Crafting the family-friendly living room of your dreams

By Staff Reporter - 5 June 2018

Home and Garden

Having kids is one of life’s greatest joys, but there’s no doubting that it’s a process that comes with a little stress from time to time! Clearing up after your children when they make a mess is something that all parents have to do, and especially when the kids are little, it can seem like there’s no end to the debris. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice good décor. This post will share some advice on how to keep your living room looking swanky – even if you’re sharing it with some little monsters!

Consider a dark carpet

Depending on the décor of the rest of the room, dark carpets may not be something that you want to consider for your living area. However, if your kids are at the age where everything from the tomato sauce in their evening meals to the cranberry-coloured tones of their fruit juice are at risk of spilling onto the floor, it may be wise to – at the very least – avoid easily damaged creams, whites and greys for your carpet. Alternatively, you could always consider putting down a rug – especially in major potential disaster zones such as around dining tables and high chairs.

Build a toy box area

When you’ve got everything from jigsaw pieces to toy kitchens lying around in your living room, it can be difficult to relax and unwind properly. Step forward the designated toy area, a space that can be used to store all of these items when they’re not in use. Whether this is a closed box in one corner of the room or simply a neat pile behind the sofa, it’s a good way of encouraging your children to be tidy – and a way of saving your sanity! If space is limited in your living room, why not consider making a cupboard in your dresser or sideboard the main place for toys?

Think about windows

When you’ve got kids, you’ve always got to be on red alert to any potential health hazards that may arise. One of these is exposure to sunlight: their eyes can be particularly sensitive, especially when they’re young. Investing in easily opened and closed window covers of some sort is a smart move. Shutters from California Shutters are a particularly good idea as they can cover different parts of the window for maximum light level customisation. Whatever you decide to go for, it’s important to ensure that the shutters are operated simply – this way, you’ll be much more likely to actually open and close them when needed.

When you’ve got children around, it can sometimes feel as though your house or flat is more of a cr?che or a play area than a home. However, by being savvy and strategic about how you organise and design your living room, you can enjoy amazing décor while also giving your kids the space to play, develop – and even spill their drinks! From opting for a dark carpet to ensuring that you get good blinds in place, a family-friendly living room is well within your grasp.

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