Taskrabbit Releases The Square Footage Shift: Bringing Big Design Trends to Small Spaces

SAN FRANCISCO, November 9, 2023 – Taskrabbit, the platform connecting people to skilled, reliable Taskers from their local communities, announced today its The Square Footage Shift: Bringing Big Design Trends to Small Spaces report, highlighting a recent resurgence of small space living and and how many people are utilizing Taskrabbit’s services to achieve designs that feel larger than life, making them more stylish and functional – one booking at a time.

Taskrabbit’s newest report spotlights the various factors contributing to a recent influx in people downsizing in their moves — such as cost of living increases, moving patterns to new cities, and the need  for more practical living arrangements — revealing popular home and design trends Americans are adopting to embrace small space living. After analyzing client bookings from the last 12 months, Taskrabbit found an astonishing 87% year-over-year surge in moving jobs booked for help with apartment move-ins versus house move-ins, along with a 64% year-over-year rise in clients seeking help for renter-friendly upgrades – proving the mantra that “small is the new big.”

“Taskrabbit has served as the trusted support system for so many over the years as they’ve moved to new places and established their homes. The growing trends we highlight in The Square Footage Shift: Bringing Big Design Trends to Small Spaces report point to more users relying on our platform to transform their small spaces with the help of local Taskers,” says Tamara Rosenthal, Taskrabbit’s VP of Marketing. “As a company committed to our clients, we are proud to be the platform people rely on to make social media inspo boards a reality with our extensive range of in-home services and our exceptional Taskers who can bring the latest home trends to life.”

With these moves, many are looking for ways to maintain a big visual impact, entertain their friends, and film those viral “get ready with me” videos, all within their newly limited square footage. More on U.S. consumers’ attitudes toward these trends and subsequent design styles are below.

The Housing Shuffle – Moving Out and Moving In 

• As the economy continues to shift, so does the housing market, prompting many people to rent more, buy less and adjust their living situations, creating a spike in moving, redecorating, or discarding unwanted items they suddenly have no room for.

  • Taskrabbit has seen a 165% increase in help with furniture removal, along with tasks booked for heavy lifting (+9%), flex wall (+20%), studio apartment (+10%), and housemates (+4%). 

  • Part of moving means out with the old – Taskrabbit helped to rid unwanted items (+71%), declutter (+27%), and downsize (+13%).

Level Up Your Living With Renter-Friendly Upgrades 

• Renters are constantly looking for ways to make their temporary digs feel like home – especially when they’ve made the move to a new city. The benefit of these renter-friendly upgrades is that installing and removing them can be a breeze, guaranteeing the security deposit so many renters depend on.

  • Many Americans are still looking to spice up their space with an increase in requests for peel-and-stick wallpaper (+40%) and cabinet help (+27%). 

  • Taskrabbit also saw 4x more requests for showerhead installations that can easily turn a bathroom into a spa-like experience, and a 5% lift in help with curtains and light fixtures to help complete the aesthetic.

Entertaining At Home Is The New Going Out 

• As people are tightening their pursestrings, entertaining in your own space — no matter how small — is at the forefront of ways to spend time with friends and family, and maximizing a small space is the preferred way to host:

  • Taskrabbit saw that people living in small spaces are not discouraged to host their friends (+16%) with hosting-related bookings spiking, such as bar cart assembly (+200%), cocktail party help (+20%), furniture layout (+50%), and small space assistance (+15%). 

  • Enhance the look of your limited square footage by incorporating simple design tasks ahead of your next party such as mirror mounting (+29%), disco balls (+28%), and coffee table assembly (+10%).

#GRWM 

• The popularity of influencers has grown each year, with many inviting us daily to Get Ready With Me’s on both TikTok and Instagram, emphasizing the importance of vanities, mirrors, and closet storage – especially in cozy spaces – to capture that viral moment. 

  • Many are looking to make their best content by booking more tasks for vanity assembly (+79%) and vanity organization (+113%).

  • Taskrabbit is helping make spaces spotless with increases in closet organization (+24%) and bathroom cleanings (+19%).

What’s Old (Money) Is New Again

• While people may be flocking to shiny new apartments or renovated home rentals, they are still seeking designs that reflect established styles. The “Old Money” aesthetic is taking homes by storm and many are bringing the trend to life on a budget and for small spaces. 

  • Taskrabbit saw an increase (+18%) in porcelain-related tasks in the U.S.

  • There were 5% more bookings for help with marble and mirror decor, with people opting to repair (+11%) their household items.

Color Pop: 

• As the foundation for home decor – and a renter-friendly method to add personality to a home – color plays a key role in interior design inspiration. Some colors can help bring a trend further to the forefront (like a beige room helping decorative furniture stand out, or black hallway doors allowing wallpaper to pop), while others have a direct correlation to ongoing emotions and feelings (like bright colors influencing happiness and earth tones creating cozy comfort).

  • With wall painting up 22%, people are loving pops of purple (+19%) and yellow (+15%), and visually enlarging their cozy spaces by adding a touch of neutral with the color beige (+26%). 

  • Taskrabbit saw an increase in art deco (+92%) and upholstery (+23%) to bring personality to a space.

To learn more about the latest home and design trends, read the full global report here.

About Taskrabbit

Taskrabbit is a global digital platform that connects people seeking help with household tasks, such as furniture assembly, TV mounting, moving, and home improvements, to skilled, reliable Taskers in their communities. Acquired by the Ingka Group (IKEA) in 2017, Taskrabbit operates in thousands of cities across eight countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom, and United States, and is available in 200+ IKEA stores worldwide.

To find out more, please visit www.taskrabbit.com or join the conversation with @Taskrabbit on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest and YouTube.