No Place Like Home
There are videos, articles, and reports galore by now on the Covid-19 pandemic, and at the time of this writing, the United States is still experiencing the economic, health, and societal blows brought on by this global health crisis. None of the 50 states was spared and it had never occurred before that every state declared its own state of emergency. Staggering.
At Irwin Weiner Interiors, we’ve witnessed how the pandemic impacts families. And as a business enterprise IWI has rarely been busier. Back in March, when most Americans were super scared of infection, we got a call from one of our clients.
“I may sound like a passenger on the Titanic worried about what to order for dinner as the ship is sinking, but I can’t wait to get started on redecorating two of my rooms.”
We have clients who quietly brought in a work crew in Manhattan to start renovations before the lockdown was lifted. The crew was barred from their building, of course, but they did their best to push forward. What we’re seeing overall is this extremely bright spotlight on the home and a pent-up desire to improve our surroundings. We’ve spent time sheltering in place to reduce the spread of the virus, we’ve gotten to know our homes much better, and we appreciate them more than ever before. We want to make each room count, and that’s what’s driving a business surge in home renovation and design.
We’re currently busy on several job sites and participating in teleconferences with clients further than driving distance from our NY/PA locations. Irwin has been having site visits, mostly held outdoors, with contractors, clients, and subs, and everyone is eager to upgrade and retool their homes.
Home offices have become extremely important with folks working remotely. Desks, computers, printer/scanners, and storage spaces are now highly valued, both for adult workers and children who are Zoom-ing daily into distance learning classrooms.
Home exercise is also prized right now, and we don’t think this is just a passing trend - finding space for yoga mats, resistance bands, weights and a weight bench, and a treadmill or Peloton is important. We love the small footprints of exercise bikes, for instance, and they can fit well in any home office in front of a flatscreen on the wall. The close proximity to your desk means that you’ll every now and then take fitness breaks from your work routine.
Streaming movies and TV shows in a den, game or rec room, or home theater has always been popular, but the pandemic put a premium on home entertainment.
Finally, there’s a focus on good kitchens. More than the heart of the home, kitchens have become the survival hub, the sanity restorer, the grounding force, and the creative outlet for family members.
The virus has been a major calamity for everyone on the planet, and it’s certainly not over yet. Most of us have been put under a public health version of house arrest, but if there’s a bright side, this has fostered a thankfulness for our families and those we’ve chosen to hunker down with and a gratitude for our homes. More than ever, the spaces where we live are more than just places to sleep. They’ve become home base and our physical and emotional anchors.