It is rare for a stoic greystone to blush. But this one—perched in Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood since 1905 and recently reimagined by designer Dan Rak—proves that a bit of flushed pink can be a powerful move. Rak tempered the hue with wine red, French blue and wood tones that, together, lasso the bold color into something that feels distinctly like home for this family, who were determined to nurture the house back to a state of warmth and livability. While an early-2000s gut remodel gave the residence updated systems, the rooms were left mute in the detail department. Rak and the homeowners sought to layer in well-considered flourishes such as millwork, a new staircase and intricate fireplace surrounds to bring back the missing sense of classic tradition—filtered through a spirited, contemporary lens.
Long before purchasing the greystone, the homeowners found themselves captivated by the peony-pink front door of Villa Sierra, a midcentury house in Palm Springs, California, and hoped to recreate it for themselves one day. In a stroke of kismet, their greystone’s original stained-glass bay window, which remarkably survived over a century of renovations, is tinted with pink and green, making a ballet-blush door a natural fit and setting the tone for the interior palette.