How I Keep My Decorating Style with Young Kids in the House
Is it possible to keep your personal decorating style with young children in the home? This is a question I pondered for a couple of years after my first daughter was born back in 2011. Eventually, I found the answer was YES! You absolutely can. You will, of course, have to compromise in some areas for matters of safety and mess making, but overall, it is still possible to have a stylish home that you and your children can enjoy.
Last summer, I shared a guest post over at Yellow Bliss Road with 5 Tips for Kid Friendly Decor. Today, I am resharing portions of that post, along with more thoughts and ideas on how to keep your own style and make your home inviting and safe for the little folks.
When my oldest, Hazel, was at the stage where she could move around on her own, climb on everything, and get into my stuff, I struggled with decorating my home. It was a passion of mine for years (I mean we are talking since my teen years people! I even had the best decorated dorm in college…in my humble opinion, of course). I lived and breathed decorating.
My husband and I were married five years before having children and that was a huge part of my life…decorating (and redecorating) our home. Then a baby came along and suddenly I felt lost, as if one of my greatest joys was being taken from me by having to “baby proof” everything. And while it is true, when babies are in the house, a lot of extra, over sized gear tends to swallow you up. But let’s be real, when they are very tiny, you don’t have a lot of extra time to do anything other than catch a cat nap and clean the dishes if you are lucky. Maybe wash your hair and the clothes with spit up on them. It is a time completely devoted to that new little life. A beautiful (albeit stressful and sleep deprived) season of life.
But then kids get a little bigger, some of the gear goes away, and you can find ways to keep your home stylish yet still safe for the little ones. Today, I am going to share my take on how to keep your style with young children in the house, and what I have learned in the past few years with having two children, fifteen months apart. Hazel is now just over three and a half and Owen will be two and a half soon. I personally think our house is pretty stylish (even if I do say so myself), but I strive to make it a loving home that we all can enjoy.
So here are my top five tips for kid friendly decorating! I should preface this by saying, my style is mainly vintage, rustic, eclectic and bohemian. I love a comfortable, lived-in look and feel. Which tends to make it a bit easier. So for those of you with little ones, I hope these tips help and inspire you!
The most important thing for any parent is keeping your child safe. For me personally, this meant I had to develop new ideas for decorating. Out went sharp-edged and chippy painted furniture in rooms where the kids play. Our coffee table (which was a rustic trunk) was traded for a soft ottoman. Delicate collectibles were moved or exchanged for more durable finds, or at least placed higher up on shelves where little hands can’t reach.
2. Stain masking furnishings
When we were on the search for a new sofa, I wanted a Chesterfield leather one, but it wasn’t affordable at the time. I was happy to find a good alternative with faux suede microfiber. The dark brown matches my rustic, eclectic style and the microfiber makes for easy wiping away of spills (which happen regularly around here!). We have two pieces in this style from Raymour & Flanigan and they have held up very well, masking any stains.
Having young children means things are prone to get broken, which is why I avoid too many expensive or impulsive decor purchases. I shop thrift stores, flea markets and garage sales to find budget friendly accessories. To keep the space from feeling disconnected with “their stuff vs. mine”, I try to find creative ways to blend the two together. I always have to remember that this is our home, our sanctuary, our safe place, not my “show room”, as difficult as that is for me as a blogger who loves interior design.
We never seem short on toys or books around my house. One way that I have dealt with this is to find decorative storage in styles that I love. I like to keep them down low for the kids to have easy access to (and hopefully help in putting away!). To create an eclectic, comfortable style, I like to combine both new and vintage storage containers.
My final tip (which I have to remind myself of often) is to embrace this stage of life. Sure, your style might have to change a bit, and you might have to get used to dinosaurs on the floor, but this is your life right now.
I know that one day the toys will be gone, and I will probably even miss them. So for now, I want to strive to enjoy it. We are building this home for them, for our family to enjoy, so I say embrace it! Make your house a home by creating a place that your whole family can love.
For more inspiration on how I create a stylish space, yet keep the kids in mind, check out my guest post, Rustic Bookshelf Styling, over at Jennifer Rizzo today! Here is a sneak peek…and a glimpse into what my living room looks like right now!
Portions of this post originally appeared on Yellow Bliss Road on July 30th, 2014.
5 Comments
herronme2@yahoo.com
I like kid friendly decor. We have grandchildren and you have done a beautiful job. I love the little Brownie Hawkeye camera. My mother had one she used when I was young. I was so disappointed when I found out she gave it to her sister. Guess I could buy another, but it wouldn't be Mom's original. They took great pictures.
Alice Wingerden
Yes, those little cameras are some of my favorite finds! I understand why you would want the one your mom had though instead of buying another 🙂
Rose L
I am so glad that you had safety first! I have been in some homes where they do not take that into consideration! Usually there ends up being an accident and a few times a child ended up injured, so for me that is #1.
Alice Wingerden
Yes, indeed. Safety trumps everything here 🙂 Thankfully there are a lot of stylish and cool decor pieces that are also safe for little ones!
Olivia Godfrey
This is a great post; I always am wondering what it is going to be like someday with kid's toys everywhere… you definitely do an awesome job of having a super stylish home and keeping them happy. 🙂