You've taken your family photos and sports memorabilia off of the walls. A photographer has provided you with high-quality images. Your listing agent has put your home on the market and created ace marketing materials. In other words, you're deep into the sale of your home. Now comes an important question: What do you need to do to make sure your "for sale" home continues to be clean, presentable, and welcoming to potential buyers in the days and weeks ahead?  There's a lot of work that goes into getting a home ready to sell, from making major repairs and renovations to getting strategic about staging. One thing that often goes overlooked is the routine maintenance and upkeep that it takes to keep your listing looking its best in the days of showings and open houses to come.

With remote work quickly becoming the norm for more and more people, creating a space to work from home isn't just a luxury anymore. Whether you already have the office of your dreams and just want to give it a refresh or you're trying to carve out a dedicated workspace for the first time, a few simple design principles are all you need to make a space that inspires and motivates while reflecting your unique personality.

Creating a Dream Office

Unlike the standard dream of a mahogany-lined corner office from years past, the new dream office is personal, inspiring, motivating, comfortable, practical — and it might only be a few steps from a kitchen sink full of dishes.  Of course, dreaming about your perfect workspace and putting those dreams into action are two very different things. So whether you're looking to spruce up a dedicated home office, or you just want to bring some order to the kitchen table you've been using as an inbox all year, here are some jumping off points to create the most inspiring home office space possible in 2021:

People from the Chicago area tend to have a lot of hometown pride. Chicagoland is always growing and changing, without losing the energy and spirit that make it totally unique. And that means people here are always looking for fun and clever ways to celebrate that singular local spirit — including in their home's design and decor! Want to bring a little bit of the essence of Chicago into your home? Whether you're looking to go all out or just bring in some small reminders of the Windy City, here are a few interior design ideas that can help you truly embrace Chicago style in your space: 

Content created for The Real Deal Chicago.

Residents are currently moving in to one of the most significant additions to the Chicago skyline in years, the St. Regis Chicago (formerly known as the Vista Tower). The Jeanne Gang-designed, 101-story tower is now Chicago's third-ta...