When the pandemic began in 2020, many people spent more time at home and indoors than before. This led to an increase in home remodeling projects, from remodels of large kitchens to spa-like bathrooms. Homeowners found what design choices worked for them and what did not.
2021 continued that trend. Though restrictions loosened, for the past year people have continued to stay at home, especially as employers began adopting the hybrid work-from-home model. In-person hangouts and parties increased but moved outdoors. This resulted in people spent more time in their backyards, too.
As 2022 gets well underway, so will the high demand for home renovations. People are expanding their spaces more than ever, choosing to add onto their existing layouts or completely refreshing their rooms. With nice weather year-round, San Diego homeowners are especially looking to take advantage of the sunny, coastal weather. Here are some of the top home renovation trends for this year.
Home offices have been growing in popularity over the years, but the importance of them became obvious during the pandemic. As many employees continue to work from home, designing the ideal home office space has become top priority. Whether reconfiguring a layout to create the perfect office or taking over unused rooms, San Diego homeowners are looking for dedicated workspaces.
More people are realizing the layout and design of a room can affect their productivity. They want a space that maximizes their concentration, motivation, and productivity, while also allowing a separation between work and leisure areas of the home. This includes adding built-in storage and high-tech solutions to meet all their work-from-home needs.
Another trend that began pre-pandemic but saw an increase during the last two years, is the rise of outdoor living. After spending extended time indoors, more homeowners want remodeling professionals to build different spaces to suit their favorite interests. This includes outdoor spaces that function as an extension of the indoors.
Outdoor entertainment has been a huge driver of this trend. In 2021, more people held hangouts and parties, but some uncertainty over the pandemic pushed these functions outside. The result was a need for outdoor “rooms”.
Shade structures, such as awnings, are one of many solutions San Diego homeowners are looking to incorporate in their home remodels. Not only do they provide protection from the California sun, but they also help visually extend the indoors to the outside. Terraces, decks, and porches also offer outdoor “rooms” and entertaining space.
Outdoor kitchens have also risen with this trend. These can range from simple built-in barbecues and grills to larger spaces with counters, commercial-style grills, refrigerators, and wine coolers. Fire pits are another favorite for entertainment, along with extensive seating and dining areas.
Pools are high on wish lists as well, along with decorative water features. Outdoor showers are having a moment, as people want somewhere to wash off any outside debris. These work in all climates, and many have controls that allow for complete control over water flow and temperature.
Transitional Rooms And Mudrooms
If you’re going to have a lot of outdoor space to garden, play, or entertain in, there should be an area that helps transition back into the home. With restrictions lifting, this also includes traveling to and from your home to school or work. No one wants to frantically search for their keys, backpacks, purses, and everything else while rushing out the door. Clutter also distracts from the overall beauty of your home.
Homeowners who are building from scratch are increasingly looking for design plans with a mudroom. Other homeowners have chosen to remodel and are converting underused spaces, such as part of a garage or laundry room, or even adding a bit more space to dedicate to a transitional room.
Additional functions in high demand are drop-off areas for package and other deliveries, specified storage spaces for family members, washing stations for pets, and a built-out laundry area including shelves, a counter for folding, and a sink.
Homeowners have been asking for more natural light in their homes through larger windows and door openings. This trend began with the pandemic and has remained high on the demand list.
Plant life indoors and out also emphasizes the flow of the house, from indoors to outdoors. The need for brighter, open spaces and rooms that easily transition into each other has become the driving force for so many trends over the past couple years. Increased focus on physical and mental wellbeing is also inspiring this change in design. Nature is considered good for your health and more homeowners want to take advantage of that.
San Diego is one of the most beautiful places to live in the country. Why not take advantage of those views by installing larger windows and doors? It also helps increase the natural light that owners want so much, guaranteeing you can enjoy the California sun no matter what you’re doing.
San Diego homeowners are expanding their spaces more than ever. They’re ready to make their living areas more spacious and catered to their needs. Conservatories are growing in popularity around the nation and can act as additional ways to extend indoor spaces outdoors. Enjoy your immediate surroundings by building out and transition the conservatory into a deck or patio space.
ADUs are also being used for private office spaces. Building an ADU instead of remodeling an existing room makes it easier to incorporate sufficient lighting, privacy, sound insulation and ventilation suited to your needs. It also allows for a stronger separation between your work life and your home life.
For those entrepreneurial owners, ADUs make great rental properties. Since the ADU is on your property, it’s easy to keep an eye on the rental and decreases the hassle of traveling to your rented unit. The affordable housing shortage has led renters to look at ADUs as an alternative to traditional apartments.
Technology, while not a new trend, has definitely changed and continues to push other trends while being one itself. Design firms are making use of new tools to share designs online with clients, while clients are increasingly asking for more outlets to accommodate the growing number of devices.
Beside increasing the number of outlets and making it easier for designers to communicate with clients without meeting at an office, smart technology continues to be popular in homes. The pandemic brought increasing awareness to just how often we touch our devices, including thermostats and light switches. With smart technology, you can virtually control all aspects of your home with only your phone, or opt for touchless tech.
Smart sensors are also seeing an increase. These can do anything from detect harmful CO2 and smoke levels, to turning on security lights at the first sign of movement. Some of the smartest tech uses an occupancy sensor, which reacts with a specific action when it detects someone in the room.
More people around the country are looking for ways to become environmentally conscious without sacrificing the comforts of a well-designed home. This has led to an increase in searches for environmentally friendly technology, appliances, materials, and even landscaping.
Environmentally aware landscape designs are predicted to continue their increase as homeowners look for ways to decrease their carbon footprint. This includes adding drought tolerant and native plants, especially in areas that suffer the most from drought and wildfires. Some owners have taken to building exterior walls of brick or stone as a further defense measure against increasingly severe California wildfires.
Solar panels are also seeing a steady demand. San Diego gets a lot of sunny days, especially in the summer. Take advantage by installing solar panels on your roof so you can save on energy and benefit the environment.
Sustainable materials, such as bamboo or repurposed wood flooring, have seen an increase in requests. More people are realizing that recycled materials can be just as durable and beautiful as brand-new ones! Plus, sustainable materials can sometimes be cheaper, too, saving money in the long run.
Whether you’re looking to remodel a single room or your entire house, the team at Kaminskiy Design and Remodeling can help! We believe all our clients deserve to have the home of their dreams. That’s why we pride ourselves on our superior designs, project management, interior designer and constant communication to ensure our clients are satisfied with our work.
Our experienced designers and contractors can remodel your kitchen, bathroom, or other space to fit the design and style you want for your San Diego home. We’ve completed countless projects across San Diego County for over fourteen years. As San Diego’s premier design-build firm, we can help bring your dreams to life. Contact us today for a complimentary design consultation!
