When you initially decorated your house, were you childless, choosing beauty over function? After kids, that might be a bit of a problem. With many children attending virtual school and playdates down to a minimum, kids are spending more and more time at home. Whether you are a new parent searching for suggestions or an experienced parent yearning for improvements, Shivers’ Design Team at Decorating Den Interiors is here to help.
Read on to discover five easy ways to design a kid-friendly living room.
Create An Open Floor Plan
Arguably the most important part of creating a space that is welcoming and capable of handling children is an open floor plan. When you have an open floor plan, rooms that are usually divided with floor-to-ceiling walls are opened, combined, and connected. Families often chose to open the living room, dining room, and kitchen to create one cohesive area that accommodates everyone being together at once. Not only does this allow your kids to play in a bright, open space, but it also enables you to watch them from wherever you might be.
Use Performance Fabrics
Most traditional fabrics are made of dyed yarn that is colorful on the outside but remains white inside. After consistent use, you will likely see white threads peeking through, giving the material a worn, aged, or even damaged look. Outdoor performance fabric, however, is made of solution-dyed yarn. This means the color is woven throughout, making it durable, long-lasting, and perfect for families. While you could easily style outdoor furniture indoors, you could also have any furniture of your choice upholstered with performance fabric. What’s more, the fabric’s wide variety of colors and patterns will allow you and your furnishings to withstand everyday wear-and-tear without sacrificing style.
An added bonus? Most outdoor fabrics are water repellent, which means they are easier to clean.
Lay Down Dark Area Rugs
Using darker area rugs allows you to mask the inevitable “whoopsies,” and this is crucial in a well-used area like the living room. Fear not — dark does not mean drab. In fact, a bold, moody area rug could be just what you need to add depth and intrigue to your space. Try rolling the rug out in the middle of the living room. Or, for even more interest and texture, layer one solid and one patterned rug off-centered, over top of one another. Say goodbye to stains and hello to style!
Have Lots of Subtle Storage
More often than not, the most noticeable feature of a family’s living room is a disarray of playthings. To avoid having one of these overwhelming spaces, all you need is storage — lots and lots of storage. This could range from easily accessible bins on open shelving units to hidden areas tucked into seating. Whichever you choose, thought-out and organized storage allows your kids to easily pick up after themselves and helps you decompress in a clean space.
Add Wall Art
One final touch to making your living room more child-friendly is adding colorful wall art. These photos or paintings add interest and make the space more welcoming to children by bringing in a playful element of creativity. A customized and affordable way to do this is by framing your child’s art! From finger paintings to line drawings to completed coloring pages, there are no limits to their imaginative creations and no boundaries to how you can style them. Additionally, hanging these modest masterpieces can bring a sense of pride to your child as they’ll be able to see their creations on display in a shared space.
Just because your space is child-friendly does not mean it has to be cramped, cluttered, and juvenile. Contact Shivers’ Design Team at Decorating Den Interiors today to schedule your free in-home design consultation, and we’ll help you create a stylish kid-friendly living room in no time.
