When you’ve got kids, pets, or a busy household, the idea of maintaining a stylish home can feel like a dream that won’t come true, and it’s easy to think that chic design and family life just don’t mix. The truth, however, is that they can, and you don’t have to sacrifice style to make it happen. With that in mind, keep reading to find out more about creating family-friendly spaces with sacrificing style.
Choose Durable Materials That Look Good
The first rule of a family-friendly home is that whatever you do and whatever materials you use, they’ve got to be durable – accidents are going to happen, and with so many people (and possibly animals) running around, things are sure to get knocked and scuffed, so the more durable you can make things, the better – it’ll keep looking good and you won’t have to replace it so often.
Of course, you might assume that if something is durable it can’t also be attractive and stylish, but that’s not the case – you can have both. For upholstery, for example, you can choose fabrics that are made to withstand stains and that are easy to clean (it’s even better if they’re specifically pet-friendly as well), and when it comes to flooring, go for hardwood or tiles rather than carpet (you can always add a washable rug if you want some style and personality in the room).
Update Your Staircase
Staircases can easily be overlooked when it comes to design, and you might just assume that what you’ve got is what you’ve got to keep, but why would that be the case? You can change your staircase just as easily as you can change any other element in your home, and in fact, doing that is a great idea if you want to create a more family-friendly home.
If your stairs are looking a little worse for wear, a staircase refurb can be the perfect solution – not only will it make your stairs into much more of a focal point, but it should also (if it’s designed well) make them safer, and when you’ve got a family to think about, safety has to come first.
You can start simply by getting a balustrade kit and changing that part of the stairs, which is fantastic, especially as you can choose from a number of different designs and then paint or stain them to make them your own. If you want to do more, you could add a stair runner for some extra grip, or maybe pull out the whole thing and start again. It’ll depend on your budget for most of these ideas, whether we’re talking about stairs or not, and if there’s no need to start from scratch then it’s probably not something you’ll want to do, but knowing that it’s a possibility is exciting, and knowing you can make small changes is fantastic.
Decorate With Family In Mind
You don’t have to ditch your favorite decor pieces just because you’ve got kids or pets (or both!), but you might want to rethink where you put them – delicate vases and framed photos really are better off on higher shelves, and you can use lower shelves for books, games, and other child-friendly items (or at least items that won’t break or cause any damage if they’re knocked over or, as is often the case, knocked off the shelf or ledge).
And when it comes to wall art, think about having gallery walls and oversized prints that can look gorgeous and intentional but that are also out of reach – it’s really the best way to think about everything if there’s even the smallest chance the smallest people in your home are going to hurt themselves or damage your stuff if it’s within reach.
Incorporate Easy-To-Clean Features
No matter how hard you try and how much you’d like it not to be true, the fact is that family life can be pretty messy, and you’ll come across spills, sticky fingerprints, forgotten food, and lots of mud and dirt no matter what you do or what rules are in place – your family is only human, after all.
That’s why it’s crucial to choose easy-to-clean features in your home – it’s less stressful altogether, and it means you can keep your home looking great no matter what. The kinds of things we mean include wipeable paint, furniture with removable and washable covers, and wooden furniture rather than glass – a glass coffee table will look lovely, that’s true, but think of the fingerprints (and the potential for danger) and go for wood instead.