If you have young children at your family home, you might be tempted to put off redecorating because you are worried about the damage that can be caused by spills, dirty feet, upchuck, and more. While children, and their friends, can damage upholstery and furnishing, you can still update the décor of your home, as long as you take a few precautions.
Choose a No Fuss Appearance
When choosing a design theme for your family home, select a no-fuss one. This means avoiding skirts for couches and chairs since these are likely to get mud stains from kicking feet.
Similarly, do not use floor-length curtains for the windows since children are likely to pull them, wipe their hands on them, or generally decide to hide behind them when playing hide and seek. All of these activities will soon wear out the fabric. Instead, hand shorter drapes that just cover the windows.
While a fabric-covered table might look marvelous, this can be a dangerous design idea for a home with children. Instead of draping fabric on the table, you can cover a clear glass pane with the fabric of your choice and secure it to the surface of the table. This will help you add color to the room without placing fabric within the reach of their little hands, who may be tempted to pull down on it.
Choose to cover the couch and chairs with durable fabric in dark colors with patterns. This will camouflage spills and dirt much more easily than plain fabric in pale colors. Choose natural fabrics such as twill or wool that have some synthetics mixed in to make them more durable.
Flat weave fabrics are tougher than looped or light fabrics. Another poignant way to make your furnishings last longer is to use removable and washable fabrics where possible.
By covering the couch with a slipcover that can be removed and washed or using cushion covers with zips, ties, or buttons that can be removed and washed, you will be better prepared to deal with the inevitable spills and dirt that accompany children and families.
Stain Resistant Finish
For living room furnishings, you can also consider using a stain-resistant finish such as Scotchgard. While this might be sufficient for the living room upholstery, you need to take additional precautions for the dining room and kitchen chairs. These should ideally be laminated to make it easier to wipe up chocolate icing or ketchup.
By planning ahead to deal with the spills and dirt that children are likely to create, you will be able to help your furnishings last longer.