HBA Magazine 2021 - Home Show Edition

NEW HOME DESIGN
IDEAS
SPARKED
from COVID-19
Homeowners have transformed
their living spaces into
classrooms, home offices and
gyms over the past year.
With people spending more
time at home, builders are
reimagining the future of
home design. As homeowners around
the world seek ways to maximize the
functionality of their living spaces, locally
there are distinct trends emerging that
are in line with what’s happening across
the country.
Touchless/Hands-Free Home Features
Gina McMurtrey of GMI Design Group
says that perhaps the most significant
shift she sees is homeowners adopting
technology to simplify their lives. Touchless
faucets, voice-activated appliances and
technology that can help with cleaning are
becoming more popular.
“They want to be more present in their
homes and enjoy their space without a lot
of fuss or maintenance,” says McMurtrey.
Touchless and hands-free home features
can also help reduce the spread of germs –
another reason these items are in demand.
Antimicrobial Surfaces
Keeping surfaces germ-free is a higher
priority now than ever before. The organic
allure of copper and bronze has made
these materials revered and timeless
choices for home hardware. Now, the
antimicrobial qualities of these elements are
elevating their status as choice materials for
accessories, pulls, knobs, door hardware
and fixtures.
Creating Intentional Spaces
Getting homework, virtual play dates and
work conference calls completed all in the
same space is a challenge, and McMurtrey
says it is wearing on people.
“Every area of our lives is overlapping right
now. People are trying to find a way with
their interiors to create a needed divide.”
She says one popular trend is making a
bathroom feel more like a spa or a retreat.
She also sees benefit in having one work
zone that can be put away at the end of the
day to help separate it from family time.
New home designs include small,
convertible spaces or nooks that
provide additional private or semiprivate
space.
Putting Everything In Its Place
It may be a combination of homeowners
having more time on their hands and more
time at home, but McMurtrey is finding that
more of her clients are looking for ways to
declutter and pare down.
“People are paring down and getting rid
of the things that are kind of superfluous.
They want to simplify, and that, in turn,
brings the stress down.”
McMurtrey says she sees a trend where
people want everything they own to have a
purpose and a place for it to be put away.
Having a place for everything has always
been a benchmark of smart home design,
but it appears that will be even higher
priority from this point forward.
And certainly, other needs that have
emerged from the pandemic will influence
home storage solutions in the future. From
more space to store non-perishable food,
home office accessories or items in the
entryway, additional storage space will be
a valuable feature in future home designs.
Photo provided by GMI Design Group
Transforming Outdoor Spaces
A year of social distancing has made
homeowners realize the value of a functional
outdoor space to host family dinners and
barbeques. Simple improvements from
upgrading patio furniture to building out
decks will be at the top of any exterior
home feature must-have list.
The hottest outdoor living trend seems to
be outdoor kitchens.
Joan Nutting of Maschino’s says they are
seeing massive growth in the demand for
outdoor kitchens.
“Typically, our area is 10 years behind
the trend, but we’re on the cutting edge of
this one.”
From islands to outdoor seating and
heating, and any kind of grill you can
imagine, Springfield-area homeowners
are turning their outdoor spaces into
entertaining oases.
“We have always encouraged our
customers to make their outdoor spaces
little vacation spots,” says Nutting. “And
with the limitations on travel, people are
looking for more ways to enjoy being
at home.”
The key, Nutting says, is to have a plan.
The design of your outdoor kitchen needs
to be functional, and you should look back
six months or a year later and be happy
with what you did. Also, with a good plan,
you don’t have to tackle the whole project
at once.
Nutting does stress the need for
patience. Incredibly high demand, the
ongoing pandemic and the devastating
38 HBASpringfield.com