About Us

Based in the Chicagoland area, we specialize in creating family homes designed for real life.

Our goal is to create a cohesive and thoughtfully-curated home that fits your lifestyle and needs. The result of our design process is a space that is beautiful and functional, yet timeless.

Services vary based on client needs, ranging from choosing finishes, materials, paint, and lighting in renovations and new construction projects to furnishing selection and styling of existing spaces. We also provide virtual design services for clients who are not local.

MEET DARA, Owner & Principal Designer

I  have always had a love for design. Growing up in a household with a mother who was an art teacher and had a flair for design herself, I spent many weekends of my childhood going to art shows, reading design magazines, and crafting. As a child of the 80s, I loved painting my Keds, bedazzling my jean jackets, and fringing my shirts. Essentially, I love making things beautiful and unique. That set the foundation for my love of design. Later in life is where my love of designing interiors began. 

In 2015, I left my city dwelling with my husband and our young son (with another on the way) and moved to the suburbs. In building that house, I realized my true passion for designing interiors. I loved seeing a vision come to life. I knew then this is what I wanted to do for others, help them see THEIR vision come to life. 

After following in my mother’s footsteps and being a classroom teacher for many years, I decided that I needed to follow my passion in design.  I went on to study Interior Design and launch Dara Agruss Design. Going back to my childhood, I strive to create things (and spaces) that are beautiful and unique.  As a mom of two young children now, I also make sure that my designs are livable. I realize the importance of combining beauty and function. This is my specialty, choosing fabrics, rugs, furniture that can withstand real-life. Your home should be comfortable and cozy, but that doesn’t mean it can’t also be gorgeous. No one wants to sit on a plastic sofa cover! Remember those? There are a plethora of performance fabrics and materials on the market now that allow you to have the best of both worlds. Depending on your lifestyle and needs, I will carefully curate designs and furnishings that cater to you, your style and your daily life.