You finally tucked away the rest of the holiday decorations, and just a handful (or more *wink*) of stray pine needles remain to remind you of the festive season that’s passed. While it’s always bittersweet to bid adieu to the holidays and all the merriment and togetherness that come with them, the new year holds exciting promises. 

At home, in particular, January can be a fresh start — giving you a chance to freshen up your design and tackle home improvement projects. 

But first: where to begin? 

Not to worry, friend. From designing intentionally to creating spaces that function seamlessly, this guide will tell you everything you need to know to set and achieve your biggest (and smallest) design goals. With our help, you can make 2025 the year you fall in love with your home all over again.  

Ready to get started? Let’s tackle those goals!

Why Set Design Goals?

If you’ve lived in your home for any length of time, you may have already done a lot of the design heavy lifting. However, choosing paint colors, backsplashes, furniture, and accessories is only part of the overall picture when it comes to designing a home you love. 

Research shows that attractive, welcoming, comfortable spaces encourage more family time. 

We’re talking about a home that gives you a hug when you walk in the door. One that grounds you and your family and lets you exhale at the end of a long day. One that gently wakes you in the morning and invites you to move, breathe, and live with purpose. 

When you set design goals aimed at elevating your home and relationships in this way, you can create an environment that fits your lifestyle like your favorite pair of shoes. 

Now, let’s walk through the steps to designing your dream home!

Step 1: Reflect and Reimagine

At Elegant Simplicity Interiors, we believe that any changes related to home must begin from a place of purpose. Whether you’re planning a holiday dinner or rearranging your bedroom, it’s important to assess why you’re doing what you’re doing and what you’re hoping to achieve.

Assess Your Current Space

You love your home, but is it loving you back? Walking through your home with fresh eyes gives you a chance to reveal the blind spots — for example, the cluttered corners and overflowing cupboards you’ve rolled your eyes at a million times. 

As you assess what’s working and what’s not, you can learn what’s holding you back. 

• Always dreamt of whipping up gourmet meals? Maybe it’s time to change up your kitchen layout. 

• Got an unused corner that’s begging to be a quiet reading nook? Add it to the list of areas in need of a glow-up! 

No goal is too outlandish at this stage. Write it all down, unapologetically and with help from everyone in your home.

Define Your Lifestyle

Consider how you use your home (or how you’d like to *wink*!). Do you dream of Friday night dinner parties? Working from home without distractions? Spending more quality, tech-free time with your family? All of the above?! 

Make a list of the activities that are most important to you and how you feel doing them. For example, “I love game night because it makes me feel more connected to my children,” or “I enjoy working in peace and quiet because it allows me to be more productive.”

Identify Your Style

Many homes have a mishmash of different styles, and that’s perfectly OK, friend! You might love minimalist vibes for a cozy bedroom but prefer a contemporary style for your main living area, for example. 

Try creating a mood board to collect ideas you like, whether on Pinterest or in a good old-fashioned notebook *wink*. As you add more ideas, you may see patterns that will help you identify your personal design tastes and visualize how various aesthetics work together.

Step 2: Set SMART Goals

In the business world, SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals are commonplace, but did you know you can bring that energy into your design goals? 

Here’s how it works.

• Specific: Want a new kitchen? Spell out the details, like “Paint the cabinets, replace the fixtures, hang new artwork, and add a statement rug.”

• Measurable: Timelines and budgets — those are the two biggies to keep track of. Timelines can help you map out your projects by day, week, and month. Attach a budget to each project to avoid overstretching yourself. A simple spreadsheet or notes on your phone will do — whatever helps you stay consistent.

• Achievable: Maybe you want a new walk-in shower, but your budget says otherwise. Consider ways to slow down or scale back — say, replacing smaller areas in stages or refreshing fixtures. Staying realistic about what you can accomplish and afford will help you avoid disappointment while still making progress.

• Relevant: Go back to your purpose. Check that your goals align with your overall vision for your home. Skip any purchases that don’t fit the why behind your design goals.

• Time-bound: Meet those deadlines, baby! Whether it’s six months or 12, plot out target dates for completion of each project. Different from project timelines, a time-bound goal gives you a finish line to work toward. Circle it on your calendar in red, and get excited to wrap up those projects!

Step 3: Develop an Action Plan

You’ve done the dreaming. Now make things happen! Creating an action plan can help minimize unexpected surprises in your budget and timeline, and it might just prevent some tense moments *wink* with other decision-makers in your home.

Prioritize Projects

Rank your projects in order of importance, budget, and feasibility. Try focusing on high-impact areas first, like the entryway (first impressions count!), or areas where you want to create change — setting up your family room for game nights, for example.

Gather Inspiration

Pour your beverage of choice, grab your fabric swatches and paint samples, and start visualizing your dream designs! Have fun creating mood boards, gathering samples from different sources, and narrowing down your favorites. Prefer a done-for-you approach? Check out Elegant Simplicity Interiors’ Design Recipes, featuring detailed design guides and trade-specific documents — yep, it’s giving fairy godmother vibes!

Create Your Timeline

Break down big goals into bite-sized chunks, tackling one project at a time to avoid overwhelm. You can knock out small projects like painting a bathroom or organizing a closet in a weekend. Larger projects, such as kitchen or bathroom remodels, will require more detailed planning — securing permits, vetting contractors, sourcing materials, and scheduling the work. Contractors may be reluctant to give specific timelines, but you can still ask for key milestones and discuss potential delays.

Seek Professional Guidance

Not sure where to start? Working with a professional can take the guesswork out of designing and organizing your home. Our team lives and breathes design and organization, and we can likely save you time, money, and perhaps a few grey hairs *wink*.

Step 4: Embrace the Journey

The journey to designing your dream home is just as important as the destination, love. Think marathon, not sprint, and savor the moments along the way.

Stay Flexible

Life happens, friend. You might stumble on a new find or a brilliant design idea you didn’t know you needed. Our advice? Roll with it. Stay open to new ideas, and let your home design evolve over time as your needs and tastes change. 

Celebrate Milestones

Crack open the bubbly (champagne or otherwise!) when you finish hanging a gallery wall. Dedicate time for a family movie night when you complete your main living space. Celebrating the wins is what makes the process so sweet! 

Pat Yourself on the Back

Looking at before and after photos is the quickest way to remind yourself of all the work you’ve put into your dream home. Creating a home that not only reflects your style but also supports your family’s core values, encourages togetherness, and minimizes distractions and conflicts? 

Yep, you did that. What, are you some kind of superhero?! *wink*

Dream On!

That’s our riff for today; thanks for tuning in! And remember, creating your dream home isn’t a one-and-done deal but rather an ongoing process — one with twists, turns, and evolving needs. Growing children, shifting careers, new hobbies, new friends, and other changes may require revisiting your design goals. 

And that’s great! It’s about making your lives easier, more joyful, and more conducive to creating memories. After all, isn’t that what having a home is all about? 

So, here’s to a 2025 filled with beautiful, inviting spaces and intentional living. Cheers!

Don’t forget, if you’re in the preliminary planning stages of your next project, let’s chat.

P.S. If you loved this article, then you’re going to really enjoy the 4 Days To A More Beautiful + Functional Home.