Designing with young kids in mind.

As a mom of two children under five years of age (and another on the way), I am constantly think about how to refine my space in a way that will withstand their tugging and spilling, dirty hands, and jumping all over everything. I am willing to submit to a lot of things in parenthood, but I am not willing to give up living in a well-designed home for the sake of the kids. I believe that kids can learn to live with house rules and that a home can be beautiful and comfortable for both parents and kids to enjoy. These tips can also be useful for those of us who love to entertain without worry and for homes that are pet-friendly as well.

DESIGNER LIGHTING

I had some clients who had a dog and loved to entertain and didn’t want to worry about their furniture, and were also expecting their first child. I approached the furniture design of their home in a way that prioritized non-custom furniture to save on cost and balanced it with high-end lighting. Lighting can add so much personality to a space and luckily it’s (mostly) out of harm’s way of being touched and destroyed. This is a great place to splurge if you aren’t ready to invest in higher-end upholstery due to your lifestyle. You can also take your favorite fixtures with you if you move!

We used this designer pendant light and leather stools in this kitchen for a family with kids and pets and who love to entertain. Design: Life of Plenty | Photo: Joseph Bradshaw

I used lighting to add vintage flair to the new kitchen of our 1939 home. Pendants | Ceiling lights (similar) | Sconces | Design: Life of Plenty | Photo: Emily Green

KIDSAFE UPHOLSTERY

This may seem counterintuitive because it is thought of as a premium material, but leather is a great medium for kids and pets (and adults that tend to be clumsy - like me). It is durable and wears well (often looking better with use) and is a dream to clean. We had our breakfast nook banquette seat done in leather and I couldn’t be happier with it. We use this spot more than any in the house and it has stood up so well to dirty hands and messes, and spills are easily wiped up with a wet towel. Leather is also great for pets because hair and dander can’t penetrate into the fibers.

We chose leather for the seat of our custom banquette in our kitchen eating nook. It has held up super well to spill and dirt. The table is from Target. Chairs are vintage.

I also love slipcovers for this reason. Gone are the days of slipcovers looking like your grandma’s furniture - or like a country cottage. They are chic and modern and can be thrown in the washing machine. We have a slipcovered sectional - in white - and yes it gets dirty - but it also get clean. I just throw the covers in the wash and it comes out looking fresh and new. And we’ve had it for 10 years!

Playing in front of our slipcovered sectional.

And although I have loved it and can’t imagine owning a non-slipcovered sofa in our family room - I am eyeing some new ones that have a little bit more modern of a silhouette and I’ve been loving the idea of a brown or mushroom color with a single bench seat. Here is a roundup of some chic options I’m eyeing:

White Relaxed | Sienna / rust sofa | Brown slope arm | Mushroom flare arm | White high arm

FOCUS ON NON-KID SPACES

A lot of people I work with tend to want to focus their energy and budgets on social spaces (which I totally understand) but when designing homes for families with kids, I often recommend allocating some funds to the primary suite for parents. Creating a space that invites you to relax and recharge is so important and these rooms are key to decompressing at the end of the day. It can be hard to make room for prioritizing oneself and the primary bedroom and bathroom are the perfect places to do so – think of it as investing in a daily staycation.

Artful lighting and custom cafe curtains add sophistication to our primary bathroom.

If you aren’t ready for a bathroom re-haul, think of other ways that bring simple luxuries into your day. It can be as easy creating simple rituals, like lighting your favorite incense, getting up 15 minutes early to enjoy a cup of coffee before the rest of the family wakes up or even turning on low lights and lighting a candle in the bedroom 30 minutes before bedtime as a nightly “turndown” service to yourself.

My all time favorite incense from Tennen and favorite morning ritual.

Why not create a low-key coffee station in your bedroom with a small coffee machine perfect for the bathroom countertop or on top of a dresser? Yes please!

CREATE A DESIGNATED KID ZONE.

We converted a formal home office into a temporary play room for the kids while they are young. Yes, toys migrate into the living room and kitchen but having a space for kids to be free and having a place for their things helps us manage the chaos gives them some ownership of a room in the house. The playroom is also a place away from the main living room (but not too far) that gives some separation when we are entertaining so the kids can have more freedom to be loud and get creative while the adults converse and unwind.

We designated this small room to be a playroom instead of a home office during this stage of our family with young kids.

FOCUS ON YOUR WALLS.

Nothing makes a house feel more finished than personalizing your wall space. If spending money on furniture feels overwhelming with small kids, now can be a good time to start investing in real art and getting those family photos framed.

This gallery in our living room features art we’ve collected over the years (including some of our daughters) and framed family photos. I love how this feels so personal to our family and it makes the room so cozy.

For these clients who wanted no fuss entertaining with a high end feel, I designated ready-to-ship furniture and custom artwork. Design: Life of Plenty | Photo: Joseph Bradshaw

These are the things I think about! Have a great week friends.

XX
Carly