6 tips for a child-friendly home
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Combining style and function to create a child-friendly home can be challenging, specially if you prefer a simple and uncluttered space. The serenity and simple beauty that comes with a minimalist interior often embody ‘less is more’. However, it can be challenging to achieve with the presence of your curious little ones aka your children.
What if we tell you that you don’t have to sacrifice style for function or function for style? Your home can still appear stylish along with the added functionality for your children. Here are six tips for you to create a child-friendly home.
Embrace the colours
One way for you to create a child-friendly home is to have a colour scheme that works for everyone in the house. Think neutrals – beige, ivory, taupe, grey and shades of white. These colours are often used by interior designers to highlight the decorations in a house. You can liken your home to a blank canvas and your décor or furnishing as the paint.
When you have too much colour in one space, it can be quite overwhelming for you and your children. Bear in mind that children are more sensitive to high contrasting colours in their early development years. For example, if your child chooses an orange beanbag as part of your décor, it can help him/her be more sociable as the colour represents happiness and sociability.
Cut the corners
Creating a space that’s free of sharp corners or edges is crucial when you have children at home. This is especially when your children are learning to walk as their curiosity gets the best of them.
You can opt for a large ottoman instead of a coffee table as the former is softer than the latter. Some ottomans may even have storage for you to keep their toys which can double as a footrest. If you can’t forgo the coffee table, consider a round option. That way, you can reduce the chances of your children getting hurt and still enjoy the functions of a coffee table.
Pick a suitable fabric
There’s a high chance that your children will turn every piece of fabric in your house into bibs. When you decide on the fabric of your couch or curtains, look for fabrics with tight weaves and high rub counts. These indicate higher durability than other fabrics.
Leather is also a great option as you can easily wipe away the spills. You won’t have to worry about the scratches as the marks will blend with your sofa to give it a classic look. You can also opt for slipcovers to protect your couch’s original fabric. When there’s a spill, simply remove the cover and wash it.
Avoid short furniture
It’s every parent’s nightmare to watch their children climb up a short furniture like the TV cabinet as they may fall off the side and injure themselves. You can avoid this mishap by opting for a wall-mounted TV cabinet. Not only will it look modern, but your children also won’t be able to climb it anymore.
You may also want to keep the top of your furniture free of clutter as it can attract your children to explore them. That way, you can prevent mishaps and minimise cleaning after a long day of taking care of your children. Find proper storage to keep all your stuff and move any objects out of their reach to keep them away from danger.
Find a forgiving rug
When it comes to creating a child-friendly interior, a rug is a must-have. Choose a rug that’s easy to clean and durable. That way, you can simply toss it into the washing machine without having to send it for professional cleaning. Go for natural fibre rugs instead of synthetic rugs.
You can also opt to use play mats in your living space. Available in a variety of colours, thickness, and sizes, play mats are more flexible and durable considering that they’re made from soft PVC (polyvinyl chloride) with specially refined plasticiser to absorb impact. That way, you won’t have to worry about your child falling on the play mat.
Choose your wall-covering wisely
When you decide on your wall finish, you may want to consider an easy-to-clean paint finish like satin. Its high durability will make the cleaning process a breeze for when your children decide to play Picasso for the day. You can also opt for removable wallpaper, allowing you to change your walls every once in a while.
Placing laminate sheets on your walls is another alternative if removable wallpaper sounds too much of a hassle. With an array of colours, patterns, and finishes, laminate sheets make great wall protection due to its durability to impacts and scratches. It’s also easy to clean as you can use a damp cloth to wipe away any dirt.
Creating a child-friendly home doesn’t require you to sacrifice any of your ideas. Just be sure to include your children when it comes to decorating your house’s interior. At Jennings Laminates, we offer a wide variety of laminate sheets, giving you the real deal at an affordable price. Among the types of laminates we have are technology-integrated surfaces, wooden, marble, industrial, fabric, patterns, and colours.
View our full catalogue for more options and inspirations for your home!