We've all been spending a lot more time at home lately, and we may continue to do so for quite a while. Tech companies in the Bay Area, including Facebook, Twitter, and Square, have employees that they can work remotely, indefinitely — if they want to, and if their positions allow for it. How have your living patterns changed? Perhaps you've found that you need more private outdoor space, or a room to use as an office or for remote learning, or even a space where you can set up some home workout gear. Or, maybe a getaway home seems more important than ever.

Whether you’re looking for a new place or focusing on improving the home you have, the current environment is driving trends. Designers are getting busy! Many people want to start projects now because they have the time, and the only thing they can't do is travel. Key takeaways include a greater focus on more useful concepts, rather than just pretty pictures.

• Instead of a beautiful marble bathroom, it's more storage solutions and closets.

• The utility room is the new luxury, including double laundry rooms.

• A double pantry to store food fueled after going to the grocery store just every 2 weeks. 

• Materials will change with an emphasis on antimicrobials: Porcelanosa's Krion is a man-made alternative to stone that's hard-wearing and stays clean. A pricier upgrade is copper, an all-natural germ-fighting surface.

• Expect a heightened emphasis on the outdoors, especially outdoor spaces that act as additional living rooms year-round. Look for a rise in living walls, or vertical gardens, that will bring the outdoors inside.

• The desire for a vegetable/herb garden is growing, a combination of needing to go to the grocery store less often, and how everyone found themselves cooking, even people who usually had a chef.

• Double dishwashers in kitchens to streamline cleaning plates and flatware as people ate at home more.

• In condos, expect touch-free elevators or ones with antibacterial, anti-scratch surfaces and industrial-grade air filters like those from Kone.

• Onsite gyms may be supplemented with private spaces in each apartment that come with a pre-installed Mirror fitness system.

• The amount of space allocated to rentable offices in any apartment tower will increase. Look for rentable micro-offices you can lease within a condo, that help you create a sense of separation between home and work.

If your current home isn't meeting your needs, let me help you find one that will. Contact me today.