Pretty AND Practical: How to Decorate with Kids in Mind

When you have one or two or more children running through your home on a daily basis, it’s important to think of them when you’re decorating your home. I believe that you can create a beautiful space that’s both pretty and practical. Here are some ideas and tips on how to decorate your home with kids in mind. I’ll show you some examples of things I’ve done in my own home where my three little girls are free to get messy and play while I enjoy playing with decor.

1. Use Washable, Stain Resistant Textiles

This big, soft chocolate brown leather couch in our living room isn’t the prettiest piece, but it’s SO easy to wipe clean. I’ve also found that it looks fantastic dressed up with throw pillows that match the season. Look for textiles like wipeable leather and faux suede, or washable fabrics like cotton and polyester. Washable drapes and pillows (even in cream or white!) can be thrown into the washing machine and hung to dry so that they look like new again. In kid-friendly spaces, steer clear of anything that requires dry cleaning. Trust me – I know.

2. Feature Your Child’s Art in Your Space

Don’t be afraid to hang up your child’s artwork in a fun and interesting manner. They’ll love it, and so will you and your guests. We’ve hung a curtain rod in our kitchen breakfast nook that our kids can easily attach their latest pieces to.

3. Go Nuts with Storage

Install shelving, hooks and rods in every possible place that you can – whether it’s in a closet or on a wall. This is something that I’m certifiably addicted to in Our DIY House. We have shelves and drawers and pull-outs in most of our closets, plus I have a hook wall in our kid’s bathroom, one downstairs, and a pegboard storage wall in our laundry room.

I find that lots of storage options really helps keep family clutter at bay. Our storage areas don’t always look this pretty, but when they don’t I can easily just close a door and cover most of them if I don’t have the time to tidy before company comes!

Consider including storage that’s easy for the kids to reach so that they can learn to tidy up their things too!

4. Protect Your Surfaces

There are lots of helpful coatings and sprays that you can use to protect the surfaces in your home that could possibly get damaged by children (or… ahem… you). Use clear waterproof coatings like polycrylic on your sensitive wooden furniture and try sprays like Scotchgard on your fabrics.

We sealed the butcher block countertops in our kitchen, and I think that was a great choice for our messy little family!

5. Let Your Kids Have a Say

Asking your children for their home decor ideas is so fun! Let them have a big say in their own room decor, and ask them for ideas when you’re decorating the rest of your home. You might be surprised at the interesting ideas they come up with, and including little bits of their style throughout your home will make them feel special.

When Little C begged me to paint her new room a bright, eye-stinging purple I was hesitant. Ultimately, we ended up painting it just that and she couldn’t be happier with the colour. Paint isn’t that expensive and it’s not something that’s hard to change down the road, so why not?!

How do YOU decorate your home so that it’s kid-friendly?

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