Your Guide to Staying at Home in a Chicago Apartment

There is no doubt that COVID-19 has impacted all of us, as the transition to living at home has been more evident than ever. We’ve created a guide to help you navigate the transitions to living and working from home in a Chicago apartment – during COVID-19 and beyond.

Living at home

This past year has radically changed the way we conduct our daily activities, from working at home to tracking your home fitness routine and everything in between. Fortunately, there are still many things to do during your stay at home.

Getting around during the pandemic

If you’re wondering if you can still get around during the pandemic, you’ve come to the right place. The world of real estate has changed dramatically since March 2020, but partly for the better.

With the shift to a more remote way of doing things, new advancements and opportunities have been brought to the way tenants explore apartments. This online shift made remote viewing an option, allowing tenants to explore apartments from the comfort of their own homes. Since the pandemic, there have also been various other types of tours recently implemented, such as self-guided and social-distancing in-person tours with safety measures in place.

For more information on moving during COVID-19, see our blog at everything you need to know about traveling during the pandemic.

Re-decoration of the apartment

Spending more time at home comes with the desire to create an aesthetic foundation for you to live, work and play all day long.

Before looking to re-decorate and design your space, consider creating a moodboard of your ideal style and pieces that reflect your personality. Are you into the neutral minimalist aesthetic, or the cozy eclectic vibes, or even the modern, sophisticated look? From there, take note of the furniture and decor pieces you already own and see where you can reuse them in different places. Once you’ve repositioned your current items where you like them, it’s time to find those new pieces and start decorating.

If your apartment is in need of a big overhaul but you’re not sure where to start, you might be wondering do i need to hire an interior designer for my apartment? And the answer is yes! Working with a designer when you don’t know who to turn to can actually save you money and headaches by avoiding issues like ordering a sofa that doesn’t fit or choosing the wrong pattern on a chair. non-returnable.

For more information on designing and decorating your apartment, visit our blog for advice on how to make your apartment your own, our 3 best tips for decorating an apartment bathroom, 8 of the best bedroom decorating ideas, and 3 different living room decorating tips.

Stay slim

Staying in shape at home is not as easy as it seems. From the lack of motivation not to be in a group classroom setting to missing the change of scenery in a gym, maintaining your workout routine has been a major challenge for all of us. Fortunately, since the pandemic, the world of fitness has welcomed all things of life to the home.

Increasing your daily movements while staying at home can be as easy as taking a break every few hours to take a 5-10 minute walk around the house, play with a pet, or walk to a cafe. nearby to take a choice of midday-me-up. In addition to small breaks in movement throughout the day, there are also different ways to make you sweat at home before or after work. If the weather permits, take a breath of fresh air and take your treadmill outside. Relieve stress with a Yoga classes on YouTube. Overwrite a circuit workout you found on Pinterest. And if you really miss the group fitness classes, consider investing in a Platoon for on-demand classes and instructors to help keep you motivated.

To work at home

Working from home is more and more obvious these days, so it’s inevitable that you’ve created some sort of home-work zone and followed the fine line of work-life balance over the past few years. month.

Home office design

Whether you have a 2 bedroom apartment or live in a studio apartment, there are ways to create space for a home office.

Ideally, if you have the space for this, consider creating a workspace in your guest bedroom or another room that can double as a dual-use space. Having a room where you can close a door is especially useful if you have a co-worker at home or if you are in a meeting all day.

If you are working with limited space, creating a home office can take a little more creativity. First, take note of all the empty spaces in your home where you could possibly set up your workspace, and then decide where you want to position it. If there is a small hallway in your living room, consider setting up a study there. If you have a large glass space, you can set up your office in front of a window to soak up the natural light and give your eyes a break every now and then with a view of the city. And if you’re planning on putting it on a wall, consider finding a spot where you could create a gallery wall on top to help define the space.

For more information on designing your small apartment and home office, visit our blog at interior design trends and tips for small spaces.

Work-life balance

Achieving a work-life balance is something most of us have learned quite quickly this year. Here are some helpful tips for weaving work and life together.

Setting boundaries with coworkers, clients, and yourself is the number one priority when looking to achieve work-life balance. Deciding on a set time to disconnect for the night not only allows you to spend time with your family, but it also allows you to get a few hours of mental clarity and relaxation so that you start the next day with a clear mind. .

Another way to achieve a work-life balance is to incorporate some form of personal care every day. It can be activities that you enjoy, such as reading a book, mediating, or exercising. Taking time for yourself outside of work hours helps you focus better and focus better when it’s really time to work.

It is also important to remember to take breaks throughout the day when working from home. When you were in the office, you had coffee breaks and small chats to interrupt your day. When working from home, you can lose sight of those little breaks that made the day more manageable. Consider taking 5-10 minutes every few hours to take a break, have a cup of coffee, or chat with one of your new work colleagues from home.

Check out our blog post on more ways to achieve work-life balance.

Coworking equipment

One thing that you may miss about working in the office is a change of scenery for part of the day. And that’s where coworking equipment comes in.

Apartments across town offer all kinds of amenities for work, such as quiet spaces for you to concentrate, closed rooms for group meetings, and common rooms with cafe-level chats. From coworking studies and breakout rooms, to large boardrooms and resident lounges, Chicago luxury apartments have been designed to meet your work from home needs.

Ready to improve your lifestyle at home? Leave our experienced team of rental professionals show you some luxury Chicago apartments designed for living, working and playing at home.