Decorating and designing a home with little kids involves a whole different set of intricacies.
Every feature and piece of furniture has to be chosen according to how well it can perform under spills, spit-ups, diaper accidents, scratches, impromptu wall artwork, and even the occasional nip from extremely sharp baby teeth.
You’ll also need lots of storage for putting away toys to neaten the place quickly when you have company over. Not sure where to begin? Check out these tips for decorating a child-friendly home.
Choose Easy-to-Clean Furnishings
When choosing upholstery for your sofas and chairs, pick fabrics that are easy to clean and less likely to let liquids seep into the threads.
You would go with faux leather that is easy to wipe down, denim, vinyl, microfiber, and wool blends. Any materials that you can spray down with detergent and dab clean are ideal for a child-friendly home. As for colors and patterns, go with darker colors so stains won’t be readily visible.
Any patterns that combine multiple colors and weaves would be great. Also, consider investing in removable covers that you can wash and replace.
Put Down Machine-Washable Rugs
Wooden flooring requires a minimum of upkeep as compared to carpeting. But, if you live in a cold climate, go with area rugs made with fabrics that you can machine wash at home.
Wool rugs with 100% natural fibers are ideal since the natural lanolin oils resist spills and won’t hold stains. A deep steam cleaning can have them looking fresh and clean in no time.
Similar to your furnishings, pick rugs with multi-colored patterns that conceal dirt, ketchup, chocolate, cranberry juice, and spilled finger paint along with slivers of play dough. Worst-case scenario? Put down vinyl flooring planks that you can remove when the kids have grown up.
Get Tables With Rounded Edges
When you’re child-proofing your home, make sure that all the tables at a toddler’s eye level have safe, rounded edges. If you have glass tops, you might want to put them in storage for a few years.
Replace with elegant wood covered with art resin. Epoxy resin is an incredibly versatile material that combines colors and decorative objects to create fantastic tabletops. You can expect a smooth finish that is resistant to liquid seepage and UV rays.
The result is an attractive piece of furniture that can take the maximum wear but still maintain its appeal.
Place Your Decorative Pieces Out of Reach
Kids can get into all kinds of trouble with “toys’ they’re not supposed to play with. Secure your favorite souvenirs, ornaments, and best china by placing it out of reach.
The mantelpiece above the fireplace is a great spot that kids can’t reach. You could also invest in floating shelves that won’t take up floor space, but look elegant.
You could place wedding pictures, house portraits of a beloved home you moved out of, and crystal figurines along with books you hope to read someday. Just a small tip. Avoid placing chairs and tables under the shelves. Kids can get creative when trying to climb.
Prepare Your Walls for Grubby Fingers and Food Spatters
Your walls will become magnets for all kinds of stuff like grubby fingers and food palm prints. Also, expect to see beverage spatters running down or cute stick people, animals, and houses challenging the expensive artwork on your hanging shelves for appeal and attention.
Architects typically advise homeowners with kids and pets to go with lighter colors for their walls. Pastel hues like light gray, off-white, and pearl will offset the rainbow of colorful toys that will make up most of your decor.
A more practical option is to go with vinyl wallpaper, especially in the rooms where your kids will spend most of their time. A quick wipe down, and you’re sorted.
An often-overlooked part of parenthood is that your home will take on the appearance of a war zone which the toys won and now dominate the spaces.
Accept that and try to stay organized with lots of baskets and bins where the toys can be placed for precisely 15 seconds until they’re pulled out again. The best decorating tips involve accepting the chaos and enjoying the ride for the next few years.
