10 Ways to Build a Child Friendly Home Without Sacrificing Style
There's nothing like big plastic door knobs and cabinet latches to put a total buzz kill on your interior design efforts. I speak from experience all. But instead of lamenting over all the ugly it takes to keep your kiddos safe, take these 10 tips into consideration from the Queen of making child proof look chic. Amanda Barnes Interiors knows a thing or two and her latest nursery? Bananas. See even more captured by Alyssa Rosenheck Photography plus the full home tour here.
PROBLEM: Dirty little hands Whether you are painting the walls white, taupe or a dark hue, putting paint with an eggshell finish on the wall is the most durable option in areas where little hands can reach. With a damp sponge, you can usually wipe off the remnants of your little artist's work.
Problem: BIG MESSES (Everywhere) Make clean up easier on yourself because with kids...the word "stuff" is basically their M.O. Furniture with cubbies (we're big fans of West Elm and IKEA for these) is a lifesaver and if paired with pretty baskets, can be a really great design statement in any room - from the playroom to the living room. Ottomans that have a removable lid to throw games and toys into, hooks to hang backpacks and jackets on, dressers and chests to contain art supplies, pretty buckets near the door (if you don't have a mudroom) for shoes, wall file/mail holders for school binders and folders, labeled baskets at the base of the stair that the kids carry up to put away. Make your furniture work harder for you with better storage and invest in chic matching baskets (and cute luggage tags for labels) and you will find that keeping a tidy house is SO easy.
PROBLEM: Climbers, Jumpers and Divers So much joy for families is shared with little hands helping in the kitchen. An innovative way to encourage your mini chefs to hone their culinary skills is to hone in on your stool strategies. These are some of our favorites right here as they contain the children and make for a much safer kitchen environment. They are also great for bathrooms. Alternatively, you can have a removable stool top built into your bottom kitchen drawer. When it's removed, the drawer functions as a standard storage space. When secured into place, it makes for a fabulous stool in the heart of your kitchen (100 lb weight limit).
PROBLEM: Spilt Milk. Or Grape Juice. Or Anything. When upholstering areas that are frequented by littles, a smart textile option is an outdoor fabric or a pleather that stretches nicely and feels just like leather. Anything that can be thrown in the wash or wiped down with a wet cloth is pretty indestructible!
PROBLEM: Transitions are Expensive Moving your baby from a crib to a bed can be daunting and expensive. Most kids furniture is pricey so consider purchasing a full or queen sized bed that they can use for many years to come. You can still use kids linens on bigger beds and mattress protectors come in all sizes. Don't put your money towards items that have a childish aesthetic, instead invest in quality dressers that they can grow into, organizational pieces that can be updated with more grown-up accessories and baskets, frames for art that are simple and chic (swapping out the artwork/posters/printables/photos) as they grow.
PROBLEM: Escapees Have a kiddo who loves to run but you want to avoid those hideous door knob covers? This amazing invention from Safety Innovations slides quickly and seems to disappear completely out of sight. As a designer, I loathe all the unattractive safety contraptions we bring into our home. However, as a parent, I insist on them. Without the added easy grip wand, even adults may miss the latch and find themselves struggling to escape!
PROBLEM: Every Surface is a Canvas. Even the sofa. Couches, upholstered chairs and ottomans are a big investment. For clients with kiddos (and clients who allow eating outside the kitchen), I encourage them to consider buying a sofa made with a blend of fabrics. A blend wears better over time and handles stains (or crayons in my home) the best. Also consider a print on some of the accessory pieces as prints tend to disguise stains more so than solids. I also encourage them to take the couch fabric sample home first to spill a few things on, toss it in the wash and see how it fares before we commit to buying anything.
PROBLEM: Art. All the art. If your kids are anything like mine, every day brings a new art project. A great way to show off your kid's inner Renoir without the cost of custom matting and framing is this clever Ikea Hack. Using the curtain rod and coordinating hook, you can easily showcase their hard work. Even better, you can change it out regularly with almost no work involved. DIGNITET Curtain wire - IKEA RIKTIG Curtain hook with clip - IKEA
PROBLEM: Kids + Marble Renovating and want the look of marble without the fear of etching and staining? A sure bet is always Caeserstone which is an engineered quartz stone. This stone is resistant to scratches, cracks and stains. It's also non-porous, doesn't require any sealing and comes in a variety of gorgeous finishes.
PROBLEM: Constant Crumbs Hands down, the best invention for a parent (and homeowner) ever is the good 'ol dustbuster! In the time it takes you to pull out your vacuum, the dustbuster can handle crumbs, dirt, food scraps, fur baby hair and just about anything else you put in its way. In my home, we swear by this one and keep it handy in the kitchen. It's an investment but worth every penny. WARNING: The addiction is real. Remanufactured Dyson DC34 Yellow Cordless Handheld Vacuum [dotted] [dotted] Photography: Alyssa Rosenheck Photography | Design : Amanda Barnes Interiors | Nursery Rug: Anthropologie | Nursery Floor Tile : Tabarka Studio | Nursery Crib: Oeuf
