Combining fashion with function to create a family-friendly space can be a challenge. For many parents, choosing trendy decor and the perfect interior design style while keeping their home kid-friendly sounds exciting but unrealistic. Turning your home into a family-friendly space does not mean having to sacrifice your preferred design style along the way.
What if there was a way of creating your ideal home design while still keeping it kid-friendly and addressing common safety challenges for younger family members?
How exciting! Here are our top six designer tips on creative ways to adapt your home so your children have places for play and exploration that you can enjoy, too.
1. Storage, Storage, Storage!
You can never have too much storage space for your kids’ belongings. From baskets to built-in shelves, consider where and how you can store your children’s toys, clothes, and other accessories. A major key to keeping spaces kid-friendly and stylish is to make sure there is enough space to store toys which helps keep the space tidy while allowing the space to be functional for both adults and kids.
Clutter can be controlled by incorporating some savvy storage solutions. You can get creative by utilizing multifunctional furniture. Choose a coffee table that can store board games, a hidden toy storage closet, or unique & stylish understairs storage to hide away the mess. The options are unlimited!
2. Get the kids involved in decor decisions
The best way to make the experience both fun and easy is to involve the kids! They can help choose accessories, colors, or small decor pieces like a fun cushion or wall art.
It’s great to include some decor or accessories in your home that the kids can relate to — and letting them select these pieces themselves will make them feel important, too. Not only does this help build their confidence and communication skills, but it also takes some of the pressure off the parents too so you don’t have to make all the decisions!
3. Soft & comfy furniture the whole family will love
If there’s one thing every parent knows well, it’s kids bumping their heads into every existing sharp edge! An important step in making a space kid-friendly is limiting the number of sharp-edged furniture, or ideally avoiding them altogether. Unsplash
To minimize accidents, you can choose furniture that has soft, rounded edges & stay clear of sharp-edged coffee tables, couches, tables, and other small pieces. Poufs, floor cushions, and ottomans are great options for soft furniture that kids can use while making the space more grounded and laidback and introducing some style. Below are some that we love!
4. Friendly Materials
When you’re designing a kid-friendly home, choosing a durable material is a MUST and definitely worth the investment! It’s no secret that kids are bound to spill but a key to maintaining a kid-friendly home is choosing materials that are easy to clean and don’t visibly show stains.
There are also plenty of sustainable, recycled, and stylish materials such as this unique playset made from recycled ethylene. How gorgeous is that!
*Pro Designer Tip: You can go as far as choosing washable wallpaper or interior paints which makes any space kid-friendly. There are plenty of alternatives to choosing a wall paint or wallpaper that can be easily cleaned. Kids drawing and spilling on the walls is a problem of the past!
Here are some examples of beautiful, stylish, and washable wallpaper:
5. Build a Fort, a Reading Nook, or a “Kid-only” Zone
This creative method can allow kids to feel special by introducing a “adults keep out” corner or room where they get to have privacy. Just like us adults, little ones benefit if encouraged to take some time to chill out and read or look at a picture book. It’s also a great way of keeping all that creative flair and storm of toys and crafts contained in one space. Win-win for everyone! This “corner” can easily be created with a couple of beanbags, a small bookshelf, or maybe a cube unit with separate boxes to keep toys, crafts, and accessories in.
Take a look at our kid's only nook we designed for our amazing clients Joy & Hainsley's for their little ones:)
Design by White Dahlia Design
6. Incorporate Their Art & Drawings
What better way of accessorizing a kid-friendly home than using their own masterpieces? Frame your children’s best artwork and display them with pride rather than just pinning them to your fridge door.
This way they feel included in the home design process and you have the chance to celebrate their little creative projects! While it’s impossible to keep every drawing, pick a few pieces and display them in stylish frames. This might even encourage them to become the next Rembrandt!
From the frame style to the display grid, the options are limitless. You can choose clean, modern frames, get creative with vintage frames, or pick something with a more contemporary, refined style. Above are 3 easy options we would recommend. Number 1, the clip and go gallery is simple and easy to update when your little one creates more masterpieces. Number 2, A neutral unstructured gallery frame can work with most interior design styles. Number 3, the dramatic gallery wall is the focal point in a room which can be a great option for the kid's room.
Bonus Tip: Embrace the Silly!
At the end of the day, life is too short to be too serious, so consider adding some silly elements to the home to amuse not just you but the kids and guests, too!
Everyone needs a laugh sometimes and adding silly elements will be the best way of making your home a fun space both for your kids and yourself. After all, what better way to make a home kid-friendly than embracing the silliness and lightness of childhood!
We hope you enjoyed our take on the stylist & kid-friendly design tips. Our team is here for you if you are in need of design help! If any of these design directions piqued your interest and you are in need of some guidance to incorporate some of the elements we mentioned, feel free to visit our website and explore the packages we offer. We'd be honored to help you with your design vision!
White Dahlia Design Team