Barbora Vokac Taylor Architect’s latest Muskoka retreat earns its top-spot with a design that feels deeply rooted in its surroundings yet thoughtfully future-focused. Rather than imposing on the dramatic Canadian Shield terrain, the cottage settles into it, creating a sequence of warm, wood-lined spaces that shift from playful to serene across its three levels. With its Shou Sugi Ban exterior, open-air Muskoka Room, and a layout shaped around multi-generational living, the home captures both the rugged character of the site and the rituals of family life.
Photo: Ethan Gordon
SHED Architecture & Design’s Cupertino Courtyard House earns its place by weaving global influences into a distinctly Californian modern sensibility. What appears reserved from the street opens into a serene sequence of courtyards, garden views, and softly lit interiors that feel both intimate and expansive. The contrast of white stucco, charred timber, and warm natural materials creates a quiet tension that enriches the home’s atmosphere, while subtle nods to Japanese traditions – from the genkan entry to the engawa porch – shape the daily rhythm of living.
Photo: Courtesy of Yanko Design
Riding the wave of the retro-tech resurgence, the ClearFrame CD Player stands out as a clever fusion of nostalgia and display-worthy design. Its transparent acrylic body transforms the simple act of playing a CD into a kinetic spectacle, revealing every mechanical motion inside. By turning album art into a rotating visual centerpiece, it revives one of the most charming aspects of the CD era and reframes it – literally – as part of your decor.
Photo: Courtesy of Casio
Casio’s CPP-002 brings a surprising level of intention to a scenario some of us hope to avoid: wearing a watch in the sauna. Instead of melting under the heat, this purpose-built model is engineered to thrive in extreme temperatures and humidity, offering spa-goers a reliable companion where most timepieces fail. It’s a niche idea executed with classic Casio practicality, turning a common mishap into a design opportunity.
Photo: Courtesy of Nothing
Nothing launched the Phone (3) marking a pivotal moment in the brand’s evolution, pushing its signature transparent aesthetic and light-based communication into more expressive territory. The new Glyph Matrix condenses the familiar rear lighting into a tight grid of micro-LEDs, opening the door to far richer animations and symbolic cues without demanding the user’s constant attention. Building on the retro-futuristic charm of Nothing’s Dot Matrix interface, this pixel-level system transforms notifications into playful, glanceable visuals that feel both personal and dynamic.
Photo: Courtesy of Syitren
The Syitren R300 CD Player stands out in the retro-audio renaissance by pairing analog warmth with a refined, modern sensibility. Its sculptural two-zone design – matte black on one side, rich wood on the other – creates a visual rhythm that’s as intentional as its interaction logic, separating the tactile controls from the mechanics of the CD tray. Details like the compact LED display and transparent lid add a fun aspect to playback, letting listeners watch the disc spin while keeping track info understated.
Photo: Michael Moran
Khanna Schultz’s House for a Collector stands out as one of the year’s most compelling residential projects, offering a bold rethinking of suburban living. Fragmented into sculptural volumes wrapped around a shared courtyard, the home brings rare Porsches, bourbon displays, and daily life into a single, cohesive orbit. Its mix of industrial materials and intimate spatial moments gives the residence a striking duality – part gallery, part sanctuary – making it a prime example of how architecture can honor a client’s passions without sacrificing aesthetics.
Photo: Courtesy of Oakley and Meta
Meta’s collaboration with Oakley marks a clear evolution in its wearable AI strategy, bringing a sport-driven sensibility to a category previously dominated by classic styling. The new Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses blend Oakley’s performance-forward design language with Meta’s increasingly capable AI features, offering a bold alternative for users who want tech that looks as dynamic as it functions. With multiple frame and lens configurations, seamless hands-free controls, and context-aware AI that interprets the world in real time, the HSTN frames feel less like a gadget and more like a natural extension of an active, on-the-go lifestyle.
Photo: Courtesy of Google
Google’s latest hardware lineup signals a confident shift toward bolder design and more intuitive AI, suggesting the brand is finally ready to challenge its biggest rivals head-on. The refreshed Pixel family – from the color-forward Pixel 10 series to the refined Pixel 10 Pro Fold – pairs sculptural surfaces and durable materials with genuinely useful, user-controlled intelligence. Alongside the brighter, more premium Pixel Watch 4 and the redesigned Pixel Buds 2a, the collection shares a cohesive vision: devices that look sharper, feel better, and use AI to quietly enhance everyday life rather than overshadow it.
And the top post of 2025 is…
Photo: Courtesy of Huawei
Huawei’s MateBook Fold Ultimate Design claims the top spot this year for good reason: it’s the most compelling vision yet of what a foldable laptop can be. By transforming the entire device into a seamless 18.3-inch OLED display that bends without visible interruption, Huawei leaps past early foldable experiments and rivals still tiptoeing around the concept. Ultra-thin, incredibly flexible, and adaptable to everything from professional workflows to creative sketching, the MateBook Fold feels less like gadgety and more like the future of mobile computing – one that finally makes the “all-screen laptop” feel within reach.
As always, thank you for reading and supporting Design Milk in 2025 and beyond! Check out the rest of Design Milk’s end of the year coverage here!
