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Chicago

A Renter Finds a “Fresh Start” in an Organic Modern Chicago ApartmentTours
“The city's vibrancy outside my window mirrored my personal journey of reinvention,” Tarah Trammel says.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Nov 27, 2023
Renters Painted Every Inch of This Chicago Apartment – Even the FloorsTours
Bridgette and Steven Haulenbeek have filled their chicago rental apartment with cool art and furniture, some made by Steven.
Layne Dixon
Nov 20, 2023
A Gut Renovation of a 1910 Home Features a DIY Limewashed Wall Tours
A former reno lacked personality, but this family has added furniture, art, paint, color & more over the last two years.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Oct 25, 2023
This Cozy Chicago Apartment Is Calm, Minimalist PerfectionTours
"I love organic textures because they feel warm and cozy, which is how I want to feel when I’m at home," renter Nadia Sedgley says.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Sep 29, 2023
The Solarium in This Grand Historic House in Chicago Is StunningTours
There's both historic charm and a surplus of color.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Aug 25, 2023
This 350-Square-Foot Chicago Apartment Rents for $960 a MonthTours
It’s small but has a mid-century modern fireplace, hardwood floors, and retro bathroom tiles.
Layne Dixon
Aug 10, 2023
A Small, $1400-a-Month Chicago Studio Apartment Cost $2500 to FurnishTours
Rodney Perez decorated their 600-square-foot apartment to be a reflection of themselves.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Aug 2, 2023
This Chicago House Built in the 1800s Is Drenched in Modern Color
Color Month House Tour
Courtney and Colin have totally transformed their Chicago home with lots and lots of color.
Layne Dixon
Jul 31, 2023
East Meets West in This Small Chicago Studio ApartmentTours
See inside this 600-square-foot Chicago rental of a Pakistani American woman who mixed both U.S. and Southeast Asian decor styles.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Jul 7, 2023
A Chicago Workers Cottage’s Reno Made It Modern but Kept the CharmTours
Designer Michelle Sturgis’ cottage needed love when she and her husband purchased it, but they made sure to keep all the charming details like the original brick wall, railings, doors, and more.
Layne Dixon
Jun 28, 2023
This Chicago Rental Apartment Is the Epitome of Comfortable and Tasteful StyleTours
Maddie Hilbrant and her fiancé both value a warm, welcoming home to come back to at the end of the day.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Jun 27, 2023
This Designer’s Chicago Condo Is Packed with Color and CharacterTours
See inside interior designer Jessica Blue’s colorful, maximalist Chicago home with smart storage and decor ideas.
Adrienne Breaux
Jun 21, 2023
A 500-Square-Foot Rental Has the Dreamiest Sofas Found in an AlleyTours
One day Olivia Huffman was driving to work and saw something out of the corner of her eye in an alley: the "dreamiest, curved clamshell sofas" just sitting there, ready for the taking!
Apartment Therapy Submissions
May 12, 2023
This Apartment in a Former Car Wash Has Retro Glass Blocks & a Verdant CourtyardTours
Kate makes an effort to avoid buying new things for her Chicago rental apartment, instead sourcing "items from thrift stores, antique shops, and second-hand marketplaces. About 80% of the things I buy come from these places, and I love incorporating historic designs into a very modern building."
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Apr 11, 2023
Owners Figured Out the Perfect Blend of Fun and Function in This Small Condo
House Tour
After Shelby toured this 700-square-foot Chicago condo, she loved it so much she wrote the previous owner a handwritten letter. “I was like, ‘I’m ... begging you to let me live here.’” The letter worked. Now she and Collin reside in their small-but-mighty space, curating a sort of maximalist museum dedicated to the relationships that keep them afloat.
Layne Dixon
Apr 6, 2023
This Colorful Chicago Condo Mixes Playful Colors and PatternsTours
The incredible custom wallpaper in this colorful Chicago condo was designed before the owner ever moved in.
Adrienne Breaux
Mar 14, 2023
This Bookish Chicago Home Is Filled with Art from All Over the WorldTours
Abby and her husband, Christian, have been living in their Chicago home for two years, and they have one piece of advice for you: Treat your home like a museum. With rotating pieces of art, they never tire of their rental apartment.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Feb 10, 2023
11 Non-Bulky Essentials I Always Pack for Winter TravelLife
You're going to want a waterproof backpack.
Nylah Burton
Jan 30, 2023
This 130-Year-Old Chicago Condo Is a Mix of Old Architecture & Modern AdditionsTours
The kitchen used to have fluorescent lights, Formica countertops, and a wall separating it from the living room area, but Bridget and Sean took down the wall and put in six slabs of black quartz.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Nov 7, 2022
A 460-Square-Foot Odd-Shaped Studio Is Only 3 Feet Wide at Its Narrowest Point Tours
Ainsley's small rental apartment's size and atypical angles offered quite the design challenge: to fit in useful, cohesive items without feeling too cramped or cluttered. But she tackled the challenge beautifully and cleverly.
Sarah Crowley
Nov 2, 2022
A Chicago Apartment's Gallery Wall (and Whole Art Collection) Is Incredible Tours
Along with incredible art, Alex uses "warm, neutral colors (off-white, ochre, amber, wood tones) as a foundation to play with shapes, textures, and patterns. Jute rugs, boucle, ornate frames, and varying wood tones help tie together the design and blend old and new."
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Nov 2, 2022
A Social Worker's Small Chicago Home Doesn't Shy Away from a Gallery WallTours
Christy lives with her two cats in Chicago. Her walls are covered in art and objects that remind her of the people and places she loves. She's transformed a 750-square-foot apartment into a cozy home.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Oct 19, 2022
This 750 Square Foot Chicago Nook Is Filled With Over 1,000 BooksTours
Jamie and Mike moved to Chicago for grad school and never left. Now their home has given them a place to make the most of their small space while adding in items that bring them happiness.
Caroline Mullen
Sep 21, 2022
A Whimsical Chicago Bungalow Is Bursting With Color and Pattern
TOURS
Becky Bloom's historic 1924 Chicago bungalow has a purple living room, orange fireplace, green kitchen, floral bedroom, and a lot more color and DIY pattern!
Sarah Crowley
Jul 19, 2022
A Classic Maximalist 600-Square-Foot Chicago Rental Has Wallpaper in Every RoomTours
Johnny Coleman is an interior architecture BFA candidate at Columbia College Chicago and a bargain hunter. He was able to furnish and decorate this rental apartment with mostly upcycled and revamped furniture.
Sarah Crowley
Jun 14, 2022
How My Local, No-Frills Walking Trail Helped Me Heal from a BreakupLife
A love letter to the average walking path.
Sarah Magnuson
May 28, 2022
B&A: A Chicago Fixer-Upper's Layout (and Staircase) Was Beautifully Opened Up Tours
Tim and Ravi's condo is located on the top floor of a building built in 1897, so it needed a lot of work. The remodel lasted two months and was completed in January 2020.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
May 20, 2022
Everything You Need to Know About “Duplex Downs"Real Estate
It's a house style that's all over Chicago.
Sarah Magnuson
May 15, 2022
A 451-Square-Foot Chicago Studio Successfully Sections Off a Small SpaceTours
Coach and facilitator Erinne Brown has been renting this light-filled 451-square-foot studio apartment in Chicago's Printers Row neighborhood for two years now.
Sarah Crowley
May 3, 2022
This Condo Draws Inspo from Black Women Singers and Feminist Artists and AuthorsTours
Sekile Nzinga is the Chief Equity Officer for the State of Illinois and the founder of The Nzinga Collective, and rents this 1200-square-foot condo in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood.
Adrienne Breaux
Mar 1, 2022
This 642-Square-Foot Chicago Studio Contains a Creative DIY Moss Art PieceTours
Kevin Coleman shares this 642-square-foot, "Geometric Minimalism" style studio apartment with his dog, Langston.
Sarah Crowley
Feb 17, 2022
This 450-Square-Foot Chicago Condo Has Cool and Clever Small Space TricksTours
...including an IKEA bookshelf built into a wall!
Sarah Crowley
Feb 16, 2022
There's a Place Called the “Bungalow Belt,” And You're Going to Want to See ItReal Estate
Have you heard of this spot in the Midwest?
Jennifer Billock
Nov 13, 2021
B&A: This Dated Chicago Condo Now Has the Coolest Built-In Ideas We've Ever SeenTours
When Annabell Ren and Steven Karvelius moved in to this unit in a 120-year-old historic four-flat in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, the interior was dated and there was very limited storage space. But it had potential.
Adrienne Breaux
Oct 18, 2021
If You Like Chicago's Access to the Outdoors, Try Moving to This Smaller CityReal Estate
It's cheaper, too.
Sarah Magnuson
Sep 8, 2021
A Small Rental's Redo Includes a More Functional Kitchen & Closet-Turned-OfficeTours
Johanna's rental came with tall ceilings and windows and a spacious floorplan for one person. But the space needed a lot of work!
Adrienne Breaux
Sep 6, 2021
A Chicago Condo Has an Incredibly Organized and Inspiring Custom Spice Rack Tours
It also has loads of natural light, a custom-made bay window seat, and a private deck space transformed into a relaxing oasis.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Aug 9, 2021
This Cool Chicago Cottage Shows How Colorful a Home with White Walls Can BeTours
Sara and Garrett own this house, but it serves as inspiration for renters, too; it's full of incredible colors against a backdrop of crisp white walls!
Sarah Crowley
Jul 20, 2021
This Incredibly Cool and Colorful Chicago Condo is an Attack on NeutralsTours
Vintage fashion and home decor seller Barbie Roadkill says her Chicago condo's style is: "Golden Girls' meets Lydia’s house in 'Beetlejuice' meets a box of crayons."
Adrienne Breaux
Jul 9, 2021
A Chicago Loft Is an Interesting Mix of Industrial & British Period Drama StyleTours
Gizelle was raised on PBS period dramas, but until she gets to live in a traditional English manor home, she's furnished her industrial modern Chicago loft with antiques to blend in British colonial design inspiration.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Jun 13, 2021
This Colorful '80s Maximal House Is One of the Most Unique Homes EverTours
This Chicago home is eclectic '80s maximalism at its finest.
Sarah Crowley
Apr 12, 2021
A Mural-Filled Chicago Rental Has An Amazing Idea For Hanging PlantsTours
There are colorful and cool murals, 50+ house plants, cool secondhand furniture finds, and a plant hanging idea that'll make you want to grab a ladder today.
Sarah Crowley
Mar 8, 2021
A Cozy Condo Is Home, Home Office, & Now Even Podcast Recording StudioTours
These podcasters and founders of an events company consider the dining room table as the anchor oftheir home... and it's now has become their podcast recording studio, too. "In many ways, this is the space where we can still bring people together and now instead of feeding their mouths, we are feeding their spirit with inspiration."
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Feb 22, 2021
A 100-Year-Old Chicago Condo Was Given New Life with Paint, Wallpaper, and MoreTours
Designer Julie Mitchiner didn’t want to take away from the character of this classic Chicago home or its great architectural bones, but still wanted to make it their own. She accomplished this feat with paint, wallpaper, and other DIY design elements.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Dec 17, 2020
A 500-Square-Foot Chicago Apartment Features All Kinds of Rental-Improving IdeasTours
Kelsey has spent the last three years collecting things so that her small space can naturally feel cozy, especially in the Chicago winters.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Dec 8, 2020
I Have 90+ Houseplants—Here’s How I Keep Every One of Them AlivePlants & Yard
It's not 24 hours with a watering can in hand, promise.
Adrienne Breaux
Nov 17, 2020
This Lived-In Rental Features a Gorgeous Mural & Expert Textile LayeringTours
Interior decorator Sarah Montgomery moved into her West Bucktown 800-square-foot rental apartment and wanted to make it her own.
Lauren Jones
Nov 10, 2020
A Small Chicago Apartment Has Skylights in the Kitchen and 70+ Happy HouseplantsTours
Larayne's hobby and passion have been houseplants for 7+ years. "I find joy and happiness through caring for plants, and find it very meditative."
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Nov 2, 2020
A Cozy 500-Square-Foot Chicago Apartment Was Furnished for Less Than $1000Tours
She spent less than $1000 to decorate the entire space over three or four months.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Sep 10, 2020
4 Sources for Architectural Salvage in ChicagoProjects & Improvements
Architectural salvage shops are increasingly popular destinations for designers, collectors, and remodelers, and for the home decorator looking for unique furnishings, there’s no better place to start a search. In part, salvage stores hold such wide appeal because the items there carry the forgotten tales of the past, and invite collectors to imagine creative reuse ideas.
Carolyn Purnell
Jul 17, 2020
An Already Gorgeous Victorian House Has Been Energized With Bold ColorTours
Angela Wator, owner/designer of BASH Party Goods, has decorated this 1896 Victorian house in Chicago with color, pattern, and fun.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Jul 15, 2020
Peek Inside Michael Jordan’s Home Where the “Breakfast Club” PracticedReal Estate
The property is where Jordan hosted "The Breakfast Club", where teammates Scottie Pippin, Ron Harper, and Randy Brown met for early morning workouts and meals prepared by Jordan's chef.
Kenya Foy
Jun 29, 2020
A 400-Square-Foot Studio Uses Removable Wallpaper for a 'Disco-Meets-Deco' VibesTours
Lori's building was constructed in the late 1920s, so she thought it would be fun to give her small studio apartment a disco-meets-deco flavor.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Jun 20, 2020
This Chicago Apartment Is a Perfect Mix of Modern, Classic, Eclectic and ColorfuTours
It includes an eclectic mix of modern, mid-century, traditional, and bohemian pieces that represent the couple and fits their needs perfectly.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
May 16, 2020
A Colorful Chicago Home Is an Eclectic Jungle Thanks to 90 HouseplantsTours
This small Chicago bungalow is quite literally bursting with life.
Sarah Crowley
May 13, 2020
A 650-Square-Foot Loft Has Bold Colors and a $150 Black & White Bathroom Redo Tours
The previous owner had a very country/farmhouse aesthetic and the loft was decorated in varying tones of white. The new owner couldn’t wait to get in and inject some life and color... and she did!
Apartment Therapy Submissions
May 12, 2020
A 650-Square-Foot Rental Has Cute Cat Decor and the Perfect Pale Pink ColorTours
This creative couple fell in love with this Chicago rental apartment because of its older design and closed concept.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
May 10, 2020
Fans of Vintage Bathrooms Will Love the Pink One in This Warm Chicago Rental ApartmentTours
This beautiful space also has tons of natural light, high ceilings, and built-in wood elements!
Sarah Crowley
Apr 16, 2020
This Small Chicago Rental Has Great Art, Removable Wallpaper, and Gorgeous DecorTours
Each room has a beautiful, different vibe.
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Apr 8, 2020
A 500-Square-Foot Studio Is Now a One-Bedroom Thanks to a Clever Bed PlacementTours
"Don't be afraid to use your space in non-conventional ways."
Apartment Therapy Submissions
Apr 6, 2020
This Chicago House Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright Is Under $150,000Real Estate
You can own architectural history.
Kenya Foy
Mar 18, 2020