Tate Gunnerson, who also contributes to Chicago Home + Garden, has blogged about our Oak Park home on StrangeClosets. His photos are really lovely, and it makes me want to put the house on a tour all over again. Having the talented Lauren and Courtney of Kelly + Olive stage our house was a complete happy trip. They staged it for the tour, but ended up staging it for our life. We haven’t changed a thing since they spruced up the place (using all of our own stuff) for the South Oak Park Style tour. The hammock we strung between our two giant pines because we thought it would look good has become a favorite spot for reading. The living room arrangement is far more comfortable. I actually now want to hang out on the front porch, with its defined dining area, and the newly fab front study. I buy flowers just for us. The lessons: 1. Bring in a pro! Another set of eyes really helps, no matter who you are. (It really helps to like your pros. We had a blast with Courtney and Lauren, who really seemed to get our style and had an appreciation for both old and new, and a talent for both furniture placement and vignette styling). 2. Set a deadline! A big party is ideal. 3. Enjoy it! It’s not about staging your home for other people; it’s about loving it every day.

—JAN PARR