Got kiddos in the house? Child-proofing your home is a must for your adventure-loving tots and kids. Whether you live in any of these Tagaytay properties, there are various ways by which you can make your home more kid-friendly. Below are some practical tips that accommodate the happily chaotic family life.
Remember that no one wants to live in a house that looks more of a day-care center. The tips in here are more about the proper ways to decorate your home.
Firstly, consider your family’s lifestyle in general. A room may look good until you stuffed it with all the things that keep up with the demands of your daily family life. Nonetheless, the room should not only withstand vomits and food fights, but also endure impromptu basketball games and incontinent cats and dogs. Decorate accordingly.
Secondly, decorate now while your kids are still young. Don’t make it an excuse for waiting to decorate until they grow a bit older and more responsible. Cultivate your kids’ appreciation of beauty by putting fine-looking objects on different parts of the house. They would know how to respect them especially if you get your kids involved in choosing which object should go where. Let them weigh in on fabric samples, paint colors, etc. They will think twice is ruining an otherwise picturesque living room that the whole family enjoys. Nurture sense of ownership.
Thirdly, go for casual, comfortable style. Forget heavily-skirted sofas or fabric-covered tables. Choose simple, leg- and arm-baring pieces of furniture. Vintage items, as well as modern pieces with somewhat weathered look, survive tots more readily. You may also opt for boho furniture. Whatever you choose, low-maintenance is the key.
It goes to show don’t scrimp when buying furniture and fixtures. Buy only the best pieces that your budget affords. Heavy and solid furnishings must be prioritized especially those that are built from kiln-dried hardwoods since they withstand several years of abuse. Abstain from buying screwed or glued furniture. Also, opt for pieces with rounded corners to prevent or bruises.
Remember that no one wants to live in a house that looks more of a day-care center. The tips in here are more about the proper ways to decorate your home.
Firstly, consider your family’s lifestyle in general. A room may look good until you stuffed it with all the things that keep up with the demands of your daily family life. Nonetheless, the room should not only withstand vomits and food fights, but also endure impromptu basketball games and incontinent cats and dogs. Decorate accordingly.
Secondly, decorate now while your kids are still young. Don’t make it an excuse for waiting to decorate until they grow a bit older and more responsible. Cultivate your kids’ appreciation of beauty by putting fine-looking objects on different parts of the house. They would know how to respect them especially if you get your kids involved in choosing which object should go where. Let them weigh in on fabric samples, paint colors, etc. They will think twice is ruining an otherwise picturesque living room that the whole family enjoys. Nurture sense of ownership.
Thirdly, go for casual, comfortable style. Forget heavily-skirted sofas or fabric-covered tables. Choose simple, leg- and arm-baring pieces of furniture. Vintage items, as well as modern pieces with somewhat weathered look, survive tots more readily. You may also opt for boho furniture. Whatever you choose, low-maintenance is the key.
It goes to show don’t scrimp when buying furniture and fixtures. Buy only the best pieces that your budget affords. Heavy and solid furnishings must be prioritized especially those that are built from kiln-dried hardwoods since they withstand several years of abuse. Abstain from buying screwed or glued furniture. Also, opt for pieces with rounded corners to prevent or bruises.
Walls
Walls morph into blank canvases from time to time. Pun intended. So, consider:
· Painting the walls with wipeable paints – Wipeable paints are available in eggshell, satin or semi-gloss. Cleaning up wipeable walls is a breeze with just a damp sponge. For a matte finish, you can use washable flat paints.
· Painting the walls with chalkboard paints – If your kids cannot resist painting the walls, make it a fun experience anyhow. Let your kid unleash his inner Picasso with chalkboard walls.
· Mix magnetic additive into the paint (optional) – The wall then doubles as a display space where you can put your kids’ arts.
· Painting the walls with wipeable paints – Wipeable paints are available in eggshell, satin or semi-gloss. Cleaning up wipeable walls is a breeze with just a damp sponge. For a matte finish, you can use washable flat paints.
· Painting the walls with chalkboard paints – If your kids cannot resist painting the walls, make it a fun experience anyhow. Let your kid unleash his inner Picasso with chalkboard walls.
· Mix magnetic additive into the paint (optional) – The wall then doubles as a display space where you can put your kids’ arts.
Windows
Long and heavy drapes are a tripping hazard, and sometimes, a favorite hide-and-seek area. Instead, opt for:
· Roman shades or wood blinds – These window treatments are fantastic in hiding smears. You are also assured that the blinds are kept out of reach during daytime.
· Roman shades or wood blinds – These window treatments are fantastic in hiding smears. You are also assured that the blinds are kept out of reach during daytime.
Floors
Floors receive the most abuse especially on high traffic areas. That’s why it is a must to:
· Hunt for floor treatments that can be easily cleaned up with a damp mop (e.g. wood, tile, laminate and linoleum).
· Refrain from using rustic and pre-distressed hardwood flooring.
· Discard matte and non-skid finishes.
· Forget about wall-to-wall carpeting despite providing padding for crawlers and wobbly walkers.
· Opt for medium dark to dark tones for wall-to-wall carpets if you really want it.
· Choose nylon or nylon-wool carpets since they are soft, and they resist stain and wear well, too.
· Request stain-protective finish for your carpeting.
· Hunt for floor treatments that can be easily cleaned up with a damp mop (e.g. wood, tile, laminate and linoleum).
· Refrain from using rustic and pre-distressed hardwood flooring.
· Discard matte and non-skid finishes.
· Forget about wall-to-wall carpeting despite providing padding for crawlers and wobbly walkers.
· Opt for medium dark to dark tones for wall-to-wall carpets if you really want it.
· Choose nylon or nylon-wool carpets since they are soft, and they resist stain and wear well, too.
· Request stain-protective finish for your carpeting.
Fabrics
Heavy, flat-weaved fabrics hold up better than lightweight, looped fabrics. Buy fabrics that are:
· Noisy – Feel the fabric by running your fingers over it. The process makes noise and the more noise the rubbing makes, the higher the durability of the fabric. It also means lower maintenance requirements.
· Stain-proof – Easy-care fabrics include vinyl, twill, denim, wool, felt, velvet, pleather, ultra-suede and natural fabrics mixed with synthetic fibers. Apart from being stain-proof, these fabrics are also tougher.
· Leather-made – Leather can be maintained easily, too, with just a paper towel.
· Stain-resistant – Stain-resistant finishes, obviously, extend the lifespan of the fabric.
· Laminated – Fabrics found on the dining room and kitchen can be laminated to protect them from splats, spills and stains.
· Washable – Washable cushion covers and slipcovers are more cost-efficient choices. They also offer the opportunity to change the covers for visual interest.
· Noisy – Feel the fabric by running your fingers over it. The process makes noise and the more noise the rubbing makes, the higher the durability of the fabric. It also means lower maintenance requirements.
· Stain-proof – Easy-care fabrics include vinyl, twill, denim, wool, felt, velvet, pleather, ultra-suede and natural fabrics mixed with synthetic fibers. Apart from being stain-proof, these fabrics are also tougher.
· Leather-made – Leather can be maintained easily, too, with just a paper towel.
· Stain-resistant – Stain-resistant finishes, obviously, extend the lifespan of the fabric.
· Laminated – Fabrics found on the dining room and kitchen can be laminated to protect them from splats, spills and stains.
· Washable – Washable cushion covers and slipcovers are more cost-efficient choices. They also offer the opportunity to change the covers for visual interest.
Rugs
Rugs are lifesavers regardless of the flooring treatment. They also warm up and soften dull spaces. Choose easy-to-clean rugs and use double sided tapes so the rugs themselves would not become a hazard. When rugs get grungy, owners have three options such as flipping them over, sending them to the cleaners and replacing them. Rug choices include:
· Seagrass, jute or sisal – These add texture. They are also highly durable which makes them suitable for areas receiving heavy foot traffic.
· All-wool or wool-blend – These resist stains and wear well. They are good for Nuvali homes with crawlers.
· Carpet tiles – These can be easily reconfigured. Any tile can be replaced effortlessly if any of the tiles gets damaged, stained or worn.
Fourthly, don’t limit yourself with darks and neutrals, fearing that stains will ruin them anyway. Opt for vibrantly colored and touchable textures. Patterns are great, too. These help in camouflaging spills and stains and any other mishaps on the furniture, floors and walls. Not all would want bold patterns. Soft finishes on couches and rugs and subtle colors on the walls may suffice. Paint a shade deeper since paint colors appear lighter on wider surfaces. For touchups, match the color of the paint with the color of the marker or crayon stains.
So the kids won’t color your walls, fifthly, make space for them. Build areas, particularly in common rooms, where kids can be kids. Do not relegate and confine their creativity to basements, playrooms and bedrooms. Make common rooms shared spaces between you and your kids. Keep the furniture on spare sides to make room for the kids’ area. You may also customize the areas based on the interest of your kiddos.
Minor and major disorganization and mishaps are inevitable especially with young brood around. These don’t have to take over your family life and home, however. You can always choose to make your home conducive for your little ones. Just keep the tips above in mind for a truly chaos-free home where you and your kids thrive and co-exist happily.
· Seagrass, jute or sisal – These add texture. They are also highly durable which makes them suitable for areas receiving heavy foot traffic.
· All-wool or wool-blend – These resist stains and wear well. They are good for Nuvali homes with crawlers.
· Carpet tiles – These can be easily reconfigured. Any tile can be replaced effortlessly if any of the tiles gets damaged, stained or worn.
Fourthly, don’t limit yourself with darks and neutrals, fearing that stains will ruin them anyway. Opt for vibrantly colored and touchable textures. Patterns are great, too. These help in camouflaging spills and stains and any other mishaps on the furniture, floors and walls. Not all would want bold patterns. Soft finishes on couches and rugs and subtle colors on the walls may suffice. Paint a shade deeper since paint colors appear lighter on wider surfaces. For touchups, match the color of the paint with the color of the marker or crayon stains.
So the kids won’t color your walls, fifthly, make space for them. Build areas, particularly in common rooms, where kids can be kids. Do not relegate and confine their creativity to basements, playrooms and bedrooms. Make common rooms shared spaces between you and your kids. Keep the furniture on spare sides to make room for the kids’ area. You may also customize the areas based on the interest of your kiddos.
Minor and major disorganization and mishaps are inevitable especially with young brood around. These don’t have to take over your family life and home, however. You can always choose to make your home conducive for your little ones. Just keep the tips above in mind for a truly chaos-free home where you and your kids thrive and co-exist happily.