This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

8 Design Tips for the Active Family

Check out these 8 interior design tips for the active family.

Hi!  My name is Melissa McLay and I’m an interior designer who lives in Severna Park.  I’m thrilled to be writing my first blog post for the Severna Park Patch.   Because Severna Park is such a great family town I wanted to share some tips on designing a home with a busy family in mind.   

 8 Design Tips for the Active Family

Do you want a pretty home but you’re afraid the kids and pets will wreak havoc on anything nice you might buy?  Do you want your home to be “lived” in but don’t want all the rules that go along with keeping fragile items safe and expensive furniture pristine?  Are you tired of your home looking like a day care center?  Don’t give up on creating a home you love!  Follow these tips to create a gorgeous home that the whole family can enjoy.

Find out what's happening in Severna Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 1.  Be Realistic

If you don’t take into account how you really live, a gorgeous room could be destroyed before you know it.  Your decor may need to withstand wrestling matches, indoor soccer games, food fights, babies with reflux, pets that weren’t let out in time, and messy spouses.  Consider the color of your current stains on your carpet and sofa before choosing a hue for new ones!

Find out what's happening in Severna Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 2.  Decorate Now

Don’t wait till the kids are older.  Your home is your sanctuary.  Donate your worn out college furniture and not-so-attractive hand-me-downs from your great aunt.  Only keep the things that are beautiful and special to your family.  Your children will grow up with pretty things and will learn to appreciate and respect them.  Let your children be part of the design process.   Ask them what colors and fabric patterns they like.  They may think twice before tracking dirt through a room they helped decorate.

 3.  Keep It Classic and Simple

For furniture, think casual and comfortable with timeless clean lines.  Upholstered furniture with skirts should be avoided (washable slipcovers are the exception!) which get dirty with shoes, pets, and dust.  Think exposed legs.  Wood with a vintage or slightly worn look holds up well to kids.  Is life chaotic?  Consider the slightly “messy” or “un-decorated” vintage or boho look which is so “in” right now.  Also, less is more.  Who has time to dust lots of stuff and worry if things are arranged just right?

 4.  Pick the Right Stuff

Color, pattern and texture are the way to go.  They hide a lot...spills, crayon marks, etc.  Walls should be wipeable so use eggshell, satin or semigloss paint.  Use chalkboard paint for fostering creativity and magnetic paint for displaying artwork.  Use window treatments with hard surfaces (think wood blinds, shutters and roman shades) because they’re wipeable too.   Pick stain proof fabrics such as leather, denim, velvet, wool, twill, and ultra suede that use a combination of natural and synthetic fibers.  Also, the technology for outdoor textiles have come a long way!  They are looking and feeling more and more like indoor fabrics so consider using them in your home too.  Dining room chair fabrics can be laminated and upholstery fabrics can have stain resistant finishes applied.  Floors that can be easily cleaned with a mop such as tile, wood, cement, and linoleum work well.  Carpets should be in medium tone colors made of nylon or wool-nylon blends or invest in a really good carpet cleaner.    Carpet tiles are a great option because individual tiles can be replaced easily.  Jute, sea grass and sisal are tough and add texture to a room but I’m still partial to wool rugs for families.  They’re tough, resist stains naturally and last a long time.  

 5.  Think Quality

Buy the best furniture you can afford.  The cheap stuff does not hold up to kids so it won’t be a bargain in the long run!  Pick up the furniture.  The heavier the better.  Furniture should be made with kiln-dried hardwood that’s been screwed, glued and corner-blocked.  All upholstered pieces should have eight-way ties.  Upgrade cushions to spring down so they hold their shape.  Good quality pieces will hold up to many years of abuse and can be reupholstered once the kids are a little older.  Don’t want cushions used in pillow fights?  Look for “tight back” sofas and chairs and ask for clips to hold down bottom cushions.

 6.  Accessorize the Right Way

All heirlooms and breakables should be 48 inches above the floor.  Anything below 48 inches is in the danger zone and should be safe and strong.   Think items made of wood and metal.  Keep out play things for the kids so they won’t be tempted to play with the other stuff.

 7.  Storage, Storage, Storage

It’s all about clutter control!  Open shelves with baskets is the way to go.  Also buy tables with storage such as chests or tables with two tiers that can hold baskets.    Keep hooks, towel bars, and other storage at the kids’ level so they can put away their own things.  Mudrooms are especially wonderful for storing coats, shoes, umbrellas and school bags.

 8.  Prepare for the Inevitable

Keep wipes and stain removing products in stock and handy.  Don’t procrastinate...clean up messes immediately!  Always hold onto paint for quick touch ups.  The wood markers always come in handy for touching up scratches.  And remember mistakes will happen, life is messy, especially with kids!  Relax and don’t strive for perfection but strive to create a beautiful and comfortable environment that you and your family can enjoy for many years to come.  

What have you done around your home to make it family friendly?  I would love to read your comments!

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?