What does the housing boom mean for interior designers?

“People have truly come to realize the importance of home—and of having a home whose style and function fits their family’s needs,” says Johnston. “It’s an opportunity for growth for a lot of designers as more folks are making that financial commitment to hire a professional.

“As designers, we work with our clients to find long term solutions,” she continues, stressing that her firm doesn’t believe in “fast fashion design” but rather “taking our core business practice of bespoke and heritage design and showcasing that to these new suburbanites.” She adds, “We warn clients when moving into a larger home to not panic buy to fill it up. Let it all sink in. Keep a door or two closed for a bit if the extra three bedrooms feels overwhelming at first. Then call a professional to help you strategize for the long game.”

Flexible home interiors that can satisfy multiple functions and comfortable work from home space and home schooling areas rank as top requirements for many interior design clients. Chris Eskra, principal at San Francisco-based Kendall Wilkinson Design (KWD), a Studio Designer client offered, “We are thinking about how the work-from-home culture will exist beyond COVID and how those needs will translate to new and upcoming projects. Adaptability is key.”

For example, Eskra says, “We have designed several homeschooling rooms [by either carving out spaces within an existing room or completely renovating a former guest bedroom into a working classroom] so children have a designated area that’s well-appointed. Great design is always with intention.” He adds, “Home office design has really been elevated. We are creating entire environments geared to working but still with our level of luxury and curation, including custom-made desks, ample but elegant storage, and placement for technology to power it all.”

Johnston agrees with the need for flexibility and advocates for creating multifunctional spaces. “One client recognized that by taking the guest bedroom as her office, she would still need the flexibility of having a guest bedroom in the future,” she recalls. “Bring on the Murphy bed solution.” Meacham shares a strategy for a similar predicament: “We designed a custom-built desk and shelving unit for a home office, where the middle of the desk could be removed to fit a queen bed in case the family needed their guest room back,” she says, adding that kid-proof designs are another necessity as of late. “With kids at home more this year, parents were not going to invest in home interior design if it wasn’t tough: Life-proof wallpapers and fabrics have evolved with this trend and are fun to design with.”