Pavilack Design

My husband and I embarked on a once in a lifetime renovation project a little over 2 years ago. We knew we wanted a designer who felt comfortable with the minutest of details. Our general contractor recommended Rachel. From the outset, Rachel was incredibly patient, thoughtful and thorough in her approach to working with us. She spent just a few hours with us at our home and from that short time together, she came up with the most beautiful kitchen and open space design that was 100% aligned with our preferences and tastes. Amazing! Our criteria for the new space was twofold: beautiful and fully functional, and she achieved both. Rachel brings a level of focus and integrity to her practice that is simply outstanding. She is truly a class act.

Our project with Rachel consisted of the complete renovation of our apartment. She came recommended by our contractor, and after a "get to know you" meeting we found common ground and decided to proceed with the project. To say that we were impressed with her attention to detail, her flare for design and her always positive attitude would be an understatement. What stands out most about Rachel is her ability and willingness to listen. She was able to translate our often rambling ideas back into coordinated concepts that amazed us. On the few occasions that we had reservations about an idea or a design, she was never discouraged and simply asked more questions to better understand what we were trying to communicate. We ended up with a place that is everything we wanted and more. Her work and professionalism make it very easy for us to give five stars. We recommend her unconditionally and will never use anyone else for our design needs. The Millers

I really wish there were more than 5 stars to give. Rachel not only brought creative and novel ideas to our project but was also excellent to work with. Rachel worked with us cooperatively to achieve an end result that we are in love with. In our experience she has an exhaustive knowledge of furniture, fabrics, finishes, and craftsman that all came together to make the finished product really stand out. Rachel was an excellent communicator and was able to work under tight deadlines to complete different tasks within the whole project. Working with our architectural team, our builder, and various subcontractors she cohesively put together an interior design that is one of a kind while also reflecting our personalities. Probably our favorite aspect of working with Rachel was her willingness to work with our ideas and tastes to develop the final design while also effectively using her own creativity and experience to open our eyes to finishes and furnishings that we would not have chosen or even known about on our own. Working within our budget was another aspect that we feel Rachel excelled at. Rachel was able to mix different pieces of furniture and finishes to fit within our budget while also achieving the exact "look" we desired. Rachel even took the time to travel with us to Chicago's Merchandise Mart for a whirlwind tour to pick out many of the final finishes and the majority of the major furniture that would complete our project. In closing, we think anyone looking to work with a real interior design professional who offers a comprehensive service can do no wrong by choosing Pavilack Design.

With Pavilack Design we've worked in the past and they were very professional. We look forward to working with them again.

I learned of Pavilack Design when Rachel (Pavilack) designed our contractor's home. We knew that our project was going to require a substantial investment and expertise in both construction and creative design. Our project was especially complex due to the age of our home and the previous renovations over many generations that did not necessarily work together. Rachel's extensive knowledge, attention to detail and conscientious professional nature resulted in a final project that surpassed our hopes and dreams. Her many connections to local artists and vendors guided us to beautiful custom artistic renderings and magnificent chemical-free furnishings. We even visited the artists' studios together to experience firsthand the projects as they developed. Our home is now a beautiful and functional surrounding that reflects our own unique personalities and interests, and it is a true reflection of Rachel's uniquely outstanding talent!

Rachel Pavilack and I came to work together under unusual circumstances. You see, my house caught fire and we pretty much lost all of the interior and our possessions and we had to start over. It was a daunting task and going into it I had no idea what great demands it would have on me. We added further complexity when we made the decision to add a family-room onto the kitchen so it was a complete redesign of the major living spaces, choosing all the solid surfaces, selecting every piece of furniture for every room in the house while attempting to create a look of continuity, a beautiful yet relaxed space and achieve the style of mid-century modern. Luckily, I had chosen wisely in hiring Rachel. Rachel is organized and detailed oriented beyond compare. She uses technology well to effectively communicate and expedite tasks. She is experienced and educated in many styles with an artistic eye and a flair for mixing it up. She made it fun, exposing me to international design styles to the likes of Philipe Starke; and she taught me so much along the way about the style I was after, "easy-going mid-century modern with a glamours flair." She listened to what mattered to me and my family and made this style “all ours.” One of my favorite memories is of Rachel and I going to Concept Art Gallery in Pittsburgh and perusing their modern art and furniture collection that was going up for auction. Our architectural drawings were not even complete yet and here I was buying art for the walls! I must admit that going into that auction felt like a huge leap of faith. But I reckoned I had to start somewhere and I believed in her. And it was a great call. My house is completely designed around fabulous, and formerly owned original art pieces from artists such as Louise Pershing and Patrick Kelly, 1950's Dunbar dining room chairs that we restored, Henry Miller dressers that are the perfect touch in our master bedroom, cool persian rugs distressed in all the right places, and handmade artifacts, surely made with love. With our artwork selected, we were able to establish our overall color palate and design the ceiling/wall lighting to accentuate the art. And in a situation where having everything new in my house could have lead to an austere outcome, my house has character, history and pizzazz and it is both stunning and comfortable! Rachel is a designer with a conscious, always wanting the best in quality and design and yet wanting to patronize local area businesses, going green while using reclaimed and sustainable products and companies that stand for it, and being open and flexible to where the dynamic creative process may lead. Naturally in a job this size there were a few bumps along the road, but Rachel handled every issue in a timely and professional way and she always made me feel confident that it would all work out in the end. And of course, it did. Hire Rachel and you will be more than satisfied. You will be inspired beyond your dreams! And you may even start to believe in “silver linings.”

Rachel has been a great help to me in two projects in the last five years. Her taste is impeccable. She's very thorough and responsive. And she's incredibly resourceful! She's helped connect me with vendors, brands, and artists that I never would have found on my own. Rachel has a reputation as a great designer who really listens and responds to her clients. She's gone on to work with many of my friends and neighbors.