(NOT) DESIGNING FOR KIDS
Children come with a lot of stuff and tend to change their minds about what they like on a regular basis, so the challenge is to create rooms for them that anticipate their needs while not caving under the chaos
Shannon Vos suggests renovating interiors around our youngest housemates, not for them — and leaving anything more than vaguely thematic at the door
Interior design and kids don’t mix well. As a matter of fact, nothing really mixes that well with kids, except maybe dirt and snot. That said, we are responsible for the tikes, so it’s probably wise (said with rolled eyes and in a super-sarcastic tone) to design with the little cherubs in mind. However, coming up with age-specific themes for kids’ rooms is a no-no. Do you notice how children change their opinion, like, 40 times a day, and stare at you blankly while you’re trying to tell them something important? Imagine going through fabric samples with a four-year-old or asking a teenage boy to start a Pinterest board. Ha! What we do have to do, though, instead of designing for our kids, is design around our little bundles of joy. That means designing for what they do, what they will do
(if we ever have control over that, right?) and how they use their space. The aim is to keep the kids in line while still managing to have an aesthetically pleasing home – fingers crossed!
design for now and the future
A toddler’s needs aren’t really that different to a teenager’s. They both need supervision, storage for days and, to some extent, their own space. Making smarter decisions early in the game will not only make things easier and more efficient in the younger years, they will help you accommodate the needs of a growing child.
Take, for instance, a toy room. Separated from the ‘kept clean’ part of the home, it can house all the books, plush toys and Lego in the first years, then become a WWF ring later on (I’m speaking from experience here) and later, hoping the little tackers want to remain with their loving parents, become a teenager’s retreat down the track. Just make sure the space isn’t too far removed from the hub, you’re not splurging on the unnecessary, you’re enabling your home to run efficiently, and you’re foreseeing any issues you might have two, five, even 10 years on.
storage will keep you sane
Ever trodden on a devilishly small piece of Lego on a midnight toilet run? Yep, it’s up there with childbirth (this is a wild guess that’s completely unfounded, with apologies to women and mums everywhere if I’ve got it wrong). Imagine a home free from kids’ clutter, with school bags neatly hung, little to no Peppa Pig books strewn over the floor, and freedom to invite friends over without the 20-minute scramble to clean up. It can exist. With clever planning and even the smallest of budgets, you can create all sorts of storage options to keep clutter to a minimum.
Keep cabinetry low and linear to stretch out a room and avoid visual disruption. This will keep it looking and feeling open while still providing ample storage space.
Keep cabinetry low and linear to stretch out a room and avoid visual disruption. This will keep it looking and feeling open while still providing ample storage space
Use furniture that can double or even triple its function. Whether it’s storage inside a sofa, bench seats that open to a chest or TV cabinetry that keeps toys at bay (you can chuck out that old DVD player and say hello to the future), it’s all about seeing opportunities to double up.
Using built elements for storage purposes may seem a step too far, but they are a smart way to hide the chaos of life. A hutch on the kitchen bench to tuck away the toaster and kettle wouldn’t add much to the cost of a new kitchen but could be expensive if it’s an afterthought. Similarly, niches and recesses in walls and floors are a great way to keep a space looking more open and planned.
toughen up
Using hardy surfaces is a no-brainer when it comes to dealing with kids of all ages as they graduate from avocado smush to sand and mud, then Texta and lipstick. It’s a nightmare keeping a home clean at the best of times – add to that walls you can’t scrub, floors that always seem dirty and a kids’ bathroom with white grout… no thanks. Choose finishes and surfaces that will take a beating but still look good when the stampede passes through. Engineered stone, tiles, coloured grout and washable wall paint are God’s gifts to parents everywhere.
cater for everyone
Your home is a personal space and must serve everyone who uses it, whether you have a brood of grunting teenagers, screaming toddlers, an angel baby, or a mix of something in between. These days, we are all using our homes more than ever so that needs to be factored in, too. Think study spaces close to the living room, the nursery near enough to the main bedroom to enable the baby monitor to work, and a kitchen that overlooks whatever the children are up to at any moment. Think of how the activities of the family play out in the home and how they can be intertwined to maintain connection and keep abreast of things.
choose what matters
A wise young girl once said, “Let it go, let it go, can’t hold it back anymore.” Well, I’m not sure about that last part, but yes, let it go. I’ve learnt that with two young boys whom I can barely contain on the best of days, I have to let go. The floors can get dirty, the avocado milkshake (yeah, I know) will wash off the couch and the cat’s hair will grow back. Before kids, it was managing an image of everything being clean, neat and organised. Now it’s an achievement just to have them alive at the end of each day. So, take stock of what’s really important, make some smarter decisions (brain, not heart), keep washing those hands and enjoy whatever it is you call your family.