We welcome Rose Morrison’s new post, Incorporating Your Children In Your Home’s Interior Design, her guest article for Slipcovers for Your Walls, casartblog for Casart Coverings removable wallpaper and decor. Be sure to read Rose’s bio at the end.
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Kids have vivid imaginations. With a little bit of encouragement, they can come up with all kinds of interesting home design ideas. Some of the ideas might not fit your personal preferences, but your house should accommodate everyone — especially your children. Here are 5 clever tips to help you safely incorporate your children into your home’s interior design.
1. Incorporate Kid-Sized Furniture
Incorporating smaller furniture is the biggest kid-friendly design change you can make. Your kids won’t be small forever, but they still deserve to use furniture that fits their current size. You can always sell or donate the furniture later on or keep it for sentimental reasons.
Here are some unique types of children’s furniture you should consider:
- Bunk beds: this classic furniture item would make a perfect addition to your home if your children share a bedroom. They take up less floor space and leave your kids with more room to play.
- Playhouses: speaking of play, why not include some playhouses? These fun pieces of furniture are easy to assemble and give your kids a more immersive playtime experience.
- Play tables and chairs: your children’s main playroom should include appropriately sized tables and chairs. You can get a matching set to bring the whole room’s design together.
- Anywhere chairs: your kids can also have their own personal chairs that they can bring wherever they want. These “anywhere chairs” consist of soft, plushy materials and include the child’s name on them in bold letters. What kid wouldn’t love that?
- Low-height bookcases: putting low-height bookcases in your children’s playroom and bedroom(s) encourages them to develop healthy reading habits and build their own book collection.
- Bins and baskets: as any parent knows, kids make a mess wherever they go. Putting a lot of bins and baskets around the house will make clean-up a breeze. It also provides more incentive for the kids to do their chores and help with keeping the house clean.
Your kids should also play an active role in picking out each furniture item. Show them different design concepts and help them choose the best one for your household. Again, your kids might only use this furniture for a few years, but it’s worth the expense if it creates lasting memories.
2. Create Different Play Spaces
Kids have a wide range of interests that require unique environments. For example, a child who loves playing video games would prefer different accommodations compared to a child who likes to read and draw. Siblings who are close in age might also need their own play areas — especially if you have all boys — to give them personal space and prevent the roughhousing from getting out of hand.
[Items above are a part of the T3 (Tots, Tweens & Teens) Collection by Casart Coverings and available in the Casart Decor Shop]
Creating multiple play areas also allows you to include more themes that fit your children’s interests. Kids are naturally curious and often go through phases of obsession with dinosaurs, cars, outer space and other intriguing topics. These phases are positive signs of your child’s development. If your child loves dinosaurs, make a dinosaur-themed play area and keep their curiosity flowing.
These creative play spaces will also enable you to layer different color schemes throughout your interior design. If your neutral colors have gotten stale, a new play area for your child will give the house a breath of fresh air.
3. Establish an Artwork Gallery
Kids might have a wide variety of hobbies, but most of them share one common interest: drawing. It’s a mentally stimulating activity and allows them to put their imaginations into reality. You should encourage this healthy habit by establishing an art gallery in a high-traffic area. The refrigerator is a common place to put children’s artwork, but you can do better.
Instead of choosing art decor by yourself, have your kids help you pick out some murals, paintings and wallpapers that everyone can enjoy. These decorations can build on a family-friendly theme while adding more color and texture to your home’s interior. Some wallpapers are even colorable, allowing kids to draw on them without ruining the paint.
Another clever idea is to put whiteboard and chalkboards around the house. Your kids can work together to complete a complex drawing over a few weeks, or erase the boards and draw something new every day. The only thing you need to worry about is keeping track of the markers and pieces of chalk.
4. Pay Close Attention to Fabrics
Fabric is another important element when it comes to child-friendly home design. You need to prioritize performance fabrics that can handle spills and stains. They should also be soft and plush instead of firm. There are more than 1,500 performance fabrics that fit this description, including these popular options:
- Vinyl
- Wool
- Nylon
- Polyester
- Acrylic
- Olefin
A leather sofa might have more visual appeal, but it’s too delicate for your kids. They will stain and damage the sofa beyond recognition in just a few years. You need couches and chairs that are built to last. One performance fabric that has boomed in popularity is Ultrasuede. It looks luxurious and expensive, but you can easily wipe stains away.
5. Choose Round Shapes Over Sharp Edges
As a general rule, you should be incorporating round shapes over sharp edges for your children’s safety. Circular furniture is better for kids than square or rectangular furniture. You might have to make some thematic changes, but safety is more important than design continuity. You also need to make sure that mirrors, cabinets and other objects with sharp corners are out of reach.
If you already have a lot of hard-angled tables and sofas, smooth out the rough edges with some extra cushions and furniture corner protectors. They will prevent your children from hurting themselves and keep the furniture in better condition. Corners are one of the most sensitive areas on furniture and often suffer dents, scratches and cracks.
Get Your Kids Involved Wherever Possible
Parents should always try to get their children involved in home decoration wherever possible. While us adults have narrow design concepts and highly particular tastes, kids are more open to different possibilities. They also need healthy and constructive outlets for high energy levels. Decorating the house with artwork and unique furniture is a great way to expend that energy, form lasting memories and develop their individuality
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Additional posts & resources:
• What Makes Birdwatching Fun & Educational with Kids Indoors
• Interactive and Other Accessories Added
• Interactive and Other Accessories Added
• Does Interior Design Affect Mental Health
• Casart’s T3 Collection (Tots, Tweens Teens)
Many thanks to Rose for this article with lots of helpful ways to enjoy interior design with children.
About the author:
Rose Morrison is a home improvement and design writer.
She is also the managing editor of Renovated. Follow her on Twitter to see more of her work.
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