I remember my mother's living room? The one with the delicate glass collection arranged just so about the room, the old uncomfortable lazy-boy armchair, the printed dollies atop the coffee / end tables, the cream colored carpet, the pristine family picture frames. You know, the room the kids were forbidden from setting foot in — the one, in fact, that no one ever went in?
If you have an active family, most people think that's a decorating don't.
On the other hand, you're not willing to throw up your hands and live in a home that looks like a day-care center. The solution is a middle ground: a comfortable, attractive and even sophisticated abode that can withstand just about everything kids dish out.
You must consider how your family’s daily activities.
Don't wait to decorate.
Many families hold off on decorating until their children are older, making do with ratty post-dorm furniture for years after its expiration date because, well, the kids will just destroy anything else. But even the youngest children benefit from living amid beautiful objects; they grow to appreciate and respect them. So go ahead and create a home the whole family can enjoy. You can even get kids involved in the process, asking what they'd like to see in a room you're redecorating or letting them weigh in on a few pre-screened paint colors or fabric samples. They may even feel enough ownership to think twice before kicking off their muddy boots onto the rug they helped select.
Do go for a no-fuss look.
A clean-lined but casual and comfortable look is the way to go. Style strategies: Avoid couches and chairs with skirts (which attract pet hair, dust bunnies and dirty shoe prints) in favor of exposed legs. Same goes for fabric-covered tables (sooner or later your kids are going to give that fabric a tug and send everything crashing to the floor). Well-loved vintage items and contemporary pieces with a slightly weathered look survive kids more readily than precious antiques or pristine new items, and a softly layered, slightly bo-ho look melds well with the happy chaos of family life. Whatever decorating style you choose, though, low-maintenance is a must. Once kids arrive, who has time to fluff pillows, comb fringe, primp curtains, dust around tiny trinkets and constantly clear clutter from rooms that look good only when they're practically empty?
Don't be afraid of color, pattern, or texture.
Forget the white silk couch. Instead, opt for vibrant color, a bit of pattern and touchable texture. All help to camouflage the inevitable spills, fingerprints and other mishaps — and not just on furniture but on walls and floors as well. The day your first-grader overturns a bottle of neon-hued Gator-ade on the living room rug, you'll be glad you chose a rug with a dark color and a rich pattern. If bold patterns aren't your thing, though, try a softly feathered finish on a couch or a rug or a subtle color wash on the walls. When it comes to paint choices, keep in mind that color appears lighter on larger surfaces, so go a shade deeper on walls than the color chip you like. You can also match paint and wood stains to permanent marker and crayon colors for quick touch-ups.
Do choose indestructible materials and finishes.
"If it seems like your family belongs in an institution, use institutional-quality goods," Wiener says, only half-jokingly. A look at the toughest materials for the job:
Walls: There's no getting around it: Walls take a beating with young ones around. Cleats are casually tossed against white baseboards. Bedroom doors become backboards for basketball practice. A fresh expanse of drywall morphs into a blank canvas for that new set of crayons. Sticky fingers trail along hallway walls. That's why wipe-able paint is a must. You can't go wrong with eggshell, satin or semigloss, which clean up with a damp sponge. But if you prefer the rich look of a matte finish, try one of the new "washable" flat paints. If you have an artist in the making, consider painting one wall with chalkboard paint and letting him unleash his inner impressionist. Another trick: Mix magnetic additive (available at home centers or online) into the paint you're using on a kitchen or hallway wall to create a handy display space for children's art. Then there are the areas that get an inordinate amount of abuse, such as high-traffic hallways and mud rooms and the wall under the breakfast bar. Forget flat paint — install bead-board and paint it with semigloss.
