If you have an active family, then it’s important that your home caters to that. You want your living space to embrace that lifestyle, rather than hinder it. This doesn’t mean that you can’t, and shouldn’t, have nice things quite the opposite, actually. There is a middle ground that can offer sophistication tough enough to handle children. Here are some tips on making your home design family-friendly.
Take into consideration how you live.
Think about the people you live with and then examine the things that go on in your home. Are there food fights? Does your family participate in lots of indoor activities? Is there an existence of pets? What about little babies? These are all people and things to take into consideration while planning your design. Accommodating them, as well as the activities, might require darker furniture, area rugs, etc.
Don’t hesitate to decorate.
So what if the kids are little? That shouldn’t keep you from having a home that you love. Believe it or not, children of all ages can learn to appreciate and respect beautiful things. You can even get them involved when it comes time to look at paint or fabric swatches. Furthermore, there are a variety of items available that are not only beautiful, but also durable enough to stand up to those little hands and feet.
Get creative with color, pattern, and texture.
Look past light-colored couches and chairs and go with something new. Whether it’s a bold color, a fun or elegant pattern, or a touchable texture, don’t be afraid to branch out. Not only will these things help hide dirt and stains, they will give your home a comfortable, rather than sterile feel.
Stick with low-maintenance.
Low-maintenance doesn’t have to mean bland. It just means casual and comfortable, without a lot of fuss. Think clean lines, exposed legs, and vintage, weathered looks in favor of tasseled window treatments, skirted sofas or chairs, and cloth-covered end tables. It will save you a lot of time fussing and cleaning.
Go with durable and easy to clean products.
Here are some tough materials suited for the job of handing a busy family:
- Windows: Long drapes are lovely, but they aren’t always children-friendly. Instead, try roman shades or wood blinds that can be easily cleaned.
- Walls: You can’t go wrong with washable paint. Scuffs and even crayon drawings are bound to appear on your wall, so painting with something that can be wiped off with a sponge and water is ideal. Another tip: Skip the flat paint and go for semi-gloss.
- Floors: As a general rule, floors that are easy to clean, such as tile, laminate, linoleum or wood, are the way to go. However, if you are going with wall-to-wall carpet, lean toward nylon or wool-nylon blends, which resist stains and wear well. Area rugs can also be a lifesaver whether you have wood floors or carpet.
- Fabrics: The most durable and low-maintenance fabrics you can choose for your home include vinyl, ultra-suede, denim, velvet, felt, wool, twill, pleather and leather. Speak with your fabric dealer about stain-resistant finishes, Scotchgarding, and fabric lamination. Another tip: purchase washable slipcovers or cushion covers. Speaking with your local fabric supplier can help you narrow down what’s best suited for your family’s needs.
- Furniture: Save up for quality pieces, instead of purchasing the cheap stuff. If you have a high-traffic area, the furniture in it will get a lot of abuse. Good quality furniture can stand up to the abuse and be reupholstered years down the road. Cheap pieces will most likely end up broken and sent out to the trash.
Focus on the kids.
You want the kids to feel as though they are part of the family, so it’s important to carve out places that feel like their own, within the house as a whole. Sure, they probably have space in their bedroom, and that’s great, but they should feel as though they aren’t meant to live in just that area. Some ideas to make this happen would be to incorporate kid-sized or even beanbag chairs into the family room, create a chalkboard wall in the family room or hallway, or even adding a large coffee table perfect for game-playing to the space. If they participate in a sport or hobby, see that you take that into consideration and carve out space for that as well (i.e. a cushy chair for reading, an easel for your little artist).
Storage, storage, storage!
A family tends to acquire a lot of items over the years, so you want to make sure there’s room for it. Think wicker baskets on shelves, a window bench with a lift-up lid, or decorative boxes in corners. These are all great ways to store those extra things used regularly.
Visit us at CUTTING CORNERS! We still have all of your favorite designer fabrics at a discount, plus there is plenty of friendly staff to help.
