to solve functionality challenges by reimagining underutilized spaces to meet their needs. It’s refreshing to see clients favor functionality over what is conventional when it comes to allocating space. We’ve seen empty guest bedrooms become yoga studios and primary dressing rooms. Sitting rooms have been transformed into playrooms or craft rooms. Landings have become destinations for a family lounge space or efficient workspace.

We also encourage our clients to think about how even the smallest of spaces can be made into something functional for their family. Recently, we added dormers in a primary bedroom remodel, freeing up space for a built-in kennel for a four-legged friend. These small, thoughtful details make all the difference in ensuring the architecture of the space is both accommodating and hardworking.

FOR BEAUTY’S SAKE

The fun part comes when we get the opportunity to make the functional beautiful. We’ve all had much more time to contemplate how the architecture of our space impacts our experiences. Each and every day we interact with the spaces in our home, and there is great value in improving these spaces if only for the sake of self-expression, comfort, and joy.

The most private of spaces in our home often have the greatest impact on our day to day. Whether that’s an expansive custom closet tailored to your needs, a wine cellar stocked with your collection, or a quiet sitting room designed to facilitate connection between you and your partner, there is value in making these spaces beautiful for beauty’s sake.

A WORTHWHILE EVOLUTION

As we adjust to this new normal, there is no better time to think strategically about your space and prioritize the projects, large and small, that make your home both functional and beautiful. After all, our lives have changed. So should our homes.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kate Ruszczyk is an interior designer at id|bp, a full-service interior design and build firm serving clients across Kansas City. She’s passionate about creating impactful residential spaces that shape the meaningful and mundane moments of our lives. idbp.net

Nothing gives Jodie greater satisfaction than seeing her clients achieve their goals.

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