Immersive Experience

Once a big-time tax attorney who ultimately decided he really didn’t love tax law, Dan Rak followed his passion into a new career in interior design. An acquaintance from his tax days became one of the first clients at Rak’s eponymous Chicago-based firm, and Rak recently finished his fourth project for the friend who is now married and has three children. It’s a newly built, five-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath home in suburban Glen Ellyn, Illinois. “The last project I did for them was a very contemporary condo in the city. But, I’m a big believer in context, so this house has a very different look for them,” Rak says. “Fortunately, they’ve become good friends and they really trust us.” 

The pedigreed casualness of the home starts in Rak’s favorite room, which is the dining nook off the kitchen. “The space projects out into the beautiful backyard park,” Rak says. “It’s where they eat most of their meals, and I wanted to make it feel like you’re in the middle of a campground.” In Rak’s version of the great outdoors, House of Hackney wallpaper and oak-clad ceiling and wainscotting reference nature with wit and sophistication.

In the kitchen, Rak used a creamy linen-color painted and natural maple for the cabinets and Cambria’s Ironsbridge quartz design for the island and countertops. “Ironsbridge has a natural look that’s really simple, beautiful, and classic,” he says. “The matte finish is understated, which supports the other elements of the room, like the tile, which has a little more shine to it.” 

Rak also notes that for a family with three children under the age of five, the durability and “unfussiness” of Cambria’s quartz surfaces made it an easy choice, not only for the kitchen but also in the primary bath, powder room, and fireplace surround. For a consistent look, Rak used Ironsbridge throughout.

With no formal living room, the family room off the kitchen serves as the main gathering area. “We wanted the family room to look relaxed, but also polished and finished,” Rak says. “They were adamant that they didn’t want to sacrifice the level of style that they had become used to in their city place.” The sectional is upholstered in a Lark Fontaine fabric with undertones of wine and rust, while a Theodore Alexander cocktail table sports ebonized details. 

“The room grew out from these really pretty floral pillows that took us in a fresh and current direction,” Rak says. “The house has a more traditional take than what we have done for this couple in the past, but they really love it.”