From brand new furniture to a fresh coat of paint, renovations have the power to completely turn your home upside down, giving it a new lease of life. But while generic reno tips and home design hacks apply to most home makeovers, bringing children into the mix complicates the rules of home design. Suddenly it’s not just about what looks best and what is the most functional and space-saving, but also about what keeps your kid safe, happy and engaged. Here are some tips and tricks to make your home as child-friendly as possible and create a space that benefits the whole family.

Keep furniture corners rounded

Opting for rounded corners and edges is especially important on low pieces of furniture, such as coffee tables and TV consoles, as kids can bump their heads on the sharp parts when running around the house. Try to also streamline your kitchen cabinets to make them snugly fit against walls and rounded appliances, effectively hiding their sharp corners for a much safer environment.

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Opt for fixed furnishings

Be it furniture pieces like tables, TV consoles, cupboards and wardrobes or even loose soft furnishings like couch cushions, the more things you are able to fix in place, the safer and tidier your home will be. Tables and storage units that are fixed to a wall won’t have a chance of toppling over and injuring young children, while cushions that can’t be removed will keep the couch much cleaner and your home overall clutter-free.

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Prioritise your storage space

Creating adequate storage space in a child-friendly home is not just about adding more cabinets to store all of the extra toys and baby supplies. On the one hand, you’ll want to secure your cabinets, cupboards and other storage spaces with locks and other child-safe mechanisms, ensuring that your kids don’t come in contact with anything harmful or items you just don’t want them to touch.

On the other hand, it’s equally important to incorporate cabinets that you bring into the home specifically for your kids, as this teaches them to organise their own toys and be responsible for their safekeeping. Opting for storage units with a playful design and extras such as a magnetic surface will also encourage creativity, helping your kids to associate organisation with positive feelings.

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Make maintenance easier

If you’ve just recently become a parent, you’ve likely transitioned from being an average busy adult to being completely swamped with things to do. You can’t cut too many corners when it comes to caring for your child, but you can certainly speed up and facilitate your home maintenance.

Start by improving your home design, minimising all of those awkward nooks and crannies, such as the empty space under your bed and the gap behind your fridge—all these spaces do is accumulate dust and dirt! Opt for appliances with self-cleaning functions or low-maintenance designs, avoiding things that take a whole day to clean. Finally, invest in cleaning devices that work harder, making the whole process a lot easier for you.

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Incorporate clear walls

Nothing can keep your child as safe as your own vigilance, but with so many things to do it can be hard to keep an eye on your kid 24/7. That’s why some parents choose to install clear glass walls and windows in between rooms, allowing them to take care of chores around the home while watching their children through the glass. This reno idea is especially popular in between the kitchen and living area, as parents will often watch their kids play in the living room while preparing food.

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Choose semi-gloss or satin paint

Keeping your child safe from the various dangers of your home is crucial, but the older your child gets, the more you’ll have to protect your home from them! Be it drawings on the wall, fingerprint stains or any other kind of dirt, a coat of semi-gloss or satin paint will be your friend. Both finishes wash easily, allowing you to remove all of the unsightly marks left on the walls with just a simple clean. While semi-gloss is a tad easier to wipe down, satin generally hides imperfections better, masking dents and other deep marks on the wall.

Image courtesy of Go Modern Furniture

Get hold of multifunctional furniture

Last but not least, multifunctional furniture will save you a headache or two in the long run, transforming from bed to desk in the morning and back to bed when night rolls around. Not only do these clever configurations maximise the space in smaller kids’ rooms, they also teach your children how to adapt and switch out their own environment, teaching them some independence and creative thinking. Additionally, lots of multifunctional beds come in a decent size, meaning that they can often grow with your kid for years down the road.

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