I was about to sit down to reflect and write about this year’s projects, awards, and opportunities. It’s been a tradition of mine, because at the end of a year, it’s natural to find ourselves looking backward and sharing the stories that shaped the last 12 months…
I mean, you might be happy to flip through photos and summaries of our projects, which is what I was about to compose…
But do we want to linger looking backward right now? Or turn instead to the future?!
Here’s how I decided…
I posted a poll on LinkedIn last week, and the results surprised me. I asked whether, thinking of 2025, people felt more:
- Excited
- Stressed
- Refreshed
- Or relaxed
Once the poll closed, 80% of respondents said they’re EXCITED. Not just relieved to get through the end of the year…not stressed for what’s to come. Excited! Whatever we’ve been through this year, whatever’s behind us, the new year still kindles a special “something,” a wink of optimism.
Think you’ve maintained a glimmer of optimism? Your home could ruin it.
The thing is…that warm and fuzzy feeling will only go so far if you come home to a space that doesn’t support you.
Do you feel rejuvenated every morning and night when you start and end each day in your primary bath?
Does your kitchen’s design make it easy to cook the way you want to, and stay accountable to the health goals you genuinely want to reach?
Or…
Is the “honey-do” list longer than your right arm?
Is there a room of the house you avoid because it’s never organized?
Do you feel a pang of embarrassment when people see the oldest finishes or ugliest spaces in your home?
If you’re feeling excited about 2025, your home should not be the wet blanket!! You should not settle for opening the door every night to a space that stresses you out instead of supporting you.
THAT’S why I took a 180 on this article. Even with our upcoming 30th year in business at the start of 2025, I want next year to be about YOU. This is your year. The year you experience truly Loving Your HomeTM. The year your home becomes your source of joy and a reflection of the life you want to live.
Here’s your roadmap to get there…
Step 1: Rediscover (or uncover for the first time) what you want from your home
Before any physical change happens, take a moment.
Think about:
- Which spaces in your home bring you joy?
- Which areas cause you frustration?
Then, walk through your home (with our Renovation Planner if you really want the best notes). Get specific…include details like “better lighting in the kitchen over the island” or “a cozy reading nook with a bookshelf and cupholders within reach,” and don’t hold back.
Step 2: Get real about your lifestyle goals
Your home should work for you, not the other way around.
Reflect on your daily routines next, and ask yourself how your spaces can each support them better. For instance…
- Want to workout more consistently? Are you making your life harder by forcing yourself to get to the gym, rather than designing the perfect space in your home?
- Love hosting but dread the chaos? Maybe it’s time to rethink your kitchen or dining space and consider guest-focused amenities.
- Wish you could consistently meal plan, but don’t have the counter OR the fridge and freezer space? Rework the layout of your kitchen for the lifestyle you want so you can get out of your own way and let it happen!!
- Craving relaxation but feeling overwhelmed by clutter? Focus on storage solutions and design choices that bring you ease with a sense of order.
Don’t just think about function, by the way! Think about how your home can spark joy in your day-to-day, too. Like…a beautiful view from your workspace, a spa-like bathroom, or even a bold, statement-making indoor-outdoor entertainment space to transform how you feel every day!!
Step 3: Prioritize with purpose
You don’t have to tackle everything at once! Get your lifestyle goals and overall observations listed out, and break them down one of these three ways:
- Either smallest-to-largest…
- In buckets of what’s urgent, what’s most important to you, and the “someday” options you’d love if and when they can happen (maybe if you won the lottery)…
- Or, based on what changes you need in the spaces you spend the most time in (where the Return On EnjoymentTM will be greatest)!!!
Can you see it take shape now?! See the ONE change that could make the biggest impact? Or the lowest-hanging fruit, like certain instant kitchen impact ideas?
Take your list, and use it to set small milestones throughout 2025 to keep your momentum going…and you suddenly have a roadmap to a destination you’ve never put into words before: Loving Your HomeTM and achieving true Return On EnjoymentTM.
Here’s a quick quiz I put together to help you prioritize your projects…
Step 5: Partner with professionals who “get you”
You don’t have to figure this out alone.
Whether you’re looking at a renovation, an interior design update, or handyman work, partnering with a team who understands your vision makes the difference.
How do you do that? Look for professionals who align with your values and communicate openly and in great detail. The professional interior designer or design-build firm you work with should see the lifestyle value of every selection…as it relates to you, not to overall market trends.
Robin Burrill (CEO and Principal Interior Designer) and Rob Mathews (President) of Signature Home Services, Inc.
Step 6: Don’t forget the little things!!
Big projects are exciting…but small changes sometimes make the most immediate difference.
Look at the big milestones on your 2025 home improvement roadmap and fill in the final blanks. Add things like replacing tired lighting with new and innovative lighting fixtures, or repainting a room with a mood-shaping palette, or adding greenery to feel connected to nature. These touches are often underestimated but can have huge lifestyle impact.
Treat yourself to a home update just for joy, too, and you’ll learn something new about Loving Your HomeTM…for example, find a statement piece of art, get luxurious linens, or reupholster your favorite piece of furniture in the snuggliest and softest performance fabric out there.
Step 7: Experience Loving Your HomeTM
This is where your efforts pay off!!
Whether it’s a custom-built and perfectly organized pantry, a dream kitchen that makes meal planning easy and fun, or a peaceful outdoor retreat, you’ll experience Loving Your HomeTM when your home becomes a daily source of pride, pleasure, and inspiration.
These concepts aren’t just about how your home looks, or even about how it works. They’re about how your home makes you feel, and how much it supports the lifestyle you want to live.
Step 8: Plan for maintenance and evolution
Homes aren’t static—they grow and change with us. Partner with a company (like ours) that provides regular maintenance checks and updates so your home continues to serve you with certainty, never failing you abruptly or falling into a to-do abyss ever again.
When you invest in your home, you don’t only invest in an asset…you invest in your life. What is that worth to you?! Even small updates can have a big impact on your quality of life. That’s what we call Return On EnjoymentTM, the other essential element to your home serving you, rather than you fitting your life into whatever your home can muster.
Your 2025 roadmap leads you to a sanctuary that nurtures and inspires you. And you know we’re here to help…we have been for 30 years!! And we’re absolutely ready now to help you turn your new vision into reality.
This year, let’s make your home a place you truly love.
Ready to get started?! Let’s make 2025 the year your home takes shape around the life you want to live…
About the author:
Robin Burrill, RID, NCIDQ, ASID, IDS, CAPS, is an award-winning professional kitchen, bath, and interior designer. Robin and her husband, Robert Mathews, have owned Signature Home Services, Inc. for nearly three decades, establishing a superior in-house team with a widespread reputation for delivering meticulous design to their many repeat clients.
In 2022, the national publication, Kitchen and Bath Design News magazine, named Robin to their Top Innovator list in recognition of her achievements in the field of kitchen and bath design. In 2024, she was named one of the Fall 2024 Market Pros and “tastemakers” by ANDMORE at High Point Market. Also in 2024, Fixr identified her as one of the Top Professional Interior Designers for their nationwide audience. Over her extensive career, Robin has been quoted in Architectural Digest and Forbes multiple times; her design work has been featured in top national trade publications; and she has been interviewed for Designers Today magazine’s “Profiles in Design” video series, among others. Widely respected for the depth of her knowledge, Robin is a sought after speaker and judge for many design industry events.
In 2023, Robin designed a bench for Charleston Forge, making her foray into product design. Robin currently serves as a volunteer on the board of the Dallas/Ft. Worth chapter of the Interior Design Society.
