Designing a beautiful home that is also practical is already a challenge in itself; how much more with kids in mind? A lot of couples find designing a family-friendly home a major headache. You must strike that sweet balance between aesthetic and function so you can still receive guests with dignity all while securing the safety and comfort of your family.
So how do you do it right? Read on for expert tips on how to transform your home into a family-friendly space.
Consider Who You Live With
And decorate accordingly.
Before you can work on what to put where, you should first assess your household and the people who live in it. Do you have pets? Does your spouse have slobby habits? How many kids do you have and how active are they? Knowing who you’re decorating for helps you anticipate future problems and mitigate them via proper home design.
For example, if you have a toddler and two kids, perhaps it would be better to choose upholstery that is easy to clean, opt for kid-friendly storage, avoid putting heavy objects that can fall on top of console tables, maybe even frame up your kids’ artworks for personalized living room displays. Don’t hesitate to showcase personalized materials like family frames, paintings, hardbound books, calendars and more into your ensemble and make your personal space your own.
The first rule of design: your comfort. So know your needs and your convenience first before anything else.
Include Your Family in Making Home Decorating Decisions
This way, you’re also imparting responsibility and giving your kids (who are most likely to mess up things) a sense of ownership on things they helped themselves select.
Many parents forgo re-decorating their home until the kids are all grown up, simply because of the premise that kids will just go around destroying stuff anyway. So why bother?
But adopting this kind of mindset may also backfire. Kids may not be mindful about your furniture and grow up taking household materials for granted.
By including your kids in your household decisions, they will feel a sense of importance which will urge them to respect possessions that they feel are shared.
Go for a Simpler Design
When choosing your theme or buying design pieces, opt for a style that needs little maintenance. As a parent, you know you are always caught in a balancing act between attending to personal necessities and the needs of your family. Household maintenance plays one big part of your responsibility so keeping it at the minimum helps you cut off the time it takes to get things back to normal while giving you more time for other priorities.
Opting for no-fuss, low-maintenance design not only keeps clutter in check but also provides a generally safer environment for your family. For instance, fringe table covers can easily be tugged by wild toddlers, sending everything crashing to the floor and possibly injuring your little tots. That image itself is enough to send shivers down your spine. So always have a healthy level of suspicion when you’re selecting for design pieces for your home.
Experiment with Colors and Patterns
Simple does not necessarily mean boring. And where you can’t overdo with primps and fringes, you can compensate in colors and textures. Don’t be afraid to let your creative spirit run wild and mix and match different styles. But of course, don’t sacrifice practicality.
For surfaces that are easily stained, it’s wise to go for darker colors. You may also think about glossy paint for your bedroom or bathroom walls so you can easily wash off spots and discolorations. For rooms with limited space, you might want to think about going light. And for the victims of the crayon monsters, refurbishing with the same paint or wood stain color may make the touchup job a tad easier.
Lighting is a favorite area to experiment with for those who have limited options in design. So go fancy where you can. Incorporate classy coastal lighting fixtures as your kitchen centerpiece. Their ornate pattern and metallic sheen are attractive to the eyes. You can also opt for sconces in the bathroom or use wall-attached mirrors to cleverly reflect natural light inside a room.
Decorate with Family Pictures
The home is never a home without the family pictures. Family pictures are like a treasure of memories. Decorating the simplistic but stylish photo prints will give you a nostalgia & your decor a modern look. A customised Canvas Photo Print for wall is best suited for this kind of decorations.
Choose Lasting, High-Quality Materials
No matter how good you are doing at your job as an awesome parent, any help is always appreciated. So when it comes to choosing materials for you home, it only makes sense to go for the highest, toughest quality – those that can withstand the constant barrage of childhood artistry, incontinent pets, and tired and sloppy spouses.
So think function when you shop for home furnishings. Semi-gloss will be a great choice for painting walls, heavy fabrics for windows. Wood blinds and roman shades are highly preferable over the tug-able traditional window treatments, floors that easily clean up with a dry mop, and durable rugs for high-traffic areas.
Make Way for Storage
When you have kids, cleaning up clutter becomes an unavoidable part of your daily routine. So try open shelving and sliding in commodious baskets and woven storage boxes into your storage spaces. Then employ your kids’ help in segregating and delegating their personal stuff responsibly. This way, they will learn to put their own things away early and you can find things around the house fairly easily.
Need some inspirations? These may help you get started.
Final Word
Having a family may require a lot of jumping through hoops and you may find yourself getting frustrated from time to time. But there is also plenty of satisfaction to be derived from doing it through and doing it well. And parents are willing to make the sacrifice.
So take these tips to heart and make your home-redecorating journey inclusive, simple, and in style. Share your design tips as well! Let us know in the comments below.
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