AY Innovative Home Awards 2025
Where the Heart Is: Building Product Providers Help Homeowners Express Themselves
Posted by Mark Carter | Sept. 2, 2025 | Home & Garden, Magazine
A person’s home has always been his or her castle, but the COVID-19 pandemic exasperated a trend toward home as refuge and workplace. Most workers are back in the office these days, but the shutdown changed how Americans view their homes.
In 2024, the number of Americans moving into new homes — not migration from state to state, which is up, but local moves to a new home within their community — reached its lowest point, according to research from Axios. Even accounting for the moves related strictly to the pandemic, such as the ongoing exodus from urban areas, the percentage of Americans moving each year fell to 8.7 percent in 2022 from around 20 percent in the 1960s, the Brookings Institution states.
William Frey, a senior demographer at Brookings, told Axios that the trend was the result of several factors: Younger people, usually responsible for the most local moves, are living with their parents longer and waiting to get married and start families; the country as a whole is aging; labor markets shifted to accommodate more remote workers; and American households now typically comprise more than one wage earner, making moves more complicated.
Now more than ever, home is where the heart is. In Arkansas and beyond, homeowners are pouring their hearts into their homes.
Fortunately for those in the Natural State, there are plenty of award-winning builders, designers and building product providers around to make sure home castles reflect owners’ personalities, including the following building product and service providers that were named “Innovative Home Award” winners this year by AY About You readers.
SHINE INTERIOR DESIGN STUDIO
Co-owners Stacey Breezeel and Natalie Biles like to keep things simple and clear. Founded in 2019, the Lonoke-based interior design firm works with builders, architects and others on residential and commercial projects throughout central Arkansas and even beyond the state’s borders.
Both Breezeel and Biles earned interior design degrees in college, the former from Harding University in Searcy and the latter from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, and both are certified through the American Society of Interior Designers, as well as licensed through the National Council for Interior Design Qualification.
Breezeel, who is also LEED AP certified for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, said a Shine project starts out with a brief survey for the clients and an introductory call to get to know timelines and must-haves.
“From there, we review plans or photos and talk through what you need from your space — wellness priorities, durability and budget,” she said. “Based on scope, we’ll guide you to the best fit: our signature, full-service design — turnkey from concepts to install — or our express options, Designer for a Day or Virtual Design.
“Next, you’ll receive a clear proposal outlining scope, timeline and fees. Once approved, we book your kickoff. For full service, that means site measures or builder coordination, a concept presentation with selections, budget alignment, and then procurement, project management and installation-day styling. For express services, expect a focused, high-impact session — or a virtual concept board and shopping list — that moves you forward fast.”
Breezeel said the goal is always the same — to weave beauty, function and wellness into a client’s “every space” and make the process feel calm and predictable from day one.
Biles, who actually founded the firm as Shine Home Studio, said the company works to make innovation practical and personal.
“During design development, we use 3D renderings so you can virtually walk your space, testing layouts, lighting and finishes before anything is built,” she said. “We also weave research-backed wellness strategies into every project, including healthy materials, acoustic comfort, fresh-air planning, ergonomic layouts and lighting for homes and workspaces.
“Because our entire team participates in ongoing continuing education on products, materials and building science, the solutions we recommend are both current and proven. The result is designs that look beautiful, perform better and support your well-being every day.”
Shine’s most challenging projects, Breezeel said, usually involve many moving parts, multiple stakeholders or longer timelines.
“Think historic renovations, custom millwork, phased installs in occupied spaces and tight lead times,” she said. “We genuinely love the puzzle, and we keep fitting the pieces together until everything clicks. The result is predictable progress and a space that looks beautiful, functions effortlessly and feels good to live or work in.”
As more homeowners plant long-term roots, homes are more than ever a reflection of their owners. As such, the firm’s goal is for the work to reflect the client.
“We keep the process calm and the results unmistakably you,” Biles said. “We pair a clear design process with a wellness-first approach — healthier materials, better light, fresh air and acoustic comfort — so decisions are easy and the space works beautifully every day.”