{"id":237020,"date":"2021-04-28T01:09:19","date_gmt":"2021-04-27T22:09:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/these-lockdown-renovations-were-done-with-an-eye-for-post-pandemic-living\/"},"modified":"2021-04-28T01:09:19","modified_gmt":"2021-04-27T22:09:19","slug":"these-lockdown-renovations-were-done-with-an-eye-for-post-pandemic-living","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/these-lockdown-renovations-were-done-with-an-eye-for-post-pandemic-living\/","title":{"rendered":"#These lockdown renovations were done with an eye for post-pandemic living"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3c8091d28ec\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3c8091d28ec\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/these-lockdown-renovations-were-done-with-an-eye-for-post-pandemic-living\/#Goodbye_cubicle_hello_pod\" >Goodbye cubicle, hello pod<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/these-lockdown-renovations-were-done-with-an-eye-for-post-pandemic-living\/#Fit_for_life_at_home\" >Fit for life at home<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/these-lockdown-renovations-were-done-with-an-eye-for-post-pandemic-living\/#Pass_the_popcorn\" >Pass the popcorn<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/these-lockdown-renovations-were-done-with-an-eye-for-post-pandemic-living\/#Drive_your_kids_up_the_wall\" >Drive your kids up the wall<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#These lockdown renovations were done with an eye for post-pandemic living<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n                                                                        It took a global pandemic for many Canadians to realize their homes are not as spacious or multi-functional as events might demand. The closure of office spaces, gyms and\u2014for a while\u2014playgrounds left many families feeling cramped at home. Parents searched for quiet nooks to make Zoom calls, while kids deprived of hangout sessions with friends or sleepovers with grandparents sought any means of escape. Amid the on-again, off-again lockdowns, nearly half of Canadians said they already had, or were considering, home renovations, according to an Abacus Data poll released in March. Here are some of the spaces they reconfigured with new realities in mind.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Goodbye_cubicle_hello_pod\"><\/span>Goodbye cubicle, hello pod<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Before COVID-19, when he had a toddler and a puppy who required his attention, Rick Whitfield would try to sneak in a few hours of working from home rather than going into the office. But his son loved to follow him around during his calls with colleagues, and he risked blowing his cover. \u201cI would just circle the house and he\u2019d be chasing me,\u201d says Whitfield, laughing, \u201cand I\u2019m running away so no one hears him in the background.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s how Whitfield got the idea of a backyard office pod\u2014a separate, quiet space for work. The idea sat on the shelf, however, as the long-time TV and film production designer and art director got busy designing everything from Hindu temples to police stations for television shows.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1219334\" style=\"width: 830px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-sizes=\"auto\" class=\"wp-image-1219334 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/COVID-RENOS-HUTCHINS-MAR31-01.jpg\" alt=\"Whitfield designed a prefabricated fully furnished office pod (Jennifer Gauthier)\" width=\"820\" height=\"555\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Whitfield designed a prefabricated fully furnished office pod (Jennifer Gauthier)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>But Whitfield soon found himself out of work after the pandemic shut down much of his industry. So, with a surge of people needing home office space, he put his design-and-build experience to work, creating a prefabricated, self-contained office unit that can be delivered fully furnished to anyone whose property can accommodate it. He dubbed the company Box\u00adOffice, and the first unit was dropped off in December by crane to his own backyard in New Westminster, B.C.<\/p>\n<p>Whitfield had long wanted a backyard office, but he\u2019s no longer the only one in his household working from home: his wife, Angie, gets to use it, too.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Fit_for_life_at_home\"><\/span>Fit for life at home<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Before the pandemic, Jen Bjarnarson was the only person in her family who worked out in the basement of their home in La Salle, Man. It wasn\u2019t an ideal space. The home gym took up a small, square patch of a lower floor \u201cchaotic with random basement stuff everywhere,\u201d she says. And the carpeted floors left Bjarnarson with the occasional rugburn when she did exercises.<\/p>\n<p>Bjarnarson\u2019s husband and two teenaged daughters had gym memberships, but when COVID hit, they needed a place to exercise. \u201cMy husband started to say how it sucks working out on carpet,\u201d Bjarnarson recalls. \u201cI said, \u2018I\u2019ve been doing this for years.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1219332\" style=\"width: 830px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-sizes=\"auto\" class=\"wp-image-1219332 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/COVID-RENOS-HUTCHINS-MAR31-03.jpg\" alt=\"Jennifer Bjarnarson's home gym renos (Courtesy of Jennifer Bjarnarson)\" width=\"820\" height=\"615\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bjarnarson\u2019s home gym renos (Courtesy of Jennifer Bjarnarson)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>First they talked about simply replacing the flooring in the workout area, but the project ultimately spiralled into a full-scale renovation to create a home gym, with the work led by her husband and eldest daughter. They added a treadmill, a bench and a Bosu ball, plus a softball net where their youngest daughter, a competitive player, could practise her hitting. Everyone got their own yoga mat, and a sign adorns the wall: Bjarnarson Home Gym. (\u201cOur kids think that\u2019s the lamest decal ever,\u201d Bjarnarson says.)<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>READ:\u00a0The mystery mansion near Calgary that has everyone talking<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Bjarnarson wakes up at 5 a.m. every day to start her morning routine. But with two daughters alternating days for in-school learning, there is always someone at home to make use of the space. \u201cBefore it was just for me,\u201d she says. \u201cNow it\u2019s for everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Pass_the_popcorn\"><\/span>Pass the popcorn<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In early 2020, Jen Nickel and her family were thinking about moving. With three kids\u2014two of whom were sharing a bedroom\u2014their home in St. Catharines, Ont., felt cramped. They\u2019d dipped a toe in the market, visiting homes with a real estate agent, but then COVID hit, \u201cand I didn\u2019t know what my business would look like tomorrow,\u201d recalls Nickel, an interior designer. \u201cWe didn\u2019t want to commit to a crazy mortgage, so we thought, \u2018Why don\u2019t we do the best we can with this house?\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1219330\" style=\"width: 830px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-sizes=\"auto\" class=\"wp-image-1219330 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/COVID-RENOS-HUTCHINS-MAR31-06.jpg\" alt=\"Nickel's basement space was originally open with concrete floor and hockey boards on the walls\u2014a space for the kids to run around and play hockey (Courtesy of Jen Nickel)\" width=\"820\" height=\"547\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nickel\u2019s basement space was originally open with concrete floor and hockey boards on the walls\u2014a space for the kids to run around and play hockey (Courtesy of Jen Nickel)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>That meant fixing up their basement. It used to be a relatively simple play space, with fake hockey boards on the walls where the kids would play with mini-sticks. They didn\u2019t have to worry about destroying anything because there was nothing to destroy. But the kids were growing up\u2014their eldest is now in high school\u2014and they wanted a space where the children could hang out with their friends online.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe way they <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social<\/a>ize during lockdown is over video <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a>s,\u201d Nickel observes. \u201cWe\u2019ve also been doing lots of family movie nights. We\u2019re currently working through the Harry Potter <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">movies<\/a>.\u201d The set-up includes a sound bar, subwoofer and 55-inch TV\u2014though Nickel says her husband is lobbying for a bigger screen\u2014plus headsets for the kids who are often playing <em>Minecraft<\/em>. It\u2019s a far better atmosphere than the upstairs living room where they used to watch TV, and where someone inevitably had to sit on the floor. Now they have a large sectional and black-out blinds, plus a Murphy bed in case anyone wants to stay over.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1219329\" style=\"width: 830px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-sizes=\"auto\" class=\"wp-image-1219329 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/COVID-RENOS-HUTCHINS-MAR31-07.jpg\" alt=\"Jen Nickel's basement after the renos (Courtesy of Jen Nickel)\" width=\"820\" height=\"547\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nickel\u2019s basement after the renos (Courtesy of Jen Nickel)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The brick-wall look is actually wallpaper\u2014a reminder of a family road <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trip<\/a> they took to Chicago the year before the lockdowns; their Airbnb featured exposed brick walls. They\u2019ve hung photos of their favourite places from that vacation. \u201cNow that my kids are getting older, they stay up later,\u201d Nickel says. \u201cWe have to kick them out\u2014it\u2019s our turn to use the basement.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Drive_your_kids_up_the_wall\"><\/span>Drive your kids up the wall<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>When city officials started to block off playgrounds with caution tape in the spring of 2020, Holly Thompson\u2019s son and daughter complained. There was no point in going to the park anymore. They needed a place to have fun, and she needed them to burn off energy. \u201cWe\u2019ve been pretty cautious throughout COVID,\u201d Thompson says, \u201cso even when we could go to parks again, we didn\u2019t go for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1219328\" style=\"width: 830px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-sizes=\"auto\" class=\"wp-image-1219328 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/COVID-RENOS-HUTCHINS-MAR31-04.jpg\" alt=\"Thompson's kids play in the jungle gym their parents built (Photograph by Sarah Palmer)\" width=\"820\" height=\"547\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thompson\u2019s kids play in the jungle gym their parents built (Photograph by Sarah Palmer)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Their home in Guelph, Ont., had an empty room that was filled with toys, but it was largely a cluttered mess that the kids, now three and five, didn\u2019t bother to use anymore. That\u2019s when Thompson and her husband, Ryan, figured it was time to clear out the toys and recreate the space as an adventure room.<\/p>\n<p>First, they installed rock-climbing space on several walls. \u201cThen we painted it with mountains so it looked like you were climbing,\u201d Thompson says.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1219331\" style=\"width: 830px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-sizes=\"auto\" class=\"wp-image-1219331 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/COVID-RENOS-HUTCHINS-MAR31-05.jpg\" alt=\"Thompson painted the wall to look like mountains (Courtesy of Holly Thompson)\" width=\"820\" height=\"1093\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Thompson painted the wall to look like mountains (Courtesy of Holly Thompson)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Next came monkey bars, but the only space they\u2019d fit was above the rock-climbing hand-holds, which was quite high. So they had a 12-inch crash mat custom-made for the floor in case of falls. Finally, they installed a hook in the middle of the room for interchangeable accessories like a swing, a climbing rope and a gymnastics bar.<\/p>\n<p>The kids use the room every day, with their mom and dad relegated to supervision.<\/p>\n<p>But fun has not passed the grown-ups by. They keep themselves entertained with the golf simulator they installed in the garage.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><em>This article <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ears in print in the May 2021 issue of<\/em> Maclean\u2019s <em>magazine with the headline, \u201cBuilding back better.\u201d Subscribe to the monthly print magazine <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/secure.macleans.ca\/loc\/MME\/head_subscribe\">here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"ctx-article-root\"><!-- --><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async defer crossorigin=\"anonymous\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js#xfbml=1&#038;version=v10.0\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/general\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/economy\/realestateeconomy\/these-lockdown-renovations-were-done-with-an-eye-for-post-pandemic-living\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#These lockdown renovations were done with an eye for post-pandemic living&#8221; It took a global pandemic for many Canadians to realize their homes are not as spacious or multi-functional as events might demand. The closure of office spaces, gyms and\u2014for a while\u2014playgrounds left many families feeling cramped at home. Parents searched for quiet nooks to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":237021,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/COVID-RENOS-HUTCHINS-MAR31-02-766x431.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[22974,1356,67806,103693,103694],"class_list":["post-237020","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-canada","tag-covid-19","tag-editors-picks","tag-home-ownership","tag-home-renovation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237020","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=237020"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237020\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/237021"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=237020"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=237020"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=237020"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}