Let’s face it. Kids and pets wreck our beautiful homes quicker than we can fix them up again! They do say that you shouldn’t own anything you truly cherish if you have a family. The cost of insurance does creep up rather a lot when you have family and pets too. But there are clever ways you can decorate your home that will help your furniture and fittings last just that little bit longer. Here are my tips for childproofing your house against damage and spills:
Leather – Sofas and dining chairs with leather covers can be easily wiped clean. That said, both finishes are prone to tears and holes that really show up. Cats will scratch, and leather is instantly destroyed when that happens, making your home look very tatty. Instead, why not try some nantuckit slipcovered sectional sofas that are machine washable? They can be laundered when the kids spill and cats cause less damage to fabric if they try to scratch.
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Carpet – There are some fabulous carpet washers out there, and they do a marvelous job. Sadly, there are many child-made stains that they can’t erase. There are also lots of adult-made stains that refuse to shift, like coffee and red wine! Carpet is wonderful for getting on the floor and playing with your nippers. Why not try a machine washable cozy rug instead? One of these placed on hardwood or tiled floors makes a more confined space for toys and spills. You can roll them up and tuck them out of the way as well if you want to hide the stains.
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Wallpaper – If there is the tiniest lift to the edge of the paper, the kids will find it and pull it. If the paper is textured, the cat will find it an ideal scratching pole too. Instead, try some high-quality wipe-clean paint on your walls where the kids are most messy. Crayons and pens look very impressive on the wallpaper, but your graffiti artists will have no glory on a wipe-clean wall! If your kids tend to throw things around, painted walls will show up dents in the plaster a little more though.
Blinds – Blinds are so stylish at the moment. They make a room look great. Unfortunately, kids can easily bend the slats. And the chords can be very dangerous around young children’s necks. Opt for curtains this year to avoid damaging your blinds. You can even buy them thermal backed or black-out curtains to keep the sun out. Many curtains can be washed in the machine or at the dry cleaners.
Keeping your home looking attractive is rarely easy with children. Toys seem to appear in the most peculiar places, and stains are often in the most prominent places. Pets also manage to tear a house to shreds in no time, but you wouldn’t swap them for anything. Your family and pets are what make your house a home. But anybody would forgive you for dreaming about that renovation when the kids leave for college!
