2025: Year In Review
2025 was another outstanding year for BLB Design / Build. We completed 19 projects, continued to grow our team, and were recognized regionally for our fantastic work. We’re incredibly proud of all BLB has accomplished this year. Read on to see how 2025 has been one for the books!
The Projects
Of our 28 active projects, we completed 19, including the Speakeasy Basement Retreat and the Georgian Remodel, which was recently featured on the Holiday House Tour. The ability to complete several projects while continuing work on active job sites was only possible with our fantastic in-field crew. Working through rain, shine, and snow, our highly skilled production team put in over 15,680 hours of labor, helping us achieve our project goals.
This year’s top completed project category was a tie between whole home remodels and kitchen + bath remodels, averaging a combined 42.8% of our total work. Exterior projects, multi-room remodels, and additions each averaged 14.3% followed by basement remodels at 10.7%. New builds accounted for the remainder of our total projects at 3.6%.
Speakeasy Basement Retreat, Photography by Marina Porl
In the Community
This year, we also had the opportunity to work closely with several local businesses and community organizations. In the fall, we were honored to be a part of PRO New England‘s Youth Remodeling Career Dayfor the fourth year. Over 600 students from trade schools across the state attended and participated in hands-on, interactive, and experiential activities relating to the residential trades. This year, we selected activities that represented both the design and build sides of our company. Our designers’ activity, The Puzzled House, consisted of a floor plan puzzle that students then had to solve to teach them how space planning within a renovation affects not just the designers, but the entire trades team. Our carpenters put together two activities. The first was the Tape Measure Relay, where students raced to measure and mark a board. The second activity, The Staircase Challenge, showcased the basics of staircase planning.
Our carpenter, Josh, leading the Tape Measure Relay at Pro New England’s 2025 Youth in Remodeling Career Day.
Our team members also happily volunteered their time to the Amesbury Chamber of Commerce‘s Block Party and joined the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center‘s Annual Walk Against Domestic Violence. In addition to these causes, we sponsored and donated to Our Neighbor’s Table, the Newburyport Education Foundation, the Newburyport PTO Kitchen Tour, the Holiday House Tour for the Anna Jaques Hospital Aid Association, the Firehouse Center for the Arts, Merrohawke Nature School, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, Theater in the Open, Amesbury Carriage Museum, Amesbury Cultural Council, Lucy’s Love Bus, PRO New England, Toys for Tots, and Yankee Homecoming. We were also fortunate to be able to donate materials to fix the roof of Lake Gardner’s sign kiosk in Amesbury.
Some of our team at the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center‘s Annual Walk Against Domestic Violence in downtown Newburyport.
The Recognitions
This year, we were honored to have the Scandinavian Kitchen receive a Gold Award for Residential Kitchen ($150,000 – $250,000) at the PRO New England Awards Gala. We completely transformed this outdated and cramped eatery into our clients’ dream kitchen. The result was an expansive, minimalist space that provided our clients with everything they needed and finally felt like their own.
Scandinavian Kitchen, Photo by Freebird Photography
The Team
In 2025, our team saw incredible growth. In addition to some new highly skilled carpenters who have seamlessly fit into our crew, we also added a new role. Olivia Heim joined us in September as our Architectural Drafter + Design Associate. Olivia graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Architecture, where she developed a strong interest in residential design. She has since worked on high-end residential projects throughout New England, gaining experience across multiple phases of the design process. We’re excited to have Olivia on the team as she continues to grow while pursuing her architectural license.
Olivia Heim, Architectural Drafter + Design Associate
In addition to gaining new talent, we also focused on our continuing education. In February, part of our team had the privilege of traveling to Las Vegas for the 2025 International Builders’ Show. The group spent a busy week exploring hundreds of trade booths and vignettes, attending multiple educational courses daily, and gaining hands-on knowledge and experience at tool and product demos.
On behalf of the entire BLB Design / Build team, we thank everyone who has supported us this year. We are looking forward to a fantastic 2026, and we cannot wait to get started on new projects.
Looking to make your dream home a reality in the new year? Connect with us today to see how we can help!
