I'm Vanessa Romo and I'm a breaking news reporter here at NPR.

Since about May of last year, a couple months into the pandemic

when we were all pretty much trapped in our homes,

I've been trying to figure out the optimal layout

of my one bedroom apartment in LA.

I mean like the platonic ideal of an apartment,

where every single thing is in just the right place

to provide the maximum level of joy and comfort and efficiency.

Basically, I'm rethinking how I live and function in my home

for the foreseeable future.

And I know that I'm not alone.

For one, there's Danny Chase.

She bought a house in LA during the first full lockdown.

I have never in my life been a homebody.

I've worked remotely for the last six years

and even then I can't focus in my house.

So as soon as the pandemic hit,

I realized really quickly that I needed to create an environment

where I could entertain myself.

She says she needed projects to keep herself from going stir crazy

and she has definitely kept busy.

I've learned probably 20 different ways

...