Among the many lessons the COVID-19 pandemic taught us is that we can work from anywhere. With a laptop, solid internet connection and Zoom, there’s few things Americans can’t do when it comes to getting the job done-even if we’re doing so in suit tops and pajama bottoms. Inevitably, the interior design industry has taken notice-and reacted. “The pandemic has changed the work landscape tremendously, and that’s reflected in our current projects,” says Paul Fischman, principal of Choeff Levy Fischman Architecture & Design (clfarchitects.com) in Miami.

“Although home offices were not a unique request pre-2020, they have become a prerequisite on essentially all our design commissions.” As for what customers want? “Technology is the highest demand,” adds Fischman. “Our sophisticated clients typically like to incorporate the latest control logic, audio, video walls, drop-down TV sets, computers and uninterrupted battery supplies to protect this valuable equipment in the event of a major storm.” Of course, the yin-yang of aesthetics and functionality is still of utmost importance. “There is a delicate balance between function, design and programming,” says Fischman. “From Wall Street CEOs and entrepreneurs to professional athletes, everyone uses their office in a unique manner.”