At Mike Rataczak Studios, I see my role as that of a translator: to translate my client’s needs and interests into a design aesthetic and plan that best reflects the unique nature of my clients’ lives. From the moment my clients enter their homes, they should feel “at home” on their terms, that the aesthetic and experience of their space reflects the best of their interests, passions, and daily lives. Within that belief, I work closely with my clients throughout the design process to identify their needs, understand how they wish to live in a space and bring new thoughts and recommendations to the design table. Ultimately, the delight in the work I do is when a client feels they’ve met themselves, both time-honored and anew, every time they enter their door.

From an aesthetic perspective, my work emphasizes clean and contemporary lines, often mixed with older pieces; for me, there is a special pleasure in giving new life to older furnishings and materials, in redefining them for a new generation or updated room. Additionally, I work across rich, color-saturated spaces to airy and light rooms, depending on the project’s overall design concept and plan. Underscoring all my designs is an additional focus on respecting and incorporating the provenance of the architecture, to ensure a seamless fit between space and furnishings, old and new. For me, beautiful design is like a beautiful piece of music, in which all the different parts come together to create a whole that both highlights the individual pieces and triumphs in the total score.

My design portfolio ranges from apartments to houses in Minneapolis, New York City, the Hamptons, and Washington, D.C., and includes projects ranging from wholly new construction to remodels of existing homes to redecoration of spaces. In every project, my goal was to create a home that best reflects the unique lives of my clients, and I welcome the opportunity to work with you on your beautiful home.