ON•TREND by Standale Home Studio
Building & Remodeling in the post-pandemic “New World” WELCOME TO THE “NEW NORMAL.” In these unprecedented times, the only thing that seems to be certain is a degree of uncertainty. The overall mood is dark, dystopian, and does not put many in the mood for a family-friendly remodel full of white shiplap. With inflation rising, the global supply chain choked, and skilled labor still in short supply, it is easy to see only the negatives about our current climate. However, let me be your glass-half-full guide to all the good things making their way out of the chaos. Some of these changes have been on the fringes of design for a while, while others are a forced pivot. Design shifts: Biophilic design was something many designers were familiar with, but the pandemic helped the rest of us discover the benefits of using natural elements in design and propelled this movement into the mainstream. Oak cabinetry is back! This time, rift and quartersawn cuts are adding modern, linear styling to spaces. We are seeing wood wall paneling make a resurgence. This is not painted shiplap, which has now overstayed it’s welcome, but deeper panels with natural tones. Panels add texture and architectural elements to the space. They also help capture sound, as anyone who tried to virtual homeschool in an open concept home during lock down can appreciate. Terrazzo and exotic natural stone looks are also back in demand. Because exotic stone can be hard to source and expensive to ship, it is being replicated in large format porcelain. This product is more durable and lighter weight for countertops, backsplashes, and shower walls. Glossfinish porcelain, which features high-definition digital printing, replicates natural stone more closely than quartz ever can. Technology shifts: If you’ve tried to have a work Zoom meeting while your kids are online at virtual school or playing video games, then you are acutely aware of the limitations of Wi-Fi. Hardwiring new homes or rewiring remodels with Cat 6 cable allows for a reliable and consistent network connection that’s able to handle all the home’s internet needs without dead spots. This small change can facilitate the integration of all the home’s devices, easily connecting them to a singular home control platform. This helps eliminate the need for multiple management apps such as one for your video doorbell, one for your smart thermostat, one for your home security system, and others from personal devices. In technology, automation is the name of the game and once you have it, you can’t live without it.
Automation can, and does, help control utility usage and costs for heating, cooling, water, electricity, and natural gas, all of which are in high demand in the “New World.” This might sound like an extreme level of house self-control, but so did self-driving cars just a few years ago. Tech is here to stay, and soon your plug-in Alexa will look as outdated as your 8-track tape. Mindset shift: We will never buy anything the same way again! I am sure you still remember going to the grocery store, staring down empty aisles, and fighting fellow shoppers over the last rolls of toilet paper — it could have been just last week. Homes are born from the dreams and passions of homeowners. Homes are built by the hard work of skilled tradespeople and commodity products; unfortunately, both are in short supply and prices keep rising. Product price-shopping in this market only gets customers so far. It’s more important to carefully “shop” a builder and remodel team — remember, a coffee at Starbucks always costs more than a coffee at a truck stop for a reason. Thanks to this “New World” where back orders plague the market, projects take longer and encounter more conflicts than ever before. High demand coupled with scarcity of high-quality tradespeople means waiting for the best but it will be worth it. Be patient. Be ready to pivot. We are all in this together.
Anneke Huisman Standale Home Studio NKBA Cabinetry Specialist NKBA West MI Chapter Communications Officer
We are not out of the woods yet. It is a wild and precarious journey but when we get to the other side, it will be full of the old made new, and hopefully better, for us all. Cosmopolitan Home Grand Rapids | 7
