The pandemic suddenly turned tens of millions of Americans into remote workers, without those workers having an opportunity to plan their new work environment. A lucky minority had existing home office setups. Most toiled at seldom-used dining room tables, in semi-finished basements, on their laps in the family room or maybe on the patio, if it was a nice day. Those in small, city apartments were especially challenged—particularly if their new “office” also included a significant other on videoconferences and children attending Zoom school.

When it became clear they weren’t going to return to the office in weeks or even months, some workers started to rethink their “temporary” work location. Urban singles retreated to their parents’ spacious suburban homes, folks with vacation houses decided to decamp there indefinitely, and some more daring types took home shares in other domestic locations. Read More