Re-Decorating when you Live with Little Humans

One of the most common caveats I get when connecting with a new client is that they are straight up nervous about the process of investing in their home when it is currently under the reign and rule of the small humans. Juice spills on the rug. Squished chocolate in the upholstered sofa. Slime on the cushions. Don’t get her started on the state of her baseboards and walls!

Is she crazy to put some money into her home in this stage? Should she wait it out? Does she cheap out? Where should she opt for practicality and where can she indulge her delights?

All very good questions. And as a mother of 3 under 8, I feel I have some first hand knowledge of the issue.

1. Timing

Oh timing, you illusive little thing you. Sometimes there’s merit in waiting for the “right time,” and sometimes we wait forever, thinking the perfect time is just around the corner and it never arrives. We want to hold off on the new rug until the baby stops projectile vomiting. Then the toddler days arrive and the issue of food NEVER being eaten in the seat at the table is upon us.

Preschooler to little kid…see above point. It’s a long season.
Big kid. The tracked dirt/mud, and multiplied by the army of neighbour children’s feet.
Could you wait it out to purchase a new rug until you have adult children? Surely you could. But that’s 18+ years, and a long time to daily curse your haggard, lifeless, hand-me-down rug…
And is it too early to mention grandkids…??
2. Quality
To expand on point #1, I get that this isn’t the time to be investing in a high end hand-loomed 100% wool rug, but with the advent of synthetic fibres such as polypropylene which repel even the stains of the red-wine-variety (been there, and picture proof included at end of post), you’re fighting a pointless mental battle with the rug that’s draining your joy. Plus, these fibres are also more resistant to mildew, mold and are non-allergenic. Not to mention come in every pattern, style and colour imaginable to inspire you and tie your room together, at an affordable price. (Psst…same benefits goes for the synthetic drapery options). Friend, buy the rug.
Now how about large ticket items like couches and beds? AKA, **cough cough** the indoor trampolines.

To some extent, apply the rule above. If you haven’t had “stationary-butts-only” boundaries in place for these pieces, then this isn’t the time to go cold turkey on your kids and introduce the investment pieces you plan to pass down to them. That said, it’s not too late to begin training them on how you’d like these pieces to be treated BEFORE swapping them out with anything new, even if the new couches are low-budget options (of which there are plenty, see Article, Structube, Wayfair, to name a few). Although these budget beauties are super cute, they won’t stand for the daily battering (literally), and no one wants to drop $2000 for 1 year of use before we’re back to square 1!

If your kids do “Respect the Springs” pretty well, or you’ve spent some time in bootcamp with them, now is a good a time as any to shop around with your preferences, needs and the delicate balance of pricepoint and quality in mind. See next point.

3. Mind your finishes

A concept board I did for a family home e-design, we selected mid-tone finishes so as to hide stains and imperfections.

When it comes to messy mini roommates and their furry counterparts, opt for mid-tone colours, ideally ones sporting a pattern to some degree (especially in rugs). Light tones show stains, dark colours show every spec of dust and hair. Mid-tones are a family favourite across the board – be it in a rug, upholstered furniture, sometimes even wall paint (although sheen and paint quality plays the bigger role) or casegoods (desks/shelving units) as they tend to hide scratches and “artistic expression” better than their lighter and darker counterparts.

Now, please don’t take this too far – a house full of the same tone is a recipe for a yawn-fest. But know your family, understand little Jimmy’s typical M.O. and select the finishes for the at-risk pieces accordingly.

4. Consider safety

Glass coffee tables, we’re looking at you. Also beware of tall bookshelves, ensuring that they are properly wall-mounted.
 

Super sharp welded metal edges tend to not be ideal for little ones running around at table height.

Floors with a high sheen such as glossy stone, tile or polished concrete tend to not be ideal for little ones bolting out of the bath sopping wet, so shop around for lower sheen floor tiles or more matte concrete finishing options.

Many of these safety issues also come down to knowing your kids, understanding there isn’t a single right approach to child-proofing every home. We had a wood-burning stove that we didn’t screen off in our last home, and we taught our 2 kids under 3 the boundary and the danger, and never had an incident. So apply these with your particular kiddos in mind, of course. But there are so many beautiful finishes and selections available these days, that often a parent can feel assured knowing they were able to opt for the wood dining table versus the jagged-edged metal one.

5. It’s not All or Nothing

Sometimes we can get stuck in an all or nothing thought process…but oftentimes there are pieces we can swap out now, even if we don’t want to upgrade 100% of the space all at once. Don’t feel stuck with a home that doesn’t lift you up for the next TWENTY YEARS. We know how much we’re affected by our environment, home being the primary place we dwell (especially these days!) It just won’t be worth the emotional toll of spending so much of your time in a space that fails to serve your needs so that you can function freely and effectively. Decide what you can live with, and what needs to be replaced sooner rather than later. Work with your budget, consider hiring an interior designer for a package that works with your existing items and a few new things and be shocked at just how the space transforms. How you feel in the space transforms. You pour yourself out mama, let your home pour into you.
If you fall into this “can’t replace it all at once camp” (as most people do!), here is my list of items that I believe are pretty kid-resilient and safe to bite the bullet on with kids at home: 
1. Rugs – hit up Wayfair for thousands of large living room rugs under $800 – just be sure you’re grabbing a mid-pile height (.25-.5) and it’s a blend of synthentic and natural fibres or 100% synthetic, and in a mid-tone and pattern! No word of a lie, my brand new distressed Oriental rug received a red-wine bath thanks to a basketball attack from a toddler on it’s 1 month birthday at my house…it’s a multicoloured pattern on an ivory background. You would never know it. Pictured below!

2. Decor and styling – an unstyled house just feels a little sad and unattended to IMO. (Okay, okay I am an interior designer so maybe my opinion is sliiiiiightly biased. But seriously, check out the difference between these two shots of the same room, one with just a few items to bring it some life…huh? HUH?!)

Where possible, opt for more durable materials should they get bumped, or place them out of arms reach. Books are a fabulous, common, inexpensive, and durable decorating item…stack a couple of large ones with a small bowl on top, and the most realistic fake plant (if your kids can’t be trusted to keep the “gardening” outdoors) you can find to sit beside. Coffee table gets some love, room looks elevated, friends see some of your personality when they come to visit! (next year… 😉 win, win, triple win.

 

3. Swap the blinds for drapes – those cords are a choking hazard, and you’ll love the way a floor to ceiling drape draws your eye up and around the room, and gives some softness and texture to the space. I just found a custom drapery supplier who’s prices are like retail…I have two sets in my home…absolutely beautiful. Pictured in our home above, and I’ll link him here

4. Armchair – maybe you can’t do the full sofa or sectional just yet, so opt for a less expensive armchair that is just MUM’S! Create a nook with a rug, sidetable and reading lamp. It will make you feel like a million bucks.

5. Bed/mattress/sheets/pillows – we know this isn’t the season of abundant sleep, so be sure you invest in a quality mattress and bedding that supports your slumber – the last thing you need is to be woken up with a sore back on the off-hours of baby’s wakings.
6. Rustic Woods – this won’t fit everyone’s style, but rustic woods do work with a variety of style preferences, and blessed is the table that looks better with dents and scratches from my children then it did when we first brought it home. If possible, and if it works with your look, opt for distressed finishes over refined, because they won’t look so battered, so soon.
And as always, if you’re unsure where to strike that balance between mid tones and light and dark, where to splurge and where to hold off, how to style a kid-friendly home, that’s where we Interior Designers can step in and save you time, money and a world of regret.
Let us know, what pieces have you been really pleased with upgrading in the little years, and which do you regret? Would love to hear from you!

 Meghan
 
 

share this Post:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Scroll to Top