Our kids create a lot of messes, er, I mean…energy…in our homes, so we want our decor to welcome (and withstand) their play and adventures. Family-friendly decor can make your home beautiful and functional for the whole family.
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Slipcovers
Adding this simple feature can protect your furniture from stains, spills, and marks resulting from everyday use. We purchased a quality sofa years ago that was upholstered in a pretty cream fabric. With two toddlers running around, we decided that we’d use slipcovers to keep the sofa free from stains and messes while the kids were young. Once they were older, we removed the slipcover and now still have the same sofa in almost pristine condition!! In choosing slipcovers, make sure they are stain-resistant and washable, especially for high-traffic areas like your sofa cushions. And remember to choose a durable fabric, such as canvas, denim, or an indoor/outdoor fabric.
Walls
When it comes to farmhouse style, white walls are the current trend, but how can you prevent stains and scratches? Magic erasers work great for keeping white walls white. Be sure you choose semi-gloss rather than a flat paint, which will make the walls easier to clean. You can also be a farmhouse-style rebel and paint your walls a darker shade, so the dirt and messes don’t show up so readily!
Floors
Choose tile flooring for high traffic areas, such as your mudroom, entryway, and kitchen. Tile flooring is easier to clean than wood and carpet. Try to steer clear of carpeting in general! It can get dingy and dirty quickly with kids running around leaking things all over it. And when you do clean up some sort of mess, a remnant of the liquid mess seems to settle into the carpet permanently. Instead, opt for durable rugs that you can throw into the washing machine or that have intricate colors and designs that hide stains and spills.
Feature Your Children’s Artwork
Don’t be afraid to display your child’s art in an interesting and fun way. They’ll love it, as will you and your guests. When my kids were little, we hung a curtain rod in our kitchen, where we used cute hooks to display all of their latest pieces. But I also framed pictures they drew and included them in gallery walls around the house.
Storage, Storage, Storage!
Install shelves, hooks, and rods anywhere that you can — in a closet or on a wall. In our farmhouse, this is something that I am certifiably addicted to. We have shelves, drawers, and pull-outs in most of our closets, as well as a hook wall in our kid’s bathroom, one downstairs, and a pegboard storage wall in our laundry room.
There’s nothing better than having plenty of storage options to keep family clutter at bay. If our storage areas don’t look so beautiful, I can close a door and cover most of them if I don’t have time to tidy before company arrives!
Think about providing easy-to-reach storage for the kids so they can learn to tidy up too!
Protect Surfaces
You can use a variety of coatings and sprays to protect the surfaces around your house that may get damaged by children (or… ahem… you). You can use clear waterproof coatings on sensitive wooden furniture and sprays such as Scotchgard on fabrics.
Our kitchen’s butcher block countertops were sealed, and I think that was a great decision!
Kids Should Be Involved
Living with a family can be messy, especially when children are eager to express their creativity. Instead of discouraging their creative endeavors, provide them with stylish and functional spaces. Consider adding a chalkboard wall for your kids as a fun way to express themselves while also blending seamlessly into your farmhouse design.
I love asking my children for their home decor ideas! Let them have a say in their own room decor, and ask them for ideas when you decorate the rest of your home. You might be surprised by the interesting ideas they come up with, and including little bits of their style throughout your home will make them feel appreciated.
I was hesitant when one of my kids asked me to paint her new room a bright, eye-stinging purple. The paint color ended up being exactly what she wanted, and she could not be happier. Paint isn’t too expensive, and it’s not hard to change down the road, so why not?
