Opportunities in Home Design, Renovation, Real Estate, and More In November of 2020, Connecticut Stone’s very own Tyra Dellacroce had the opportunity to moderate a virtual panel on the possibilities for home design, renovating, and building in the Connecticut market. She was able to speak with several panelists across different industry roles to gain their insights on anticipated trends for 2021, topics related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and much more. Towards the end of the panel, Tyra asked each contributor to share their opinions on the most significant opportunities in their respective industries — and how these opportunities may inspire a reimagining of home design moving forward. The responses were varied, but each panelist had something meaningful to add to the discussion. Robin Kencel of The Robin Kencel Group Robin explains that “Right now, the demand for homes is much higher than the market supply — and that, realistically, only so many new homes can be built each year. As a result, the true opportunity lies in making existing homes more relevant and desirable to today’s segment of homebuyers and doing so in an affordable way.” She also mentions that currently, there is a lack of architects and builders who can accommodate these demands, creating an opportunity for professionals to step up and help homeowners realize their dream spaces without necessarily having to build something new. Chris Barre of Smarthome & Theater Systems Chris discusses some specific opportunities as they relate to technology in new and existing homes. Specifically, he explains, “As the years go on, there will only be more technology going into homes. As they’re built, it will become increasingly important to have these homes hard-wired with the capabilities to support new technological innovations, including high-resolution 8K video.” He also shares his belief that in the future and that technology will continue making its way into more rooms within the average household. As a result, it will be more important than ever for this tech to be easy to use and for homes to be equipped with strong networks that can support these features. Jeff Kaufman of JMKA Architects Jeff discusses how COVID-19 has created a “pause” for people to spend more time thinking about the environments in which they’re living. With this type of introspection, many of his clients have been working to bring older homes “up to speed” to meet changing lifestyle needs. However, Jeff also speculates whether these revamped spaces will continue to see the same amount of use after vaccinations are more widely distributed, and life goes back to some sense of normalcy. Beth Krupa of Beth Krupa Interiors Beth, an interior design specialist, shares her belief that “Problem-solving to meet clients’ needs will become increasingly important in the years ahead.” She explains how her goal has always been to take existing homes and make them more contemporary/modern to suit their needs. This will continue to be the case for many interior designers trying to help their clients live their best possible lives. Tara Vincenta of Artemis Landscape Architects Tara explains that “One of the most significant outcomes of the pandemic within her industry has been that people are beginning to see the value of slowing down and connecting not only with nature but with each other as humans.” She sees this as a silver lining of sorts and hopes that this mentality will continue long after the pandemic has ended. As a result, she anticipates that landscape architects and others within her industry will continue to see a focus on creating sustainable, low-maintenance landscapes that encourage people to get outside and connect with each other. Arnold Karp of Karp Associates Arnold believes that one of the biggest opportunities to come out of the pandemic from a real estate perspective is the paradigm shift that has resulted in multigenerational households. “In addition to a demand for more affordable housing, a greater portion of the population is expected to be looking further into the future before buying a home. Rather than buying a home with the next few years in mind, buyers will be looking for longer-term residences that they can envision themselves happy in for a decade or more.” These virtual panelists provided some valuable insights that we believe will inform the home design, renovation, and real estate industries for many years to come. The Connecticut Stone team would like to thank them for contributing to this panel! If you or a client is interested in renovating a new or old home, outdoor entertaining area, or commercial building, no matter the project, our Connecticut Stone team is here to help you get started.
