As we meet the half-year point, we wanted to share some unique home remodeling ideas and trends we’ve experienced during our 2020 Northern Virginia home remodeling projects.
Considering the effects of endless screen time, the Coronavirus pandemic, and the highly-charged political landscape, people are looking to transform their homes into calm, soothing spaces where they can unplug and recharge. Our clients have become increasingly more interested in spaces for relaxation, wellness, and organization.
Here are five popular home remodeling ideas for 2020:
1) Fun Spaces
Recreational rooms became popular nearly 15 years ago as homeowners began investing in basement buildouts. “Rec” rooms have since expanded to other areas of the home and even outdoor buildings in the forms of “man caves” and “she-sheds”.
Recently, we were asked to design an indoor climbing wall room in a client’s home. Climbing has become a popular activity for adults and children alike as the traversing experience helps build muscle and stimulate the brain. There are many considerations involved in creating a climbing wall experience—most importantly, ensuring an existing structure is strong enough to support the stress.
Photo Courtesy: Architectural Digest
Incorporating fun spaces into a home often involves finding new or dual purposes for underutilized rooms such as offices, spare bedrooms, family rooms, basements, and the second level of garages, among others. With the popularity of open floor plans, it’s become easier to add elements of fun to otherwise boring sitting and storage spaces.
Photo Courtesy: newrepublic.com
2) Designing & Decorating with Color
This year, colors have become the new neutrals. Gone are the days of layering homes in pale-colored monochromatic hues such as grey and taupe; in are jewel tones, beachy pastels, warmer palettes and rich accent colors, such as the Pantone Color of the Year, Classic Blue.
Even the popular all-white kitchen design is having its palette extended to include greens, blues, and earth tones as well of the use of natural woods of all tones from light Scandinavian-inspired colors to deep walnuts.
Solid color rooms in Cobalt Blue, Forest Green, and Aubergine can still be designed in a monochromatic style but with more personality and elegance than safe, monochromatic pale colors.
Commonwealth Home Design Project. Photo Courtesy: Robert Merhaut
3) Eliminating Dining Rooms and Extending Kitchens
In the same way clients want to repurpose unused rooms within their homes, and as living spaces are becoming more open and fluid, we’re seeing a demand for designing larger kitchens that replace formal dining rooms.
Eliminating walls and visual barriers between the kitchen and dining room not only opens the line of sight in your home, but it also provides more room for: cabinets and other storage spaces; eat-in oversized islands, which are incredibly popular; kitchen table nooks; serving areas and more. It also provides an opportunity to improve the kitchen workflow and your ability to entertain guests.
Commonwealth Home Design Co-Owner/Architect, Susan Pierce suggests, “You can achieve spectacular results in an otherwise ordinary home” when you eliminate a rarely used, formal dining room.
Commonwealth Home Design Kitchen Remodel – AFTER
Commonwealth Home Design Kitchen Remodel – AFTER
Commonwealth Home Design Kitchen Remodel – AFTER
4) Functional Mudrooms
Mudrooms likely aren’t spaces where you’d expect to see major transformations from a home remodeling project but a well-designed mudroom by a professional architect can bring better organization and neatness to your life.
Mudrooms provide additional storage, which you can never have too much of, and hold items that otherwise clutter a house, such as shoes, outwear and wet clothes, and sports gear, etc. They often act as a transition space between the outdoors and indoors but can be located in other areas of the home, such as an extended laundry room. Even smaller homes can take advantage of the organizational and storage benefits of a well-designed mudroom area.
Photo Courtesy: decorpad.com
Commonwealth Home Design Project. Photo Courtesy: Robert Merhaut
5) Outdoor Living
One result of homeowners being trapped indoors for the past three months of spring during the Coronavirus pandemic is a desire to be more connected with nature surrounding their homes. Designing new screen porches and screening in decks have become popular home remodeling projects for our clients.
Creating a comfortable, screened-in porch or addition provides an outdoor area for relaxation, eating, and connecting with family members without having to fight off mosquitos or deal with inclement weather.
We are also seeing a spike in requests for outdoor kitchens. With an outdoor kitchen, you can prepare meals and be around your family enjoying nature without having to constantly run inside the house to cook.
Bringing elements of nature into homes is also a popular 2020 design trend as people look to reconnect and find balance with the great outdoors. This is further evidenced by some of the trends in color choices referenced above (greens, blues, and earth tones) and materials such as natural woods and stone.
Photo Courtesy: Better Homes & Gardens
Photo Courtesy: Better Homes & Gardens
Photo Courtesy: Better Homes & Gardens
We predict the year ahead will continue to be spent in pursuit of serenity and wellness within the home, along with a desire for customized, multifunctional spaces filled with natural light and fluidity.
Did you enjoy reading Home Remodeling Ideas 2020? To get started on your home remodeling project, contact us today: 703-255-9861 or info@commonwealthhome.com.
