It reminded us that a house for entertaining is what we really want, even though it was bigger than we originally wanted. Also a neighborhood with fun amenities- we took up tennis during the pandemic and decided we’d like to live in a neighborhood with a tennis club.

For us, it meant permanently converting our formal dining room to a working office. We almost never used our dining room, and during shelter in place could not afford to not use that space. In terms of priorities, we need to be smarter with each space and make sure we are maximizing what we get out of it.

Nothing changed. For a few months I did work from home from my dining room but I knew this was a temporary challenge so a temporary solution was fine. We have a couple of acres we live on. Space/gardens/outside has always been our lifestyle so we had what we needed before/during/after. Even if we had still had children at home how we have always lived would have just continued. Priorities well placed support you always.

"Priorities well placed support you always."

Very well said.

We have always had a home office so nothing needed changing. I sure do miss big dinner parties but it is what it is right now. Thanksgiving max 6 instead of 18

Working from home we both realized we could be working from anywhere so why not move to the city my husband has always dreamed of living in - NYC! Downsized from a 5 bed, 3 story row house and moved to upper Manhattan to a two bed apartment. Made sure there are desks in both beds so more options for zoom call privacy. Huge lifestlye change and we are loving it!

Everyone was looking for space where there was a strong signal for online work ( not all areas had this) in the end they worked from their bedrooms which was also difficult as there would be interruptions too. Plus, not exactly a comfortable position on the beds.

One major thing did happen though ( good idea in a way and ready for emergencies) was that everyone has made a corner of their room into a beverage area and this is permanent now for only when needed. It is actually either a slim shoe cabinet which on top has a electric kettle, toaster, small electric hob. The cabinet stores basics like tea, sugar, snacks, couple of plates etc. each have a mini fridge. So whenever needed it’s ready in ones room. It’s actually turned into a handy thing to have!

Our shared office stayed my hubby office . I moved my office downstairs to the empty in law suite. One year later, now my daughter is back with her littles and my office/workout room/craft room has to be dismantled. Moving back upstairs to our shared office.

Working from home was fairly easy, as my husband and I have separate work spaces in rooms that already did double duty. Mine is in the living room and his in the family/media room.

One thing I was grateful for was that we had done several large renovation projects prior to the pandemic. I'm very glad that we aren't in the middle of one now, considering the backlogs with materials and labor shortages. I feel so sorry for anyone building a home or doing a major renovation right now--it must be quite frustrating.

Any work I'm doing for clients prioritizes selecting items in stock to avoid the 8-12 month lead times.

My home now has fewer objects to allow more space for doing. Decorative toppers on the dining room table and coffee table were nixed as well as surplus china so that the space for accessories and tools activities and hobbies was maximized.

I was already sick of open concept pre pandemic and the pandemic really confirmed that. We have three very young kids and having seperate spaces within the home is even more important now. I need time to recharge.

My husband retired (from busy medical practice) on the last day of 2019. We were going to travel and cruise! Instead we bought a house and moved everything 750 miles to be near my family. We moved from a 1960's 2500sqft 2-story house with separate rooms (the only connected rooms were family room we re-defined as the dining room three steps down from the breakfast area-kitchen, and the ceilings were low) in a tightly-packed suburban neighborhood, to a 1990's 3500sqft single-story house with high ceilings and largely open concept and a quarter-mile driveway.

Again we re-defined the areas, again the family/TV space became our dining room, and their dining area is our computer and reference library niche -- open to the living room. I never thought I liked open concept, but we have sharply defined the functions of spaces so we don't seem to need walls. (Of course we have no children, and when people start to visit in the future, the guest wing is separate and self-contained as well.)

As far as design priorities. Our house in California was all about comfort and cocooning from a hectic lifestyle. The combined decor theme was bodega/winery-with-a-nod to mid-century modern. Although there was a large bay-picture window in the living room, it faced east and was under an immense Aleppo pinetree, so in general the rooms were shaded.

HERE we have walls of windows facing south-east in both of the open rooms & master suite, AND views of mountains not parking in the street. We did not redecorate, so inherited a muted almost-pastel color scheme which we have anchored with our own dark wood furniture. The decor theme is light glam with global accents. The desired outcome is relaxing and living life as a vacation -- although my husband finds many tasks to busy himself with, as any homeowner.

We are building a small house and wood and other materials keep fluctuating up. Everything is lot higher due to the pandemic. It’s turning into a nightmare! In addition to that, you can’t find any help. When you do find help, they don’t show up . “Complete nightmare!!!”

I am so sorry Paula, I agree that contractors and even professionals just ignore you and do not how up. The world has become more stressful. We are here for you and understand your frustration.

Fortunately, we had no projects going except some landscaping, so we have not been impacted except in our social life. We do hear horror stories about contractors and lack of supplies from a few friends who were mid-project or hoped to be doing remodeling or additions.

I have had to post a long awaited bathroom remodel due to shortages in the supply chain. very unhappy!

Turned a second guest room into a workout room with treadmill and weight bench. Third guest room is now hubby’s Zoom room/music room with a photo studio background on one wall, adjustable height desk in front of it, laptop riser, three floor lights for three point lighting, etc as well as his guitars and music. Zoom station in guest bedroom - small desk instead of nightstand on one side of bed, pulled out and turned around to back up to a plain wall. Working hard on making back yard that only had a lawn more functional and ready for outdoor entertaining. Purchased umbrellas, furniture, fire pits early spring. Hired a landscape designer last fall to create a plan and help us figure out where to put sheds, RV parking, hardscapes, hot tub as well as narrow down tree and plant selection. Sheds and RV parking are done, concrete in progress, hot tub arriving soon after six month wait. Now on to DG pathways and patios, pergola, plants and trees.

My desire to make our spaces more beautiful and enjoyable has become more urgent.

Moved from a city apartment to house on the ocean, added a murphy bed and garage storage so I could bring stuff down from the attic. Got rid of a lot of books now that I use audiobooks. Since the price of home heating is going up, I wanted to better insulate the attic with spray foam and cellulose. I installed water-saving devices. Ready to install a wifi thermostat soon.

We finally moved in to our retirement home that we have been renovating for 9 years, sold our condo and my husband retired in mid 2020. Yay!

We saved the renovation of the master bath for last as we wanted to take our time, incorporate special features, etc. We've been able to source all product but have been waiting for months for contractors to even provide quotes - we've only received one thus far from 4 contractors. All of them have stated it will be at least 6-9 months before they can start work and that was 4 months ago. Very frustrating but what are you going to do.

We improved our deck and built a sunken patio in the front. We installled heaters and a chimera fireplace as well to enlarge three season visiting space. My husband took over a spare bedroom for his home office and I sense he is not going to return to his office downtown.

We have had an interior renovation project going on during covid as well. Fortunately we had a small contracting team on the job before Covid and we have been able to keep them on the scene and working throughout the pandemic with ’incentives’. We experienced delays for the TimberTech and increased pricing on lumber. Our landscape team was overwhelmed with Covid delays and that work took forever and is still not finished. We have been waiting 18 months for our pool installation and still don’t know when that will happen. Oh, well….

Decluttering and simplifying have become the focus in our home. We had time to really look at our belongings and decide what’s important and what’s not. Reducing clutter gives a sense of peace that is rare outside our walls these days.

The instability of society also makes the future unsure so we are being more careful with our spending. As prices go up and labor is in short supply we have decided to focus on needs over wants. Time with friends over projects.

We, like so many, decided our current house didn't meet the demands of our family, and all the time together. Thus, our new house will be finished in the next month or two. Cannot wait!

For me I realized our house is too small with all of us at home all of the time. Therefore, I will be converting my double car garage that has a cathedral ceiling into my own living space. Can't wait until the renovations begin!

I bought my first home in late December 2020. It needed a lot of renovation so my good friend basically began looking (and soon became the CEO of the renovations) at contractors. A couple of them didn't show up or bother to submit bids. One, Tony Toro Construction, said they could start on January 6. We decided to be patient and go with him--and it turned out to be the best decision we could have made. They were the best and all the work got done to perfection. We had other professionals as well for drapes, new windows, a new roof, a new water heater, new toilets. Each time we somehow came around to the best. I moved in on March 18 with all inside work done and just a little to go on the outside. The only two things undone were exterior painting and clearing the yard / replanting, and those had to wait because we had run out of money. (The painting just got done; the yard has to wait.)

It cost us about $110K all told. It is even now a breathtaking amount but every single thing was done perfectly. I am in total agreement with Joseph Corlett, a pro on here, who in another discussion said that paying professionals and not using Lowe's or HD was the way to go. You pay for professionalism, for knowledge, for years of experience, for licensing, for reputation. I had to tell someone recently that even if the vintage appliance repairman spent only ten minutes and still charged me the same $65/hour he would charge if he spent 60 minutes that it was not a ripoff. I was paying for all he knew, not his minutes.

Lowes and Home Depot services are expensive too. Better to pass all the payment directly to the guy doing the work. Skip the middleman. Though I think Angi's List and HomeAdvisor are worth it with their accountability and reviews and payment system.

We haven't been staying at home as many of you have . As my husband and I are long haul semi truck drivers, the demand for us to work more hours for the past year and a half has been insane. Our home has become a place we do not see much of, so we have decide to invest the increase in income to renovating it into a oasis for retirement. The pandemic has now caused a lot of issues with finding contractors, and supplies, something I am sure everyone is dealing with whether it is the toilet paper shortage at the beginning of the pandemic or other items over the past year and a half, and now Christmas items that are not in abundance. It makes us reminisce about our childhood memories of Christmas with our grandparents who made us a lot of hand made goods and a lot of baking. We are looking forward to the changes and choices for the house.

As I drove on the highway for 3 hours from Massachusetts to New Hampshire, I saw many large trucks. They were all carrying building supplies, like lumber and cabinets. The housing boom seems to be causing these truck drivers to focus on one area, maybe less on restaurants as in the past.

In terms of the pandemic, I had a choice to pick out( went to a warehouse) my quartz to purchase or Lowe's. We choose Lowes becuase of a sale( trying to be a good steward). So not my forever home but kichen was severely outdated and it seems in some parts of GA, they used plastic cabinets that peel paint. We ordered new cabinets, replaced counters, rid the nasty loopsided/short island and replaced walls and floors. I wanted to use the new kitchen for working. The Lowes 3rd party quartz took forever and they wouldn't answer their phone when they knew their where begind the scene issues. The delay cost us alot in my family. I will never use them again based on their lack of professionalism. Just the Quartz company not Lowe's. They will always be my fav.

Outdoor spaces such as landscaping and paver patios have become my priority. It's so healing to work in the garden!

Renovation is hell and such a relief when it's over. But so beautiful when done, it's worth it.

I am lucky my granite still looks good. It wasn't an extreme color, so no need to change.

Moving my private practice home as a mental health therapist for a year of teletherapy was important. Maintaining adherence to HIPAA rules was crucial. Flexibility in space was key to our success as my husband already had his dedicated office space working for an existing all remote company. I started out in our bedroom thinking it would only be a month or so (haha!), but as it progressed I moved into a guest bedroom on the other side of the house so our Master became our sanctuary, once again. That was necessary for my sanity! ;-)

For the last year and a half my husband was working from home. He had no choice but to work in the living room/dining area. It was frustrating for him to constantly worry about random noise while on video meetings, and there were just so many distractions from kids, pets, etc.

We are finally getting a bigger house where he will finally have a dedicated home office with doors for privacy, and I’m taking a spare bedroom for my own office/craft room as well.

We had planned to be downsized and moved into a historic village near our daughter almost 2 years ago. We started looking at homes almost 4 years ago, then the pandemic hit, then the inflated home prices as well. So we are still in our same home. It's a nice colonial we built 25 years ago, and we have maintained it very well, and did updating along the way. After not finding the "right" house, we then settled for "a house". We made an offer on a property well over asking price, only to lose out to someone else. We have decided to sit tight this winter, and resume our search in the spring. Trying to find a good contractor in our area is almost futile. We had the complete interior painted 2 years ago, and then wanted someone to paint the interior of our 2-1/2 car garage with a high ceiling, and three painters said it would be about 6 months wait, while another said that they were so backed up that they weren't even scheduling any work. Frustrating. Our home needs have changed - all we want is 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, hardwood floors and a 2-car garage, with some curb appeal. Sounds simple enough, but it has proved to be a challenge.

In the past two years I had to adjust to working from home 100% of the time to 80%, in a tiny apartment as the cities opened, n I travel to office 2-3 days a week. Our lease was expiring in 2021 and had to move to a larger place , husband and child , due to increased rent n cramped space. We found a bargain single family home and purchased with over an acre of land in NJ! We are moved n our projects have focused on flooring, light plumbing on bath fixtures replacement, redoing basement floor that had carpet with epoxy instead, new toilets, getting chickens n chicken coops/living area , constantly maintaining lawn, n just cut a giant tree right in front of the house. It has been non stop action but so much worth it !! Our next project is setting up island for our kitchen, countertops, backsplash and refacing cabinets, also just found out our wood burning stove chimney has to be replaced! I have a storage space in master bedroom n reached out to 2 contractors to get a quote on a bathroom and never heard back, reading up now I see it can be a shortage in the supply industry; which I suspected, but yo not even get a call back? I thought it was not a professional sign on their part , we put in the back burner n continuing our kitchen project for now

I realize that I have way too many things, so I'm simplifying. My design priorities have a focus o simplicity and purpose.

We’ve focused a lot more on outside living areas.

Comfort is a top priority for many people as we started to work from home, study and make parties just in our apartments.

As we progressed into the shut down, we discovered that everyone (my husband, my daughter who came to shelter with us, and myself) all needed separate places to conduct business and craft. The first was to get my husband, a university professor, off of my kitchen counters and into the basement turned office space. My plan was to not spend a lot of money, use what we had and find second-hand office furniture. Found a great desk and chair and created a comfortable and professional space for him to Zoom his meetings and classes. Secondly, I turned over my "pretty room", complete with desk and seat to my daughter for her workspace. That just left me. I turned our sunroom into a sculpture/pottery studio. A dream come true. Second hand sturdy shelving and a pine kitchen table for workspace. We are all comfortable and come together in the evening for a cocktail and dinner. Family and work can exist together! Who knew?