Renovations in the Spokane area are in high demand as homeowners look to improve their living spaces during the pandemic, say area architects.

Rex Anderson, principal of Spokane-based Fusion Architecture, says he expected the pandemic to lead to a slowdown in demand for work, but the firm saw the opposite.

“The phone just seems to keep ringing,” says Anderson. “It’s really hard to believe, given the whole pandemic.”

People being confined to their home is likely a driver of the demand, he contends.

“Part of that is the fact that people are home,” says Anderson. “No one’s really going anywhere or spending any money. So those resources are being redirected into improving their own property.”

A survey released in March by the American Institute of Architects found demand for renovations remained strong during 2020, with accessible kitchen and bathroom designs continuing to see strong demand. Outdoor cooking spaces, walk-in showers, pantry space, outdoor showers, and hand-free or sensor faucets also saw increasing popularity.

“They want to improve the main living areas, like the living rooms, master bedrooms, and the kitchen,” contends Anderson, adding that outdoor spaces also have been popular, with increases in requests for covered patios.

“They want to improve their overall living experience,” he says.

Fusion takes on about five renovation projects a year, with a mix of interior remodels and additions. The firm specializes in custom residential, multifamily, and small commercial projects, Anderson says. It currently has four employees.

Anderson declines to disclose annual revenue but says revenue modestly increased between 2020 and 2019. 

Overall, custom residential sectors reported growth in 2020, with home improvement reporting the strongest gains. About 75% of members surveyed reported growth in home alterations and additions, compared with 48% in 2019. The AIA Home Design Trends Survey surveyed over 500 architecture firms that concentrate on the residential sector.

“Kitchens seem to be very much still drivers of projects,” says Jeff Fountain, principal at Copeland Architecture & Construction Inc.

The company on average takes on a couple of renovation projects a year, Fountain says. With current demand, the company isn’t able to take on any smaller projects, but focuses on larger, multiroom renovations, he says.

“There’s a lot of people doing remodels, and we just can’t touch as many,” he says. “It’s hard to get past how busy it is.”

In Spokane County, home renovation permit numbers in 2020 were nearly on par with pre-pandemic numbers, data from Spokane County, city of Spokane, and city of Spokane Valley building departments show, with only Spokane Valley reporting steep drops in renovation permits issued.

In total, over $54.4 million in renovations were completed between the three municipalities in 2020, up from $51.9 million the previous year. In the city of Spokane, $39.5 million in renovations were done in 2020, down slightly from its 2019 total of $40.8 million. Spokane County saw $9.8 million in remodel permits issued, up from 2019 totals of $8.7 million.

Despite issuing fewer remodel permits in 2020 than 2019, the city of Spokane Valley saw remodel permit valuations at about $5.1 million in 2020, compared to about $2.4 million in 2019. 

Both Fountain and Anderson say they have a strong backlog of projects and expect this year to be another busy year for renovation projects, despite initially believing that the pandemic would significantly slow home renovation demand.

“The trend that is still exploding is the trend that I wouldn’t have seen coming,” says Fountain. “There’s been absolutely no slow down, we’ve been full-tilt for a year. Supply and demand for housing in general is not going to change anytime soon. There’s too much lag time.”

Copeland also builds new homes, with an average of five custom homes a year. It currently has about 10 employees.

The company is unable to take on any new construction projects that are intended to break ground within the next few months, but it can schedule some such projects for next year, Fountain says.

Overall, design trends haven’t seen substantial changes as a result of the pandemic, contends Fountain. Customers still favor open concepts and high-quality finishes, he says.

“People are getting a little more creative with paint color and countertops that are wild or fun,” he adds.

Some materials, such as wood products, that have seen record breaking price increases over the past year are being passed over in favor of more economical options, such as luxury vinyl tile or plank, Fountain notes.

Despite rising material costs, Fountain says he hasn’t seen cost-related increases in project cancellations.

Low interest rates, currently hovering at about 2.9%, likely account for some of the continuation of projects, he contends.

Looking forward, Anderson says he expects sustainable features will become more popular, particularly with the recent moves by President Joe Biden’s administration toward cutting emissions and ongoing updates to the state building energy codes.

“A lot of organizations affiliated with the construction industry, like AIA, have initiatives to be carbon zero by 2030. I hope that’s actually attainable,” he says.

Fountain adds, “New codes dictate more efficiencies, which is great, but do you want the market to drive more efficient homes or the codes? I’d like to see customers driving more efficiency.”

Fountain says he expects to see in increase in smaller, high-quality homes coming onto the market.

“I would love to see us as a society keep valuing smaller, well-built, better-finished houses,” he says, adding that is a continuing trend.