About


 

que será is an interior design business which is relocating from a street front studio and carefully curated retail boutique located in the heart of downtown Excelsior, MN, to a new studio in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District, where we will be open by appointment. 

For the past 25 years, que será has been “your happy place”, filled to the brim with exquisite displays, bohemian-inspired vignettes, sun-drenched front windows, and luxurious, yet easy-to-care-for furniture with a story to tell. Since it’s founding at the Galleria in Edina in 1999, our business has naturally evolved from being primarily a retail showroom, to offering professional interior design service with a focus on residential and commercial design and custom furnishings.

We’ve always believed that design shouldn’t be intimidating, stressful, or stiff—we believe it should be a tangible, warm, creative representation of what you love and who you are. Hence, que será has an oft-lauded reputation in the Twin Cities as the go-to destination for custom furniture, bedding, and interior design. Our exceptionally talented team of interior designers lead by principal designer and owner Mary Lauer know precisely how to help your home tell your personal story.

After a 2012 move from the Galleria in Edina, we opened in an historic building steps away from the sparkling waters of Lake Minnetonka on Water Street in charming Excelsior, Minnesota. For a dozen years we’ve been the place to find the most perfect set of organic linens for your master bedroom, or simply wander and marvel at the warmth of the space’s fabulous reclaimed wood floor, exposed historic brick walls, and restored original tin ceiling. We will continue our journey of personal design services from the similarly historic and charming Thorpe Building. Our new studio is expected to be completed in January 2024.

 

que será opened on historic Water Street, Excelsior in 2012, but Mary Lauer has been building her fashion and interior design legacy for more than two decades.  

 

In 1994, interior and clothing design maven Mary Lauer opened her first retail store at the Mall of America, featuring handcrafted furniture and intricately hand-painted children’s clothing. As she’s never been one to shy away from a challenge, the tiny shop rapidly and successfully evolved into both oh baby!, a magical children’s clothing and furniture retail concept, and a sister store que será, an interior design and home furnishings boutique/"happy place".  

Ever since she was a little girl, Mary has always had a paintbrush, a sewing needle, a wooden spoon, a gardening trowel, or a magic wand in her hand — for her, life is a beautiful blank canvas to be imagined, painted, planted, decorated, and sprinkled with sparkling fairy dust. After the birth of her darling twin boys in 1990, Mary funneled her creativity into hand-painted children’s furniture and cute, comfortable children’s clothing that wouldn’t irritate their sensitive skin.

 

 As demand for her creations grew, so did her businesses. Today, Mary and her husband, Tom, continue to operate three extraordinary children’s retail concepts in the Twin Cities – the oh baby! stores in Minneapolis, Wayzata and Mall of America. Mary is also the designer of her in-house oh baby! Brand line of children’s clothing, which established its headquarters in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District several years ago. The line is distributed to boutiques and specialy retailers around the world. And as frosting on this handcrafted cake, Mary's reputation for providing modern interior design inspiration in Minnesota has established her as one of the most respected and knowledgeable interior designers in Minneapolis. 

In her free time, Mary loves to waterski, spend time with her family and girlfriends, garden on a sunshine-filled day, and eat freshly grilled fish tacos prepared by her son, Tyler.