The average cost of designing a home ranges from $2,000 to $12,000, with most homeowners spending about $5,000 for full-scale decoration services per room, according to Fixr. Food stains, crayon scribbling on the walls, toy clutter, and disorganized closets make keeping up with the most inspiring decoration plans difficult when you have kids. However, having children doesn’t mean you should give up attractive home designs or get rid of designer furniture and accessories. You can create elegant spaces effortlessly if you design with the children in mind. Whether you’re building from the ground up or making improvements to boost your home value, let your kids inspire both the exterior and interior decor choices. Below are some tips for designing a beautiful and family-friendly home.
Embrace Open Floor Plans
The open floor plan concept creates an illusion of large space, allowing you and the kids to move around freely. Most importantly, open plans allow families to spend quality time together in a shared space. When you combine the kitchen and living room, the kids can sit at the kitchen bench doing homework while preparing dinner. Since you won’t be staying in individual rooms, you can easily keep an eye on the children when doing your chores.
To create appealing and kid-friendly open floor designs, you need to hire professional contractors. According to Mangum Builders, professionals will move walls to create an open plan living area to ensure your home reaches its full potential. You’ll also want to incorporate the right interior designs to enhance your home’s aesthetics. Instead of placing furniture against the walls, let them float within the room. Creating spaces behind large furniture makes the room appear larger and separate the living room, dining area, and kitchen. Ensure each area has distinctive qualities in terms of furniture, color, texture, and patterns.
Be Practical With Furniture Choices
Choosing kid-friendly furniture pieces isn’t as difficult as it might seem. You can make the right choice without sacrificing style if you envision what you want. Then ask yourself if the furniture piece will be ruined. If so, try to find an alternative that’s more durable and stylish. For example, if you dream of fitting a linen sofa, opt for a leather one instead. Unlike linen, you don’t have to worry about sticky fingers plastered all over leather because it’s easy to clean. Also, think about the possibility of children getting hurt when playing or moving around in the house. As a general rule, choose furniture with round ends to avoid accidents.
Play Around With Color
As a parent, you want to make your house a place your kids feel comfortable. So, make it feel like they own the space by adding a pop of color. Ideally, choose neutral colors for walls, large furniture, and floors. And then incorporate colorful shades using small decorative elements. Throw pillows are perfect for adding color since you can swap the coverings regularly to keep spaces looking fresh and trendy. It is also wise to paint the inside of bookshelves, stack colorful boxes and books on a desk, paint door and window frames, or create a colorful wall gallery. Displaying colorful artwork made by the kids and grouping toys with a pop of color makes the space look welcoming.
Designing a family-friendly home requires you to think carefully about your floor plans, furniture, and color options. You want to create spaces where children feel welcome and comfortable. Therefore, choose safe, durable, and multipurpose furniture. Pick colors that add visual stimulation and make the kids feel invited to different rooms in the house. Most importantly, create a cozy nook, whether it’s in a small corner in the living room or under the stairs. Your kids should have their zone they can escape to when needed.