Practical Interior Design Ideas for Homes with Young Children {guest post}

Designing and renovating a home while maintaining its family-friendly characteristics does not necessarily
mean putting in a lot of really strenuous work or paying out a lot of money. With a little creativity and
consideration for the important needs and desires of each family member, it is possible to create an
interesting and modern design for a family home on quite a small budget.

Designing and renovating the family home

Families, particularly those with young children, have a number of things to consider when designing
improvements and renovating the family home. Safety is always a priority, as is functionality, durability
and comfort. Meeting these needs and staying within budget while doing so is the key to a successful
revamp of the home’s interior spaces.

Limited funds mean that all purchases that need to be made must be considered carefully. It is more
practical to invest in well-made furnishings rather than to buy cheap items that have to be replaced in a
few years. Plan to spend a decent part of the renovation budget on the furnishings for the family room
and the kids’ rooms.

Living room

The living room is a great spot to start when renovating the home. After the kitchen, it is the most used
room in a home so the furniture needs to be able to withstand a good deal of use. If small children are
in the home, it should be practical enough to deal with regular spills of food or drink. Select well-made
pieces that are covered with durable, strong fabrics that are easy to clean. A practical and comfortable
choice for a family room is the traditional sofa sleeper - large and overstuffed, ready to open up and
provide a place to lay a weary head.

Family room

A great way to involve the kids in decorating involves choosing a spare room to turn into a special play
area or family room. This can be their domain, a place to play, watch television and relax. This is a great
place to take advantage of the chalkboard paint or magnetic paint that is on the market. Apply it to a
tabletop or even coat a section of wall, making it into a giant blackboard. It is also a good idea to obtain
some posters of favorite cartoon characters and affix them to the walls.

When choosing furniture for the home, keep in mind that even with very well behaved of children,
furniture is going to take a beating over time. A way to eliminate some of the stress associated with
furniture wear is to purchase items that are distressed. Fashionable pieces for the home include
entertainment centers, side tables, bookshelves and dining table sets. Furniture pieces should feature
rounded edges if possible, and dining tables and side tables should not have glass tops, as the heavy
glass could be very dangerous to have around small children.

Safety for small children may also include wall mounted lights rather than freestanding lamps. Power
cables should be out of sight and any unused sockets should be protected with a cover. Other safety
issues include avoiding heavy floor-length draperies or long cords on mini-blinds, and keeping electronic
equipment well out of reach.

Disclaimer: This is a contributed post on behalf of Dave at Publishers Network. I was compensated in exchange for posting this article.