This school year is different from any other, and many people are finding that their homes are just not prepared. The combination of parents working from home and children taking classes online has created new demands on our spaces. This new lifestyle isn’t going to change in a matter of weeks or months, so if you’re finding that your home doesn’t meet your needs these days, it might be time for a renovation. 

If you have school-age kids in your family, consider some of these renovation ideas to help support hybrid learning.

1. Create an Individual Zoom Zone

Whether you need to be on a conference call or one of your children has a particularly noisy lesson, having a place where individuals can hide away to do their work will help keep the peace at home. Open offices solve this challenge by creating phone booths or small conference rooms. 

Translate this concept to your home by creating a space that can be closed off to create privacy. If you have an open floor plan and find that you’re struggling to create separate spaces, it might be possible to get the best of both worlds. For example, depending on the layout of your home, you could create some separation in the dining area to repurpose it for a hybrid learning environment. Partial walls with sliding barn doors or pocket doors will help make the larger space feel open, but you’ll have the option to close the door when you need to.

2. Invest in a Manhattan Kitchen Remodel

With fewer people eating at restaurants and families spending more time together, the kitchen has become even more of a hub in many homes. For some kids, the kitchen island or breakfast nook has also become their desk. A Manhattan kitchen remodel can help you transform this space into a more suitable environment for hybrid learning.

For example, if you don’t currently have an appropriate seating area in the kitchen and desperately need the space, changing up the layout could give you room for an island that both adds valuable counter space and gives kids a place to perch while they’re doing homework. The breakfast nook that didn’t get much use before can be transformed into a dedicated desk with all of the wiring and lighting that makes setting up remote learning easier.

3. Create Clever Built-Ins

For smaller spaces, built-ins can be a lifesaver. A built-in desk that drops down when you need it and folds flat or slides away when you don’t will help keep your living spaces clutter-free when the school day is over. Create custom shelving that holds all of the essentials so they are handy when needed, but they’re not taking up space on surfaces throughout your home. Open shelving is great for smaller spaces because it maintains a feeling of openness, but cabinets you can close will make it easier for kids to make the distinction between school time and home time.

4. Rethink the Bedrooms

If you have a guest room, repurpose it into a learning space. If you don’t want to give up the option of hosting guests in style, consider a Murphy bed with a desk that can be tucked away when the bed is opened up. Your guests will never know they’re sleeping in a schoolroom, and your kids can work in a space that doesn’t also feel like a bedroom. 

If you don’t have a guest room, you can apply this same concept to the kids’ rooms. Another way to create space is to build a loft bed with a desk below. This not only makes the most of a room with a smaller footprint, but it also gives the kids a refreshed space that they will enjoy for years to come.

Connect with Detail Renovations

Whether you need a Manhattan kitchen remodel, custom millwork, or a total overhaul of your home, Detail Renovations is here to help. We work closely with architects and specialty designers to create unique spaces that meet your individual needs. If those needs have changed recently, give us a call to discuss how a home renovation can help.