With so much time spent in the home
today, designing for family living is more important than ever. Gone are
the days of creating rooms that are off limits to everyone but
"company," with fabrics that aren't allowed to crease and breakables
everywhere you look.
Instead, homeowners today are
creating spaces that are comfortable and practical for family life, and,
in some cases, are downright fun to live in. Whether you're building a
new home, renovating the one you already live in, or just looking for a
few ways to inject some whimsy into your place, these ideas are sure to
spark some thought.
A living room you can live with
"A room that looks beautiful but
doesn't take into account the demands of everyday family life will
quickly be destroyed or end up like Grandma's stuffy no-go zone.
Instead, incorporate a decorating style that will stand up to sibling
food fights, vomiting babies, indoor hockey matches, incontinent pets
and slobby spouses," said HGTV.
"Consider who you live with and decorate accordingly. Hint: That means
checking the color of the stains on your sofa before choosing a hue for
the new one."
A kitchen for every member of the family
Attention to detail in the
most-used room of the house can make a big difference for little people.
Need to add a microwave? Instead of putting it over the range, where
it's out of reach for all but the tallest members of the family, install
it in a base cabinet where kids can learn to warm up their oatmeal. A
mini fridge or refrigerator drawer in the same spot filled with healthy
snacks and drinks can give little ones access to "their food" while
teaching them good eating habits.
Kids' rooms
You may be looking to make the
gathering spaces more comfortable to accommodate your family, but, in
many ways, children's bedroom design is going the other direction.
"Frilly flowers and cartoon
racecars may be classic children's room motifs - but to a maturing
child, they are far from timeless," said Elle Decor. Instead, they
recommend creating "all the whimsy and playfulness a child's room should
have, without the childish overtone" to make "an investment that
promises to grow with the kids for years to come."
Of course, your kids' rooms don't have to be so streamlined they lose the fun factor.
And sometimes all it takes is a can of chalkboard paint to transform an otherwise pretty space into something pretty great.
See more creative kids' rooms here.
Play spaces
Does your kids' playroom consist of
a comfy chair and an XBOX? Come on, you can do so much better. Creating
a great play space for kids is all about letting the creativity flow
and getting the energy out.
"Marrying beautiful themes with smart
storage solutions, the perfect playroom is a space that both adults and
kids appreciate," said Decoist.
But sometimes all it takes it a
truck full of balls. "Few things in life are as much fun as plunging
into a ball pit - we know, we've done it," said Houselogic. "You'll need
a dedicated space to make one - a spot where balls won't escape and you
can have a ball depth of at least 2 feet. Calculate the number of balls
you'll need here. Instructions for building your own pit are here.
Ball-pit balls are $16-$25 for 100 balls; it takes about 1,600 balls to
fill a 10-by-10-ft. play area with balls 2 feet deep."
The ultimate in kid-friendly fun
Want to really go there? Want a
house that will be the talk of the neighborhood and leave your kids with
memories to last a lifetime? Want-a parent-of-the-year award? It's
easy. Build a slide.
Want more ideas? This creative house titled, appropriately, "Slide House," integrated the slide three-story slide right into the architecture. You can see more examples here.
Written by
Jaymi Naciri
Ron Goldstein,MBA
Certified Luxury Broker@Berkshire Hathaway Chicago & St. Petersburg
chicagoluxuryrealty.com
stpeteluxuryrealty.com
(o)312-264-5846 (c)312-771-7190 (f)312-264-5746
Offices in Chicago and St. Petersburg
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