Shelter or Sanctuary?

We are entering a whole new concept of work life balance during this time when working from home is the new norm for many of us. Have you thought about changes you’d make to your home’s design or architecture? What might you do differently if you were to sell your home and buy another?

So many of my friends and clients speak of restless toddlers unable to go to the park or the challenges of of their school age kids learning new technology and time blocking. While they themselves hold down full-time jobs. Others state that they don’t mind not going into the office one bit! Scores have said how they pine for their social outings. Of course, everyone misses family and friends.

As most of us reconcile this new and perhaps unfamiliar working remote 24/7 * , our patterns—and living spaces—are changing, resulting in imagination, greater flexibility and sometimes frustration. Realtor.com produced a #StayHome spot that illustrates how all these activities from childcare to school to restaurants to the gym are now under one roof.

Virtual no longer means simulated, but practical, essential, and sometimes we like wearing PJs or sweats all day! My own desk can be the couch or dining room table if I need a change of scenery from my little office. When I want to procrastinate, I can walk the dog, clean, or cook. When I grow wary of being on Zoom so many hours, I can pick up a book or do some stretches to relieve the pain of sitting.

But this experience also gives us the opportunity to re-imagine our homes. Boundaries have been blurred. Do we need more space or better resources? Do we need to de-clutter or create comforting hideaways? Are there places to exercise or walk? What do our co-workers see in the background when we’re on video calls? Do we wish we had open room flow or more walls?

Personally, one of the things I am enjoying about working from home is that I can live in it. Literally. I can take the time to explore whenever I want to and appreciate our children’s collections, art from special places, views out the windows, and all of the things that we have done to make this a home.

That being said, it’s given me an opportunity to consider what kind of home comes next in my journey.