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2025 was a good year in our home and family. I’ll share a round up of some highlights on the blog below!
Downsizing and a move to a new home and area four years ago along with a renovation both within a couple of years really can zap one’s creative, physical and mental energy for awhile afterwards (at least that’s how I feel about it) as well as rapidly depleting finances (ha).
In 2025 we finally rounded a corner where the chaos of those life and home changes felt mostly behind us. I always say for us it seems to take about six years to feel fully settled in a new home and to make it a reflection of us. Sounds about right this time, too, since we’re starting year five and still have more to do! Six years is also the longest we’ve ever lived in a home hahah, but rest assured, this time we have no plans to move in the next two years so it feels good knowing our efforts will be going to our “forever” home (at least in our minds right now!).
Also in 2025 we were finally able to put a little more focus on making smaller changes to our day to day spaces to make them more efficient and functional, as well as decorative updates to make our home feel even more like us.
In fall of this year we started to think more about our second floor rooms and ways we want to make practical and pretty improvements there. We even got started with painting our bedroom and giving it a refresh before the end of the year, I shared a first look at where we’re at with it here on The Inspired Room just before Christmas.
Speaking of making our home a reflection of us, on a personal note this year we also enjoyed our now nearly 19 month old puppy Finnegan (and of course, our “senior pup” Lily) and our two toddler grand littles. Our home and season of life is full of fun and laughter with these little ones — there have been so many special moments this year. This is what creating a home is all about!
I hope you enjoy our round up of 2025 highlights with links below!
If you’d like to join me in creating an intentional home that is a reflection of you in 2026, you’re invited to Wintering for HomeBodies, a virtual retreat in The HomeBody House! Details are here, we’ll get started on January 7th setting our Winter Home Goals and then we’ll begin our Room Recipe Guided Decorating Workshop on January 14th (my birthday!). I hope to see you there (everything is saved so you can enjoy what speaks to you, at your own pace).
My phrase for 2025 was ‘a place for everything’ and I am happy to say I did just that! It was an effective mantra for me — I made a lot of progress all around the house (and might want to keep this focus in 2026!). Most of what I did has stayed organized so I’m thrilled about that, but I’ll admit one of the spots will need further attention :). We’ll discuss the problems and solutions in 2026 when I figure out how to fix what went wrong LOL.
Some of the updates I made inspired by my phrase of the year were shared on the blog like organizing under the kitchen sink, to hiding power strips and cords, my coffee cabinet makeover, organizing my closet for family photos and mementos, decorating and organizing with baskets, my flatware drawer, and more. Here are all my posts.
I also shared some charming rooms I saved from around the internet in my Sunday Strolls & Scrolls inspiration posts including 5 inspiring bathrooms, charming home exteriors, rooms with simple spring decor, cottage mudrooms and entries, cottage kitchens that feel like a warm hug, and more.
There were plenty of smaller updates around our home (and our daughter’s homes) this past year, we had the opportunity to partner with wonderful brands on styling spaces, and I even had fun creating resources, ebooks and workshops to help others love their homes more, too.
Here is some of what I shared on The Inspired Room in 2025:
Our Tiny Mudroom (Pantry + Dog Feeding Station) Makeover
Little Updates Around My House in January (faux greenery to liven up our porch in the winter, fresh bedding etc)
Gave away my sofa and introduced my living room refresh
Our Cozy Bed Nook Under the Eaves in the Snug
Cottage by the Sea Style (5 Ways to Design a Coastal Sanctuary)
My New Striped Couch is Here (my honest thoughts)
Started a fun new project creating Dreambooks, and now we have a dreambook for each of the four seasons! See them all here.
Painted our front door
Celebrated my grandson Forrest’s first birthday party–you can see his party details here (+ a baby-friendly smash cake recipe!).
Found the most realistic faux tulips.
14 Pretty Decorating Ideas You Can Use
The Tale of Finnegan and the Floral Rug Calamity (+ Get the Look Dining Room)
Favorite Housecleaning Tips + Tools (and how we got the white paint out of our new rug!)
Shared tips for pillow pairings and pattern mixing
I enjoyed finding some antique/secondhand finds this year, like my vintage blue and white platters and antique wood nightstands for my bedroom
Shared How to Hang Plates on the Wall
5 Outdoor Spring Projects We Worked on in 2025
5 Ways We’ve Created a Bedroom Sanctuary (where we started and where we are now) (this was earlier this year, before our recent updates!)
Encouragement to Make Your Home Your Own
4 Simple Ways to Romanticize Your Life at Home
Introduced The Lake House, and shared Forrest’s New Room (Toddler Boy Bedroom)
Nancy Meyers Coastal Cottage Style: 8 Ways to Get the Look
Why Your Home Doesn’t Need to Be Perfect to Feel Peaceful
Shared a tour of my granddaughter Lila’s Nursery
New outdoor lamps (we use these indoor, too!)
400 Square Foot Tiny Cottage in Summer (and a few take away tips for maximizing small spaces!)
Our tiny deck refresh + 5 Tips to Create a Summer Vacation Destination at Home
The Four Year Decorating Evolution of Our Living Room (encouragement for slow decorating)
Our Coastal Cottage Living Room Makeover Reveal (we have rearranged the furniture since this!)
Simple Joy of Puttering (+ Summer Kitchen)
New Polywood Outdoor Furniture for Summer Porch Sitting
Found the Most Realistic Faux Hydrangeas
A Charming Room in a Cottage by the Sea (Get the Look!)
How to Make Your Home a Cozy Sanctuary for Fall & Winter
5 Simple Touches That Make A Room Feel More Inviting
How to Savor The In Between Season in Your Home (plus my faded faux hydrangeas and fall home decor ideas!)
A 5 Minute Morning Habit for a Calmer, Happier Day
Found one of those random little accessories I wanted *forever* in my home but just couldn’t find
Coastal Cottage Amazon Finds for the Home (Around My Home + Mood Boards)
A Quiet September Morning at Home
Cottage by the Sea Home Decor (A New Inspired Room Shop!)
Fall Home Updates + Moments Around the House
11+ Ideas for Christmas Decorating with Ribbons (+ Pretty Ribbon I Have and Love)
Bedroom Paint Color Indecision (and Do We Like Stripes?) (spoiler alert: we chose stripes, but not in the colors we originally thought!)
Our Cozy Fall Kitchen + Apple Cider Donut Bundt Cake Recipe
5 Simple Ways to Make Your Home Feel Like a Christmas Movie (+ a hot chocolate party)
Hygge for HomeBodies: Creating a Winter Sanctuary
A Nancy Meyers Christmas (Coastal Cottage Style) 9+ Decor Ideas
We created an updated resource with FAQ on my kitchen: My Coastal Cottage Kitchen Sources: Details and FAQ
Gingerbread Loaf Recipe (Inspired by Starbucks) with Sugared Cranberries & Rosemary Garnish
Our annual Gift Guides – including thoughtful Etsy finds!
Our Christmas Chandelier + Simple Winter Table (In My Coastal Christmas Dining Room)
A Cozy Holiday Home Prep Day: Getting Ready for Hosting
My Favorite Espresso and Coffee Making Supplies (That Make Great Gifts, too!)
How I Hang Garland on our Stove Hood, Mantel and Staircase!
Florals + Greenery for Our Coastal Cottage Christmas Mantel
Our Favorite Faux Christmas Trees (We Have & Love)
Favorite Gift and Home Decor Finds (Reader Top Picks!)
Sneak Peek: Our Coastal Cottage Striped Bedroom at Christmas
Our Coastal Cottage Christmas Tour (including the Tiny Cottage!)
Our Christmas Home Tour VIDEO
Wintering for HomeBodies: You’re invited to my virtual home retreat and decorating workshop!
Get 50% off my Winter Dreambook through the end of the year! Click here for details.