There are inevitable home items — storage containers, hardware, fixtures, among others — that are necessary to create a functional space. Including these practical pieces in your home helps contribute to an overall comfortable way of living. However, these unavoidable selections don’t need to be generic or eye sores. Below are room-by-room options to improve the aesthetics of these essential home features, without sacrificing style.
Ahhh, ’tis the season for crisp fall air, pumpkin spice everything and cozy vibes. Today, we’re giving you all the fall feels with the ultimate fall porch inspiration. Whether you’re going for something classic, modern, or even spooky — we’ve got you covered. Feel free to get creative with gourds, colorful pumpkins, hay, wheel-barrows, and autumn accessories. Comment down below, and let us know which porch is your favorite. Bonus points if you tag us (@atproperties) on Instagram with your creations!
Do you ever feel stuck when it comes to decorating your house? Lately, I’ve been experimenting with inexpensive ways to transform a room. It’s important to stay away from the ‘full makeover’ mindset and start small with statement pieces you may already have around the house.
It’s been scientifically proven that room design affects moods and productivity (I can’t work in my office unless everything is put away). However, it can be hard to design a space you love with personal touches when you’re renting or planning on selling soon.
Today’s post is all about simplicity — we’re focusing on inexpensive and non-permanent tricks that will transform an entire room so you can enjoy it while you’re there and get the biggest bang for your buck when it’s time to move on.
When decorating your new home, it often pays to invest in higher-end pieces. However, expensive doesn’t always mean better; sometimes it is smarter to go under budget and re-allocate those dollars to items worth the investment.
Below is a guide on where to spend and where to save, when turning your new house into your forever home.
Spring cleaning can either be the best, or worst, part of the new season.
On one hand, who doesn’t love spring weather? Plus, it can feel good to tackle those projects that you’ve been meaning to get to all winter.
But if you’ve recently moved into a new home, you probably already have a laundry list of “to-do” items to turn your new house into your home.
Here are six tasks to tackle these next few months that will add value to your new home…and immediately make it feel more like your own.
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Pantone recently announced its Color of the Year for 2018: Ultra Violet.
The color is “complex, contemplative and suggests the mysteries of the cosmos, the intrigue of what lies ahead and the discoveries beyond where we are now.” According to Pantone, purple shades have also been symbolic of counterculture, unconventionality and artistic brilliance.
It’s only a matter of time before you start seeing DIY projects centered around this trending color — and maybe even your neighbors painting their front doors ultra violet.
If you’re not sure that an ultra violet hued front door will resonate with buyers this spring, we have nine other ways for you to add the new Pantone color into your home — all sourced from some of our favorite Chicago home decor and furniture stores. Continue reading
Once you’ve decorated your holiday mantel, organized your ornaments and started preparing for holiday guests, it’s time to start decorating for the holiday party that you’re hosting.
Whether you’re hosting a large family from out of town or invited a few friends over for holiday libations, you can get your home ready by adding a few simple touches to tie your home together in a festive way. Continue reading
Chicago homes are often defined by built-ins – bookcases, hutches and sideboards carefully crafted out of wood and tucked into vintage apartments and condo spaces, bungalows and even new construction homes for sale. The conundrum is how to style your mantel and still maintain storage space, especially during the holiday season.
We asked the experts, home stagers and stylists Stephanie Mandrell and Erin Szott of Style & Edit, to guide us through a mantel makeover. Continue reading

Photo: StyleCaster and Elle Decor
If you don’t know what Millennial Pink is, let me catch you up. You’ve probably seen it on your Instagram feed, on walls, and even in your drinks. It’s the color that has been taking over our social world for the past couple years.
According to The Cut, it’s an ‘ironic pink, pink without the sugary prettiness. It’s a non-color that doesn’t commit, whose semi-ugliness is proof of its sophistication.’
But like just about every trend, Millennial Pink is already being overthrown by something new – and it’s called Gen Z Yellow. The bold, mustard color has been all over the spring and summer 2017 runways, and now all over social media. Continue reading
Winter is on its way and one of the most important things you can do when you set out to winterize your home is increase your energy efficiency.
While it’s easy to add warmth to your interiors as the seasons change, lowering your heating bill is a little more complicated.
With that in mind, we’ve rounded up some quick tips on how you can save money on your heating bill and be prepared for the winter months ahead. Continue reading