By Joseph Staples // SWNS
NEWS COPY W/ VIDEO + INFOGRAPHIC
The past year has turned Americans into hoarders — and new research has revealed two in three are desperate to find places in their homes for everything to fit.
A survey of 2,000 general population Americans found they have spent more money on items such as kitchen and cooking utensils (30%), home decor (30%) and personal care products (27%) in the last year.
Some respondents said random items like exercise equipment, a surplus of boxes — even bird feeders — have taken up space in their homes.
Sixty-three percent of respondents said they have so much junk in their homes they have a difficult time finding where to store it. That’s why 73% feel they’d be more at ease if their items had their own place.
Cleaning and reorganization has been on the rise. More than a third had no interest in home organization before the pandemic began, but now, 63% of respondents said they want to be tidier and are planning to keep with the trend post-pandemic.
Commissioned by mDesign and conducted by OnePoll, the study found 74% of Americans describe home reorganization as extremely satisfying, and 63% said it’s a huge de-stressor for them.
Seventy-two percent of Americans have reorganized or renovated two or more rooms in their home since the pandemic began.
And nearly half (49%) said they’ve taken on home projects just within the past three months
DIY-ers and organizers said the most difficult parts of their projects include figuring out where to start (44%), finding the time (41%) and finding affordable ways to get it done (41%).
Ninety percent of recent renovators said their latest projects improved how their homes felt to them. More than a quarter (29%) felt satisfied with their home projects.
“As people continue to purchase new items for their home, whether it be for entertaining, building a home office, stocking the pantry or enhancing a playroom, it’s important to maximize the function of the room,” said Kris Arabia, SVP Chief Merchant at mDesign. “By utilizing a variety of storage solutions to make the most of your space, like wall-mounted baskets or lidded bins to stack vertically, you can make sure everything has a place.”
Seven in 10 respondents believe being at home more this year has been the biggest motivator for them to improve the function and aesthetic of their spaces. Thirty-seven percent of respondents said their homes have felt more like a sanctuary or nest than just a home.
Nearly half (47%) said they had to repurpose rooms for other uses during the pandemic.
Two in five (43%) felt so good about their home office efforts, they swear it feels more professional and put together than their actual office. Likewise, 34% feel the same about their at-home learning area feeling more like a classroom than their child’s actual classroom.
According to respondents, the most commonly reorganized rooms this past year are the bedroom (33%), living room (27%), bathroom (27%) and kitchen (25%).
This coincides with rooms in most desperate need of reorganization for respondents, which includes the kitchen (27%), bathroom (26%), living room (22%) and bedroom (20%).
”Since we’re spending so much time at home, it’s important to not only improve how it functions, but also how it looks,” said Kris Arabia, SVP Chief Merchant at mDesign. “We recommend clear, acrylic storage or wire baskets for the pantry. These allow you to easily see the contents, plus they’re versatile enough to use in any room of the house.”
THE MOST COMMONLY REORGANIZED SPACES IN THE PAST YEAR:
- Bedroom 33%
- Living/family room 27%
- Bathroom 27%
- Kitchen 25%
- Office 18%
- Kid's bedroom 13%
- Pantry 13%
- Garage 10%
- Laundry/mud room 9%
- Closet 9%
