VUE

Of course, creating new workspaces, or optimizing already existing ones for the demands of remote working, is not the only challenge that homeowners are currently facing. With schools closed throughout the country, homeowners also have to deal with piles of homework and school projects crowding their kitchen and dining room table. In order to deal with a new level of mess, many parents have opted for turning a room into a homework space for their children. The best rooms are the ones that can be closed off from the rest of the home, thereby allowing each child to have their own work and storage space, as well as a classroom-like environment that can help them stay focused and engaged. Many parents might opt to put desks in the child's bedroom instead - however, a separate space like this gives both parent and child the ability to close the door and signal the end of the school day. After all, children also need to relax, recharge and get away from the stresses of the day. There is no standardized way to optimize home spaces so that they are better at meeting the new demands imposed by semi-quarantine and social distancing. The work done on office spaces and schoolwork stations will differ from home to home, depending on each family's particular needs. However, regardless of specificities, adapting a home to our new normal will always require that homeowners identify their current issues, define their goals and needs, be creative in their designs and budget according to their means. The new normal requires that we spend more time in our homes, and therefore it is up to us to transform our home environment to suit our new needs, without compromising that which makes it special. PHOTOS BY BEN WINKLER PHOTOGRAPHY V U E N J . C O M 98

• Cover