When planning your home to function for your family you may think you need to sacrifice style for practicality, we’ll that’s not the case. There are plenty of ways you can design your home to be beautiful and meet the needs of everyone in your household. To learn more, keep reading for our expert family-friendly interior design advice.

Carefully Plan a Functional Layout

If you’re starting a new build, renovation, or buying a new home you’ll want to create a layout with function in mind.

An open-concept layout is often preferable for families. Having an open kitchen, dining, and living area allows for more sightlines throughout your home. This means while you’re cooking dinner you can keep an eye on the kids in the living room. It also lets the whole family spend time together more often, instead of being siloed in separate rooms.

Also, consider the sightlines from inside to outside your home and window placement. You should not only think about letting natural light in but also create visibility to the backyard or pool area so you can keep tabs on the kids when they’re outside.

Think about having a balance of spaces where the family can spend time together and where family members can have alone time. If possible you may want to keep sleeping zones in a separate area of the home from living zones, so kids can sleep while parents are up early.

In the rooms where the whole family tends to congregate, like the kitchen and living areas, make sure there’s enough circulation for everyone to move around comfortably. Plan these spaces with everyone in your household in mind.

Also, consider how spaces can work in different ways to meet your family's needs now and in the future. For example, a kid's playroom may be perfect while your children are young, but not so much when they’re older. Consider how the space can transition as they grow. Consider reconfiguring the space as a den or a teen hangout and homework zone.

Or perhaps your kids may share a room when they’re young but may each may want their own space as they get older. Don’t just design with the present in mind, but with future needs in mind too.

Invest in Quality and Durability

When it comes to selecting materials and furnishings for your home, you’ll want to prioritize quality and durability.

By investing in quality products, you’ll have pieces that are designed to last and withstand regular use. So you won’t have to worry about replacing things after a few years.

When it comes to flooring, countertops, and cabinetry you’ll want to pick materials that are durable and easy to clean. Wood floors are our top recommendation for durability and longevity. Not only do they look great but dirt and spills can be easily wiped up.

For upholstered furnishings like sofas and chairs, select durable and performance-grade materials like leather, Crypton, and microfiber. Leather is the most durable natural material while performance fabrics have been engineered to be stain, water, and fade resistant making them the best choice if you have kids and pets.

In high-traffic areas go with solid sturdy furnishings with rounded shapes. This will prevent young kids from knocking things over or hurting themselves against sharp edges. Also, mid-toned or patterned fabrics can hold up to stains better than lighter-colored fabrics.

Designate Adult and Kid Zones

Just because you have a family doesn’t mean that everything in your home has to be kid-proof. In lower-traffic areas like an office, study, or your primary bedroom you can include more delicate pieces.

Just as you may have adult rooms in your home, you’ll also want to be sure that you give kids their own spaces to play and express themselves. In these rooms include soft plush surfaces for young children and avoid hard, sharp, or rough edges.

Storage, Storage, and More Storage

The more people in your household the more stuff you have. When it comes to kids they use toys, games, books, crafts, and activity equipment that you’ll need to store throughout your home to prevent it from looking chaotic and cluttered. That’s why we firmly believe you can never have enough storage.

Invest in quality built-ins and shelving. Opt for multifunctional furniture with storage, like an ottoman that can double as a coffee table and be used for storage. Or a side table or media console with added storage.

Baskets are stylish yet ultra-functional. Place them throughout your home to tuck away anything you want out of sight.

Luxury Family-Friendly Extras

If you have room to spare think about what can be customized to fit your needs and add even more functionality to your home. Some ideas include

Mudroom
Combined laundry and mudroom
Butlers pantry
Outdoor kitchen
Playroom, media/game room, or additional living area

Don’t forget your furry family members and consider how your home can accommodate them as well.

Need help incorporating custom family-friendly design in your home? Whether you’ve just bought a new house, are planning a renovation, or need to refresh your interiors we can help. AHG Interiors is a full-service interior design firm with plenty of experience creating personal family-friendly designs that stand the test of time. Get in touch with us to learn more.

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