Adapting to Homes in Transformation

May 5, 2022

Key Takeaways:

Multigenerational living will continue its upward trajectory;
Biophilia is a more integral element of design;
Technology is growing in acceptance by everyone — especially seniors.

By Dianne M. Pogoda

That homes, design and overall lifestyles have experienced dramatic change in the past two years is undeniable, but nuances about how the design community has adapted was the subject of “Solutions for Converging Design: Urban Meets Suburban, Commercial Meets Residential, and Work Meets Living,” a panel discussion on the KBIS NeXT Stage.

Moderator Mollie Carmichael, principal of Zonda Research, hosted Julie Schuster, designer and owner her namesake firm, and Hadley Keller, author and digital director for House Beautiful, about the way homes and the perception of their function, have been evolving — especially since the start of the pandemic.

“Views of functionality in the home have changed in the past two years,” said Keller. “The open floor plan is a prime example. It’s a great space for gathering, but fast forward to 2020, and you’ve got someone doing homework on Zoom, someone on a work call, someone else cooking — or whatever is going on in that same space. People really had to reevaluate how they use their homes, and how their spaces can be multifunctional and work for different people in the home, and work differently at different times.”

Acknowledging that it’s probably a controversial stance, Keller said she is against the concept of the open floor plan. “I do like a traditional formal dining room, to sit and share a meal,” she said. “I don’t like eating while standing at a counter in the presence of dirty dishes. What I’d like to retain from the open kitchen concept is that people can be in the kitchen with me, but you can still have that separation.”

Schuster, who is president of NKBA’s Manhattan Chapter, noted that there’s been a significant shift toward wellness design.

“I’m a feng shui practitioner and have seen an increasing interest in and awareness of feng shui décor,” said Schuster. “Having homes that nurture and support us is really something we’re all paying attention to. Maybe it’s COVID, maybe it’s just the evolution of wellness design. We used to think of wellness as the home as a tight envelope of clean air, but it’s much more than that now. It’s creating homes that nurture and support us.

Part of the nurturing function of homes ties into a closer connection with nature. The shift away from cities has emphasized the desire to make more use of outdoor space, for cooking, eating and entertaining.

Some nature-focused trends include:

Biophilia, incorporating natural elements in design, means using lots of wood surfaces, capitalizing on uplifting wood energy;
Feng shui décor is on the rise;
Green is the “color of the year” for so many companies, and it’s manifesting in a big resurgence of green, with paint, plants and in overall design schemes;
Natural light via large windows, but you can create privacy with landscaping. You don’t need a huge yard, green of any kind adds to the bottom line. Even a 10- or 15-foot side yard that’s set up properly is cozy and natural, said Schuster.
Self-Sufficiency: 81 percent of the people Zonda polled said they would pay $7,500 for a Tesla battery for their homes.

Carmichael pointed out that the shift to cocooning — which she anticipates will be around for a long time — means that activities that we used to go out of the home for, like eating at restaurants or going to gyms, are now brought into the home. “Especially in small spaces, how do you manage that?” she asked.

“Space doesn’t have to be huge to be functional and beautiful,” Schuster said. “You can divide your studio apartment into sections or different environments. It has more to do with planning it the right way.”

Repurposing space and making it more personal, as well as creating safe and accessible homes for everyone from toddlers to seniors, are other ways in which home environments are changing, especially with regard to the increase in multigenerational living. Schuster said many challenges in society today, like caring for elderly parents, or childcare issues for two working parents, can be solved by living together.

“What makes for a safe environment for a five-year-old is also what’s safe for an 85-year-old,” she added. “It’s working with the ergonomics of the human being. Wellness design, technology and safety all play together. Technology isn’t really useful until we find a proper function for it! When it solves problems for us, that’s when it’s worth having. A couple of years ago, I was talking to Josh A.I. creator Alex Capecelatro, and he said the biggest demographic interested in his voice-activated technology was not coming from the younger generation — it was from Boomers.

Solutions for mental health at home are also critical in wellness design, as 55 percent of adults report they are experiencing mental health issues since the start of the pandemic, said Carmichael.

“Wellness has evolved,” Schuster declared. “As I said before, it’s not only about healthy air, it has to be healthy for us emotionally, our spaces have to nurture and support us. This can be décor, it can be bathroom safety, multigenerational setups so family can stay with us. It can be as basic as when you’re renovating your bathroom, make sure you have a horizon line in your wall tile to avoid dizzy spells.”

Keller added that being well-organized is also a big factor. “That’s a way of feeling in control and calm, it helps you find things, creates a space where everything is in its place that you can navigate. It sounds silly to say a new closet is going to help your mental health, but creating a sense of order and making sure your home is functioning is very valuable, mentally.”

Other categories of transformation are vacant office buildings being converted to residential spaces, and the increase in new construction for the single-family rental market and ADUs, or accessory dwelling units — today’s version of an in-law suite, or space for college-age or older children coming back to live with their parents — separate but on the property, where zoning allows.

While some people are returning to city living, as evidenced by booming real estate in many metropolitan markets, in some cases, the city apartment is becoming the once-or twice-a-week spot — the resurgence of the pied-a-tier — and the second home — country, beach, mountains or suburbs — is becoming the main home base.

“I want to be where I’m happy, if I have an option, so if that’s my country home, that’s where I’m going to relocate if it’s possible,” said Keller. “And if that’s where people are going to spend most of their time, that’s where they’re going to invest in renovation.”