Strong Home Remodeling Market Means a Promising 2021

Consumers’ renewed focus on home is a plus for window treatment professionals

BY KATHY WALL

Has there ever been a year that people were more ready to say goodbye to than 2020? But that’s not all bad. Rarely has a year held more promise than 2021—and it’s certainly much more than just the empty promise of wishful thinking. Months of quarantining, working from home and spending time in our own spaces has made it abundantly clear how important our homes are. And even when travel bans lift, the significance of home will still remain. Home has taken on a new meaning.

“People have been self-isolating and have had a chance to really look at their homes and all the improvements they’ve been meaning to make,” says the latest quarterly report from the National Kitchen & Bath Association. “People being stuck in their homes … has brought remodeling and renovating to a level of desire we haven’t seen in years.”

A report from the Home Improvement Research Institute concurs. “Being forced to stay at home is leading homeowners to finally take on some of the projects they’ve intended

to do.” Furnishing and design firms are seeing the impact of this time at home in rising interest from clients.

Not only are people spending more time at home, but they’re using their residences differently. Working from

home has become the norm for many people and has resulted in a demand for stylish and functional home office spaces. And this is more than a temporary trend. Workers are finding great productivity at home, and many companies, including Facebook, Microsoft, Apple and Twitter, are planning for a future where full-time remote work will still be possible after stay-at-home restrictions are lifted.

Interest in dedicated home fitness spaces also continues to rise as people work out at home rather than at the gym. Likewise, people who were forced to cook more at home have discovered they love it—and that’s resulting in an increase in kitchen renovations and

upgrades to dining spaces, where family members regularly gather around a table. Similarly, having the kids at home has sparked the creation of dedicated spaces for youngsters to play and study.

The functionality of homes is shifting, and industries across a wide range of categories now have an opportunity to pivot to the homebody consumer. So now is the time, home and design industry. Smart marketers will hone their messaging to support the satisfaction that comes with home improvement— productivity, comfort and the ability to make treasured memories with family and friends.

Many forward-looking designers used the slowdown during the early months of the pandemic to refocus their businesses. Proactive steps included eDesign and video consultation, website improvements, podcasts and webinars to engage clients. But there is more they can do.

This is the moment for businesses to invest in great photography, copywriting and getting their message in front of people, wherever those prospective clients go for information, be it online, print, direct mail or other platforms.

An eager audience is waiting. Because while the nation is experiencing high levels of unemployment, the Home Improvement Research Institute has found that much of the brunt is being borne by renters rather than homeowners, and unemployment rates haven’t deterred homeowners from working on their homes.

Encouragingly, this includes both mature homeowners and the younger set. Research shows that Gen Z and millennials, who have long had homebody tendencies, now see home as even more of a shelter from the storm. They’re focused on making their current spaces more comfortable and comforting, spending more than $45 billion on their homes since the pandemic began.

With that bright outlook for the home industry in 2021, business owners can take heart and invest in efforts to boost their future bottom line as they help homeowners create their dream spaces. V

Kathy Wall is president and ringleader of The Media Matters, an agency in the Triad area of North Carolina offering marketing, advertising and brand strategy to a roster of international clients. Kathy has shared her talents with the home furnishing industry for over three decades and formed her own business 18 years ago. Her motto? “We don’t work with jerks.”

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