Midwest Design’s Top 5 Featured Projects in 2025

The home projects our readers loved the most in 2025, from lakeside retreats to dramatic transformations

December 29, 2025

In 2025, we published incredible home projects led by talented builders, remodelers, architects, landscapers, and interior designers across Minnesota and beyond. They were highlighted in the pages of Midwest Design magazine, shared on our social media channels, and broadcast in our newsletters.

The caliber and quality of projects from our design-build community was on full display at the 2025 Midwest Design Awards, where we presented 217 awards across 72 categories after receiving a record-breaking 996 submissions.

A few projects we highlighted in 2025, however, stood out more than most to our audience. Large renovations, complete redesigns, and creative problem-solving are just a few themes that kept our readers returning to these homes’ stories again and again. Ahead, we revisit the five most-read single-home projects in 2025 on MidwestDesign.com.

1. A Private Paradise in Detroit Lakes

The existing home’s new 275-square-foot pine sunroom features a patterned sofa and powder blue cocktail table, a pair of 1960s French bamboo chairs, and a two-tiered chandelier in antique burnished brass that dangles overhead. Photo: Marta Xochilt Perez

When interior designer Christine Markatos Lowe kicked off a project for one of her long-time clients in Detroit Lakes, she planned to turn the owner’s childhood summer cabin into a guest house. As the project evolved, it transformed into the client’s own private getaway. Revisit how this beautiful residence came together in this summer 2025 feature.

2. A Storybook-Style Transformation Near Lake Minnetonka

From the dreamy ribbon driveway, the eye is drawn to not only the south-facing Wayzata home’s fairytale-like, shingle-style architecture but also its lush plantings, florals, and sculpted alpine current hedges—carefully selected by Scott Ritter of Topo and the homeowner, who has a deep appreciation for flowers. Photo: Corey Gaffer

This two-decade evolution of a 1960s Wayzata rambler took a disjointed, dimly lit home to a stunning, shingle-style home that bears no resemblance to its former self. The elegant home exudes “casual classic”—striking the perfect balance between traditional and contemporary. See how the design-build team (TEA2 Architects, John Kraemer & Sons, Harris Weldon Interiors, Topo, and Anderson Reda) collaborated to bring the homeowners’ vision to reality.

3. The Sweet Spot: A Timeless Redesign

Alive day and night with friend groups laughing and laptops humming, this Minneapolis home is a “more tailored, handsome version” of all the things client Becky Burley loves. For instance, a black-stain console table with gold ring pulls in the entry has the simple lines of a midcentury piece while offering a glamorous aesthetic. Photo: Scott Amundson

Function and beauty held equal weight for the new interior design of this century-old house in Minneapolis. Heather Peterson of Heather Peterson Design deftly balanced the differing style preferences of the two homeowners, who were merging families to create a home they all could enjoy. Learn more about this nuanced strategy and the final product.

4. 2024 Midwest Design Awards Best in Show Winner: All Roads Lead Home

The rear side of this contemporary cabin stuns with mixed woods and stone-clad structural forms that blend beautifully with the surrounding wooded landscape. Photo: Spacecrafting/Beau Meier

Taking the top prize at last year’s Midwest Design Awards and featured in the Spring 2025 commemorative issue, this rustic-modern Pequot Lakes residence serves as a family-friendly home away from home. Tays & Co. Design Studios collaborated with Nor-Son Custom Builders and Marka Architecture to create a place that leaves a lasting impression from its serene lakeside lot, promising the homeowners and their family years of memorable stays.

5. A Work of Art on White Bear Lake

In the great room, a custom serpentine couch provides a plush spot to enjoy the lake, while a two-story marble fireplace contains a hidden automated TV lift. The room opens to the pool deck via multislide doors. Photo: Pete VonDeLinde

Architect Mark Stankey, AIA, CID, design principal of Minneapolis firm PLAAD, held art and architecture in the same hand while designing this White Bear Lake home for an art collector client who wanted more than a gallery with white walls. The finished product is a residence that emphasizes and responds to specific works of art, while also taking advantage of lake views and keeping up with the busy family that lives within. Explore more of the interiors and how the home complements this collection.

Plus: The Projects Readers Return to Again and Again

These projects from years past maintain popularity with our audience, proving that these homes stand the test of time.

Inside a $68 Million Lake Minnetonka Legacy Home

The collaborative efforts of John Kraemer & Sons, TEA2 Architects, PKA Architecture, MartinPatrick 3, and Topo were nothing short of monumental during their work on this $68 million custom home on Lake Minnetonka. Spanning 29,000 square feet, the final product of this seven-year project is a testament to each contributor’s craft, skill, and attention to detail. Revisit how it all came together.

Petit Point: A Historic Remodel in St. Louis Park

Almost every square inch of this 1927 St. Louis Park home was reimagined to create a residence that preserved the historic character of the building while making it fit a modern family’s needs. Discover how the homeowners and design team thoughtfully reinvented every space.

Spanish-Style Splendor: A Kitchen Upgrade by Stier Construction

When the homeowners purchased this Rochester house—which is on the National Register of Historic Places—they slowly cultivated it into their dream home, room by room. When it came to the kitchen, they tapped Stier Construction to revive the layout, design, and functionality of the space, restoring it to the heart of the home. Here’s how it was done.