Wise Design’s Kim Aaron-Lehman Wins “Best Emerging Designer” at 2025 Elite Design Awards

We’re proud to announce that Kim Aaron-Lehman, Kitchen & Bath Specialist at Wise Design and Remodel, has been named the 2025 Best Emerging Designer by the Elite Design Awards, hosted by Decor Cabinets. 

This honor celebrates up-and-coming talent within Decor’s dealer network, recognizing designers who demonstrate creativity, precision, and promise in their early professional work. For Kim, it was all of the above—paired with a remarkable first project that turned a modest Craftsman kitchen in St. Paul into a statement of both form and function. 

A Journey Built on Passion and Purpose 

Kim’s path to professional design is as rich and multifaceted as her work. With more than a decade of hands-on home renovation experience in South Minneapolis, she transitioned into formal Kitchen & Bath Design after years spent teaching university-level Spanish and living across four continents. Her global perspective, paired with an artist’s eye, shines through in every project — from color palettes and cabinetry to space planning and material selection.  

A Project Worthy of Recognition 

Kim’s award-winning design came to life in the home of Mike and Gina, longtime St. Paul residents seeking a space that felt as thoughtful and enduring as the neighborhood they love. What began as a kitchen renovation soon evolved into a full 175-square-foot addition that included a compact mudroom and powder room. 

Kim, who joined Wise Design fresh from formal training in Kitchen & Bath Design, took the lead in cabinetry layout, lighting, and finish selections for the entire space. She worked directly with the homeowners to interpret their style cues, guiding them through finish choices, elevations, and 3D renderings with clarity and care. 

The result is a warm, inviting kitchen that honors the historic charm of the home while introducing modern amenities and standout style: painted maple cabinetry in Sea Salt, Walnut-stained base cabinets, arched hood detailing, and brass accents that tie the palette together. Functional features—like a mixer lift, spice drawers, and Lemans blind corner pullouts—elevate the space from beautiful to effortlessly livable. 

Her winning project for the Elite Design Awards demonstrated exactly what makes Kim such a valued part of our team: bold creativity grounded in real-world function, and a deep respect for each home’s unique character. It was a thoughtful, beautifully executed design that balanced modern living with the integrity of the surrounding architecture — a philosophy that lies at the heart of what we do at Wise Design. 

“This was my crash course in cabinetry, and I was lucky to have clients and colleagues who trusted me to take the reins,” says Kim. “From our first design meeting to seeing this kitchen featured on a billboard in St. Paul, the experience has been surreal—and deeply rewarding.” 

Why This Matters for Our Clients 

Industry recognition like the Elite Design Awards isn’t just a point of pride, it’s a meaningful marker of quality and trust. Industry awards like this help validate what we already know to be true: that good design is about more than aesthetics. It’s about being able to listen to our clients and reflect back to them the inspiration they’re moved by, and helping them find the solutions they need.   

I'd say clear communication is the key to successful project management, but successful design is (for me) more rooted in being able to hear our clients and reflect back to them the inspiration they consciously or subconsciously gravitate toward and the solutions they may or may not see they need 

When you choose Wise Design and Remodel, you’re choosing a team that’s not only skilled and experienced, but also recognized among the best in the business. We’re honored to have Kim’s work celebrated on a national stage — and even more excited to see where her creativity leads next.  

Take a closer look at Kim’s award-winning design below. We invite you to explore how timeless architecture, high-performance products, and a designer’s fresh perspective came together to transform this St. Paul home.