Decorating
Decorating: Child-friendly Spaces That Don’t Scrimp on Style
How to keep your living space grown-up and stylish while making little ones feel at home
With my second baby due in May, I’ve started to think about how I can make room for another little person – without the chaos. If you don’t have a designated playroom, it’s inevitable you’ll share your living space with your small children (the bigger ones are a whole other issue…). And even if you do have a playroom, you’ll probably find they just want to be under your feet whenever possible. So I wanted to explore interiors that incorporate design and functionality to suit both the grown-ups and the little monsters.
Make their drawings masterpieces
I have reams of my son’s paintings and drawings and often wonder what to do with them. I think with a good frame you really can bring some importance to these little creations. Keeping all the frames the same and in white works really nicely and probably looks better when their artwork comes in so many shapes and sizes. Neat little pots of crayons are a nice addition, encouraging your child to make another masterpiece for your wall.
I have reams of my son’s paintings and drawings and often wonder what to do with them. I think with a good frame you really can bring some importance to these little creations. Keeping all the frames the same and in white works really nicely and probably looks better when their artwork comes in so many shapes and sizes. Neat little pots of crayons are a nice addition, encouraging your child to make another masterpiece for your wall.
Give them a reading corner
It’s lovely to have a corner in a room for reading, and I love this arrangement of bookshelves where a child could find a quiet spot in a grown-up space and settle in with a good book.
If you had an arrangement like this, you could keep your own books along the top and save the lower spaces for the kids’ ones, so they’re all within reach. The white shelving makes things feel a bit more organised, and I would advise painting the shelving to match the walls for a subtle feel.
It’s lovely to have a corner in a room for reading, and I love this arrangement of bookshelves where a child could find a quiet spot in a grown-up space and settle in with a good book.
If you had an arrangement like this, you could keep your own books along the top and save the lower spaces for the kids’ ones, so they’re all within reach. The white shelving makes things feel a bit more organised, and I would advise painting the shelving to match the walls for a subtle feel.
Create clever storage for small spaces
When space is limited, you need to be really smart about finding anywhere you can to hold the clutter that naturally evolves with little people in the home.
Using a doorway to create another tranche of shelving is a brilliant way to achieve this and makes a really fun entrance into your child’s space. Shelving either side of a doorway can be taken over the top of the door, too, if you have the space.
Discover how to use your kids’ toys to style their playspace
When space is limited, you need to be really smart about finding anywhere you can to hold the clutter that naturally evolves with little people in the home.
Using a doorway to create another tranche of shelving is a brilliant way to achieve this and makes a really fun entrance into your child’s space. Shelving either side of a doorway can be taken over the top of the door, too, if you have the space.
Discover how to use your kids’ toys to style their playspace
Choose a teeny table and chairs
The great thing about children’s furniture is that it’s scaled down to fit them, so you can usually find a scrap of space for a little table and chairs and give your child a sense of independence.
I really like the idea of the wall sticker with shelving, which really exaggerates the fact that this is their area and the grown-ups can keep out! There are so many brilliant wall stickers available, you could easily find something to suit any scheme.
The great thing about children’s furniture is that it’s scaled down to fit them, so you can usually find a scrap of space for a little table and chairs and give your child a sense of independence.
I really like the idea of the wall sticker with shelving, which really exaggerates the fact that this is their area and the grown-ups can keep out! There are so many brilliant wall stickers available, you could easily find something to suit any scheme.
Encourage family play
Having a space that children associate with family playtime teaches them to respect and look after the other things in the room. (Any silly business and the fun comes to an end!) So often board games get chucked into a cupboard and only see the light of day at Christmas, but if you can encourage more play and less iPad time, then you’re onto a winner. This open shelving makes grabbing a game a cinch.
The decoration is really playful here, too, which makes the space feel less formal. The horizontal stripe on the walls is a bit of fun, but also really ties together the green and white accessories.
Having a space that children associate with family playtime teaches them to respect and look after the other things in the room. (Any silly business and the fun comes to an end!) So often board games get chucked into a cupboard and only see the light of day at Christmas, but if you can encourage more play and less iPad time, then you’re onto a winner. This open shelving makes grabbing a game a cinch.
The decoration is really playful here, too, which makes the space feel less formal. The horizontal stripe on the walls is a bit of fun, but also really ties together the green and white accessories.
Dedicate a wall to them
What a fantastic way to bring your kids’ world into a room and remind them of a really happy moment. Wall-size photos can sometimes seem too much, but if you choose something that suits the scale and isn’t too detailed, it should become something you’re happy to live with for years to come. Here, the fact there is so much sky in the shot works really well with the neutral walls.
The lighting is really playful, too, with the bulbs dropping around the children playing and really highlighting the scene.
Find more ideas for fabulous feature walls
What a fantastic way to bring your kids’ world into a room and remind them of a really happy moment. Wall-size photos can sometimes seem too much, but if you choose something that suits the scale and isn’t too detailed, it should become something you’re happy to live with for years to come. Here, the fact there is so much sky in the shot works really well with the neutral walls.
The lighting is really playful, too, with the bulbs dropping around the children playing and really highlighting the scene.
Find more ideas for fabulous feature walls
Choose sensible furniture
If you’ll be sharing your living space with their playing space, think twice about how you’d cope with glass-topped furniture. Consider durable pieces that can withstand having toys dragged all over them without chipping. But make sure they’re also pieces you’ll enjoy looking at and using once the toys have been cleared away and it’s your glass of wine sitting there instead of a train or teddy. From a practical point of view, too, rounded edges give you peace of mind when crazy hour starts and your little ones are tearing about the room.
If you’ll be sharing your living space with their playing space, think twice about how you’d cope with glass-topped furniture. Consider durable pieces that can withstand having toys dragged all over them without chipping. But make sure they’re also pieces you’ll enjoy looking at and using once the toys have been cleared away and it’s your glass of wine sitting there instead of a train or teddy. From a practical point of view, too, rounded edges give you peace of mind when crazy hour starts and your little ones are tearing about the room.
Paint a blackboard wall
Blackboard paint can so easily be applied to any area you choose, and you immediately have a place for your child to be creative and somewhere for you to leave notes and to-do lists. Hanging pictures onto this is a really nice way to break up the black paint, which could be a bit oppressive.
Blackboard paint can so easily be applied to any area you choose, and you immediately have a place for your child to be creative and somewhere for you to leave notes and to-do lists. Hanging pictures onto this is a really nice way to break up the black paint, which could be a bit oppressive.
Pick soft furnishings for all ages
This is the epitome of a space that would appeal to grown-ups and kids alike. There are some sweet children’s elements, such as the wallpaper, ball chair and soft accessories. But there are also some quite sophisticated fabrics and colours for the grown-ups to enjoy, too, and the geometric designs make this space work for all ages.
A bench with drawers underneath is another way to get more soft seating into a room without sacrificing storage space. The cushion here has been upholstered with contrasting piping – a small detail, but one that gives a tailored feel to the room.
TELL US…
What are your tips for living in style harmony with your children? Please share your ideas in the Comments below.
This is the epitome of a space that would appeal to grown-ups and kids alike. There are some sweet children’s elements, such as the wallpaper, ball chair and soft accessories. But there are also some quite sophisticated fabrics and colours for the grown-ups to enjoy, too, and the geometric designs make this space work for all ages.
A bench with drawers underneath is another way to get more soft seating into a room without sacrificing storage space. The cushion here has been upholstered with contrasting piping – a small detail, but one that gives a tailored feel to the room.
TELL US…
What are your tips for living in style harmony with your children? Please share your ideas in the Comments below.
As tempting as it is to have neat toy boxes with lids to hide things away, this can make it harder for your little ones to keep their stuff tidy. They actually love tidying up – if you trick them into thinking it’s a bit of fun.
These storage tubs are fantastic and work really nicely with the room. Storage tubs with handles are handy if your tot wants to move them about – or if you want to quickly drag them out of the way for grown-up time.