9 New Year's decorating resolutions the Homes & Gardens editors are vowing to stick to in 2025

As the new year approaches, it’s the perfect time to reflect on how our homes serve us and consider fresh ways to refine them.

With 2025 on the horizon, I've asked the Homes & Gardens editors to sit down and think about all the ways they wish to improve their own spaces – plus the trends and ideas they're looking to carry forward from 2024.

From embracing color richness to amping up the character with collected and curated buys, these are the 9 New Year's decorating resolutions the H&G team are making (and hoping to stick to) this year.

Homes & Gardens Editors New Year's Decorating Resolutions

Looking to make some changes to the way your home looks and feels next year? So are our editors. Putting our expertise in interior design and the current and upcoming trends to good use, here are the New Year's decor resolutions we're looking forward to completing in 2025.

1. No more fast furniture

'My resolution is to not buy any fast furniture or decor in 2025,' says Head of Interiors, Hebe Hatton.

'My favorite pieces in my home all come from vintage markets or antique fairs, or I have brought them back from vacations,' she explains. 'They not only add a ton of character to my home but each piece has a memory attached to it. Plus not impulse buying new pieces means I have more budget for 'new' old pieces which are often so much more affordable anyway.'

If you are looking to bring more character into your home in a budget-friendly way, decorating with vintage or secondhand pieces is not only more sustainable but also adds a unique charm to your spaces.

2. Investing in my sleep space

Emilia Hitching, H&G's resident sleep expert, is looking to amp up to the coziness in her bedroom.

'My New Year’s decor resolution is to make my bedroom feel more cozy,' says Emilia. 'I moved into an eighteenth-century apartment block around this time last year, and I still haven’t got around to making my bedroom feel like home.'

'The nature of my job means I’m always testing cozy comforters, plush pillows, and silky sheets, so I’m not worried about my bed so much as the rest of the room,' she explains. 'I want to find some soft furnishings to make the floor feel warmer and find some wall art to break up the blank white space – and I’m thinking about investing in a dimmable lamp for my nightstand, so I don’t have to look at the glaring big light any longer.'

3. Leaning into a richer color palette

'For 2025, my New Year’s decor resolution is to incorporate bolder colors into my living room,' says Paint & Color Editor Emily Moorman.

'I love its current calming color scheme which is fairly neutral, but I want to add more depth with a richer-colored sofa – maybe a warm, deep rust or dark green,' says Emily. 'While I love the timeless feel of neutrals, I’ve been inspired by interior designers this year to lean into darker, moodier hues to create a cozy space.'

'Beyond the sofa, I have my eye on a new piece of colorful artwork and patterned throw pillows to finish the room.'

4. Focus on making spaces more personal

Molly Malsom, Kitchen & Bathrooms Editor, is looking to add more personality to her home in 2025.

'This New Year, my focus is on making my spaces feel more personal. There are a few rooms that have fallen off my radar when it comes to designing them – both my bedroom and home office are void of any decor that tells you anything about the person who uses them,' Molly explains.

'So, I'm going to dig out the art pieces and decor I've collected over the years and finally display them in the spaces I use the most,' says Molly. 'And in my bedroom, it's not just about decor, but making the space warmer and more in line with my interior design style. Currently, it's an empty white room, so paneling, loads of layered textiles, and personal decor is top of my list of new year results for 2025.'

5. Expanding my art collection

'My New Year’s decorating resolution for 2025 is to fill my home with more artwork,' says Homes & Gardens Managing Editor Zara Stacey.

'Not only are my walls crying out for some fresh prints, but new wall decor is a simple and low-effort way you can uplift and freshen your home for the new year,' Zara explains.

'Another of my New Year’s decorating resolutions is to go thrifting more, and make the most of the second-hand shops and flea markets near where I live – so you bet I’ll be hunting for some vintage art! When purchasing brand new pieces, however, some of my favorite brands to shop from have to be Anthropologie and Wall of Art.'

6. Going bespoke

Eleanor Richardson, Interior Design News Editor at H&G, is embracing the long-lost art of handmade, custom interiors that will stand the test of time.

'My aim for 2025 is to create a curated and collected space that’s individually unique,' says Eleanor. 'I’ll be focusing on purchasing meaningful, bespoke pieces that are of high craftsmanship and will last for years to come.'

The good news is, that you don’t have to commission an entire room of custom furniture to embrace more bespoke design. Start small with some tailored window treatments in your favorite fabric, reupholster an old chair, or get yourself a beautiful custom headboard to transform your bedroom.

7. Elevate my kitchen with small details

After writing about the best kitchen ideas and kitchen trends for most of 2024, Molly is also putting her expertise into practice with some easy upgrades.

'Having spent the past year admiring beautifully designed kitchens that are full of character and personality, I want to infuse that ethos into my own space,' she explains.

'So, one of my biggest New Year resolutions for 2025 is to elevate my kitchen to make it warmer, more inviting, and give it a touch more enduring appeal. This year, I'm focusing more on the simpler, smaller details, like hardware, kitchen lighting, and decor.'

'I think we can all be a little bit more thoughtful this year in updating rather than replacing – being less wasteful and finding ways to give larger pieces in the kitchen, like cabinets, a new lease of life rather than completely ripping them out is far more considerate to the environment... and our bank accounts!'

8. Perfecting my pillowscaping

'This sounds like such a small gesture, but I want to get more experimental with my cushions in 2025,' says Head of Celebrity Style News Megan Slack.

'In my small London apartment, there isn’t a lot of space to introduce lots of patterns, and the cushions I’ve had have worked well for over a year – but I know there’s more I can do with the room I have.'

'Early in 2025, I want to take the (albeit small) plunge and upgrade my pillows to something more daring – maybe something with tassels or a bolder pattern in a color that still works for my neutral living space. I’m sure my future self will thank me for this decision.'

9. Not shying away from print and pattern

Personally, I, H&G's Style & Trends Editor, am vowing to force myself to embrace a little more pattern and print in my home in 2025.

As someone who is in the midst of a home renovation, I'm hoping that 2025 is going to be my decorating era (rather than demolition, as it has been for the past two years). This means I can finally start selecting soft furnishings, rugs, wallpapers, and textiles for the rooms in my home.

In the past, I have shied away from adding too much print into one space – opting instead for 'safer' purchases like timeless neutrals and solid colors that wouldn't date. But my New Year's resolution is to make a shift towards more expressive interiors, adding in personality with print on my walls, floors, and everywhere in between. I'm going to start small and experiment with throw pillows, wall art, or a statement lampshade here or there but watch this space, you might even catch me pattern-drenching if I get brave enough.

With our editor's resolutions in mind, I hope these ideas inspire you to approach the next year with creativity and confidence in your home.