Whether you have a significant home project planned for the coming year, you’re looking to refresh your home with some design tweaks, or you’re updating your house to sell, selecting paint colors, decor styles, and new pieces can be overwhelming. Updating your home is important aesthetically, and also impacts the overall feel and function of the atmosphere. Get inspired to refresh your home for a new decade by incorporating 2020 design trends throughout the space.

Legendary American author Mark Twain once famously quipped to a reporter that news of his death had been greatly exaggerated. Similarly, we Chicagoans frequently find ourselves in the position, these days, of having to remind others that our city is not only still alive, but is thriving in many ways.

While major cities throughout the greater Midwest struggle to reinvent themselves, Chicago has remained economically viable and vibrant despite a flurry of negative headlines. Tourism figures continue to break records, a revitalized downtown has drawn numerous new corporate headquarters and expansions, and the city’s vast housing stock remains quite affordable relative to other major metros – both nationally and internationally.

Whether you’re listing your home during the holidays and want to tone down the decorations, or you want to simplify your holiday decor theme, a neutral palette can help you avoid a cliche holiday scene. Another benefit of choosing a neutral theme is that no matter your home’s existing style, neutral holiday decor can seamlessly integrate into the look and feel of the space. It’s easy to get caught up in the traditional holiday color combinations, but if you’re looking to create a serene seasonal backdrop, read on for insight into how you can integrate a neutral holiday decor palette into your home.

Old Man Winter arrived in the Chicago area early this year — certainly well before friends and relatives show up for Thanksgiving celebrations. But holiday visitors will quickly learn that Chicagoans won’t let the bitter windchill stop us from enjoying ourselves. There’s always a lot to do in the City of Big Shoulders, so grab your heavy winter coat, lace up those boots, and consider these favorite activities during Thanksgiving break.

Perhaps no other Chicago neighborhood has seen such an explosion in new development in the last decade as the West Loop. The neighborhood’s transition from a warehousing and meat packing district to a luxury live-work-play destination has produced Michelin-starred restaurants, multi-million-dollar home sales, and the arrival of Fortune 500 companies, including Google, McDonald’s, and many others.

Alright, so you’ve picked up the frozen turkey and the usual staples — stuffing, pickled beets, and the like — but what’s for dessert? The relatives are arriving in just a few days but you’re still wrapping up projects at work, preparing the house, and there’s simply no time to add another item to the laundry list of things to cook for the big holiday feast.

One of the special things about Chicago’s inner ring suburbs is how these communities effortlessly blend and balance the best attributes of busy city life with the slower pace and residential streets of a small town. A true standout in this category, Park Ridge boasts not one, but two central downtown districts, top public schools, and a housing inventory that’s equally diverse in aesthetics and price points.

Sales numbers from the last few years paint the picture of a down market in the Gold Coast – the upscale lakefront pocket that has long been known for ultra high-end condos and co-ops. But another evident trend that sales reveal is a wide gap between new construction and existing housing stock, particularly in dated inventory.

With roots tracing back to Chicago’s earliest years, Lincoln Park has always played a leading role in the city’s entertainment, higher education, and civic institutions. Its stretch of lakefront, which prominently features its namesake park, includes many attractions such as the Lincoln Park Zoo and Lincoln Park Conservatory, among many others, and is as bustling as the busy retail and commercial corridors that cross through the neighborhood.

@properties co-founders Thad Wong and Mike Golden face scary headlines about the Chicago area luxury real estate market head-on in the final @/The Market installment of 2019. But how do the foreboding stories hold up to actual sales numbers and buyer preferences? @properties managing broker Amy Corr provides some boots-on-the-ground insight into the Winnetka housing market, one of the priciest in the metro area.