If you flick through the pages of any interior design magazine, you would be forgiven for thinking that contemporary style and inspirational interiors are solely the preserve of child-free householders. People with growing families often believe that achieving a beautiful, well-designed home is an impossible task when young children are in the picture, however this is simply not the case. The key is to design the home around the family as opposed to trying to shoehorn a family into an elegant, but totally unsuitable, living environment. Here, we look at a few exciting design ideas that work brilliantly for growing families who want all of the benefits of living in an attractive home but with a practical and functional outlook.
Open Plan Spaces
Wherever possible, an open plan living area is a beneficial environment for a large family. The extra room gives everyone space to do their own thing while still allowing the whole brood to remain within close proximity and to maintain a strong sense of togetherness. Area rugs can be used to break the space up into designated “rooms” without any walls to separate and exclude, and the illusion of even more space can be created by the use of a neutral colour palette, unfussy contemporary accessories and the addition of several large mirrors to bring in more light.
Child-Friendly Furnishings
When toddlers and young children are running around in your home, you need to take great care over your choice of furniture. Make the wrong decision and you’ll constantly be worrying about damage, fingerprints, stains and, worse, injuries. Eliminate these concerns by planning your furniture with your family in mind. Durable and washable fabrics such as leather sofas and sisal rugs will stand up to a lot of heavy duty use and will be easy to maintain while still looking great. Safety is also a major concern, but choosing a round occasional table instead of one with sharp corners on which little ones could hurt themselves is a sensible solution.
Effective Storage Solutions
Anyone with children knows that kids mean clutter, and finding somewhere to put all of those toys, accessories and odds and ends can be challenging. When designing your home makeover, it’s important to plan for plenty of innovative storage solutions to simplify the task. There are many excellent ways of incorporating shelving and drawers into your rooms in a stylish and discreet way. Under sofa drawers, in-built floor to ceiling shelving units and spacious Ottomans which double as window seats or hallway benches are just some of the ways in which you can hide away all the junk that comes along with little ones.
Embrace The Family’s Personalities
Allow your family’s personalities to shine through in your choice of décor and accessories. Elegant design shouldn’t be bland and soulless, it should reflect the household and all who live in it. Choose accessories that reflect each member’s interests and turn your children’s paintings into framed works of art to adorn your walls. What better way to embrace style in a family friendly way?