Fulton Homes, Arizona’s largest family-owned and -operated homebuilder, and the Fulton Homes Design Center, are seeing an increase in homebuyers’ “must haves” as it relates to home office design trends. Dramatic shifts in the everyday lives of homebuyers have caused families to rethink a once-overlooked, private working corridor.
The home office does not only benefit the “worker.” Recent months have shown that many different family members can end up at home for unknown periods of time, using different devices to keep up-to-date with schooling, friends and families.
“As a homebuilder, we usually see trends as they are evolving in the early stages,” said Dennis Webb, vice president of operations for Fulton Homes. “Employers are adapting to having remote employees, and the workforce is basically able to live wherever they want at this point. The challenges of daily commutes and in-person meetings don’t play as much of a factor.”
As a service to local homebuyers looking for a home office upgrade, the Fulton Homes Design Center team is offering some of the latest and greatest trends for homeowners to keep top-of-mind as they enter the design phase. Here are the top three trends that stand out:
• “Zoom Room”: This is top on the trend list, as many are spending a lot more time working from home. When the telecommunication revolution ramped up in March, companies were forced to hold all meetings via virtual videoconferencing platforms—Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.—and many employees’ home offices were not up to par. Home offices with a “zoom-centric” focus—including an area with good lighting and videoconference-friendly backdrops—help facilitate a good first impression when working with people whom you’ve not met in person, and whose image of you is based on a rectangular representation in a virtual window. Trendy, professional backgrounds growing in popularity are bookshelves, subway tiles and plant-filled oasis. To look one’s best while videoconferencing, a flattering angle is key. The best practice is to set up the camera at a height even with one’s hairline, a reasonable distance from the face, then angling down toward the eyes.
• Lighting and Technology: Poor lighting can cause reduced energy, dampened morale and increased eyestrain, so having proper lighting in home offices is a high priority. Indirect and adjustable lighting fixtures are trendy additions to home offices: LED lightbulbs are good; a high CRI ring light is better; but natural light is best, according to our experts. Speedy internet connectivity throughout the home begins with finding the perfect location for a router within a home office.
• Soundproofing: In a home office, this is a must-have, considering today’s teleconference-centric environment. Background noise can cause unfavorable meeting experiences so buyers are investing in sound proofing technologies via individual office walls and carpeted flooring, noted for sound absorption.
The future of home offices?
• Dual Offices: Having dual offices may be the next pivot in home office design trends. With two (or more) family members working, schooling from home—and spending more than half their waking hours there—the need for customized, separate office spaces is near.
Fulton Homes, with its 13,000-square-foot Design Center located in Tempe, offers the widest selection and the finest design experience of any homebuilder in Arizona. Fulton Homes buyers have the luxury of selecting from a variety of room options to satisfy all needs of families diverse in lifestyle and size.
For more information about the Fulton Homes Design Center and virtual appointments, visit fultonhomes.com/design-center.
