Top Home Remodeling Trends in 2021

The pandemic changed the daily routines for a lot of us. Those changes are being reflected in remodeling projects across the country and right in our own backyards in Cincinnati, Ohio. The English Contractor team has been seeing an uptick in requests for estimates and new projects in the past year and we’re seeing some trends, for sure. If you’re thinking of sprucing up your abode, you are not alone.

Home Offices

As the world started to work from home, so many of us just made do, squeezing in laptops and office essentials onto the dining room table or kitchen island. It seems, though, even as the world continues to open up, that the WFH phenomenon isn’t going away any time soon. We’re getting more requests to create new home offices, not necessarily by adding additional square footage to the home, but by creating under-utilized areas of the home and repurposing them. This room was once an attached garage. New drywall, hardwood flooring and custom built-ins are transforming it into an office, for the ultimate work from home space.

Multipurpose Rooms

We’re asking every room to work a bit harder these days. Although we’re seeing more home offices and exercise rooms, we’re also seeing family rooms, basements, and kitchens that are equipped to handle a multitude of tasks. This newly remodeled kitchen opens to a family room. The island is a favorite “work from home” spot in addition to being a gathering place for family meals. The countertop is equipped with hidden outlets—great for a blender for morning smoothies or a laptop.

Outdoor Rooms

It seems unfair to call these spaces decks or patios. They do so much more. COVID had us all thinking more creatively about spending time out of doors. Outside spaces have been a great place for safe gathering during the pandemic. The English Contractor team has been busy dressing up back yards to the nines, with built in heaters, plenty of seating, full kitchens and more. We’ve completed a few of these projects, but we have more on our schedule to come this year.

Longer Lead Times

We are still feeling the impact of the pandemic in the custom building industry. Contractors and builders all across the country are busier than ever. Even the big box hardware stores like Home Depot and Lowes are especially busy, as DIY-ers are working on home improvement projects in record numbers. However, we’re all experiencing longer lead times, not just because of the customer queue of projects, but also because many of our supplies and materials are limited and there is a longer lead time from ordering to their arrival time. For us, we anticipate all project materials before beginning the project, so once we start, we can move full steam ahead. Still, we caution our customers that our project timelines might be slightly longer as we work with manufacturers for efficient product sourcing.

Ready to Build?

It’s time to get started! Even if you’re in the beginning stages of planning your project, it’s a great time to get a builder, architect and designer involved so we can get your project organized and can prepare to order materials. We’d love to work with you to plan your new home office, a family room of your dreams, or the outdoor space that will be the envy of your neighborhood. Call us and let’s get started.