Home office upgrade

COVID-19 fundamentally changed the way we look at office space, and many of us have found happiness working from home. We’ve got some tips to make your home office more inviting!

CHIC (Pearl)

Now that it’s been a few years, you should probably think about upscaling that temporary office you converted out of a spare bedroom. A fresh coat of paint can help set the tone and create a more productive vibe. I’d also suggest retiring that folding table to the garage and finding a proper desk with actual drawers to store your pens, papers — and midday snacks!

GEEK (Kevin)

Don’t stop at the walls. Remember, flooring is the foundation to every room. If you’re still rocking shag carpet in your home office, consider an upgrade to fabricated wood, vinyl, or laminate. A good contractor can make the swap in one day’s work, so there’s no need to fear a protracted process. And the final result will make your home office feel more professional.

Back to the office?

With many employers incentivizing their teams to return to in-person work, more and more workers are opting to stay home — even quitting their jobs in some cases. So what would get you back to the office?

CHIC (Pearl)

After three years of working from home, I’ve been feeling a little Zoomed out and detached from the real world. I thrive on the energy of other people, and pandemic life has been a struggle. Don’t get me wrong! It’s been super fun spending more time with Kevin and Bora. But occasionally, it helps to get out of the house and into a space with like-minded teammates working toward the same goal.

GEEK (Kevin)

The past few years have been rough, but like any tragedy, a lot of good has come out of the bad. When COVID first hit, I had a feeling we were in for the long haul, so I invested in all the bells and whistles for our home office: high-powered WiFi, a top-notch coffee maker, and one of those ring lights for slick Zoom visuals. If you want me back at the office, you better offer great snacks!

The Return of the Commute

Those of us who were lucky enough to work from home during the pandemic are slowly getting back to the office, but the traditional commute will never be the same. How’s your return so far?

CHIC (Pearl)

I’m one of the lucky ones who can continue to work from home, so the only commute I need to navigate is the path from our bedroom to the shower to the kitchen to the office. It may sound like a dream, but it can be very hard to find motivation when a bag of popcorn and streaming videos are at your fingertips. That’s why I try to pretend my supervisor is watching — even though it’s just our cat!

GEEK (Kevin)

If I never have to wait in rush hour traffic again it will be too soon. There is nothing more wasteful and mind-numbing than sitting in your car for hours every day with nothing to do but inch forward, check your text messages, and call a friend to vent. I know I’m not supposed to look at my phone while I’m driving, but I don’t call that driving. It’s more like waiting for a miracle.

Chic vs. Geek: What’s keeping you home?

The pandemic has forced us to adjust to new ways of living – and working – in our homes. What’s one thing around the house that makes it easier?

CHIC (PEARL)

A lot can be said for the simple things like a solid WiFi connection and a good coffee maker, but give me my standing desk any day of the week and twice on Sunday. There’s nothing better for maintaining good posture and circulation while you’re busy staring at a computer screen for up to eight hours a day. These days, you don’t even need to buy the full desk. Most office supply companies sell toppers and attachments for the desk you already have in your home.

GEEK (KEVIN)

I’ll admit it. I’m addicted to soda and fizzy drinks of all flavors, colors, and styles. But I never truly embraced my addiction until the pandemic hit, and I realized we were spending tons of money on sodas and sparkling waters. So I bit the bullet and bought us a Soda Stream. And we will never go back. Not only can I have any kind of refreshing beverage anytime I want it, we’re also keeping thousands of aluminum cans and plastic bottles out of our landfills and oceans.

Chic vs. Geek: What do buyers want?

We’re still getting used to the “new normal”, and it’s shifting the way buyers are looking at homes, too. So what are the most popular features in a post-COVID world?

CHIC (PEARL)

It shouldn’t be surprising that home offices and big backyards are in high demand. With more employers shifting to hybrid or work-from-home models, a quiet space to Zoom or crush that deadline is becoming more valuable. And being stuck at home is a lot more tolerable when you have a spacious backyard to spread out.

GEEK (KEVIN)

The biggest selling point for a lot of buyers is family space — and not just for socializing. We all know that personal space is just as important, especially when you’ve heard the same family stories a couple hundred times. And with crimes of opportunity on the rise, a secure front porch is becoming another hot item on the COVID market.