You’re standing in line at the grocery store and pick up a home decor magazine. The lush fabrics. The elegant patterns. The golden-hour sunlight that floods the room with a perfectly warm glow! For a moment, you’re swept off your feet and feel utterly romanced.
Then a familiar voice interrupts your style fantasy: “Quit dreaming! You could never have a room like that. Not with how your kids stampede through living room – not to mention your non-existent budget and even less-existent free time!”
So you quickly put the magazine back on the shelf and resign yourself to buying groceries with a sigh of defeat.
Sound familiar?
Well, we’ve got a secret weapon for just this type of scenario: Online home design with a personal interior designer. We’ve pulled together a few examples of how our designers have helped moms make their design dreams a reality.
Design Dreams For Mom
Splurge For The Leather Sofa
Leather can be a controversial material choice. We get questions and doubts from mislead clients all the time:
“Doesn’t it stain easily?”
“Won’t it absorb oils and change colors, making it look worn and tattered before its time?”
“Oh, I do like leather furniture but it’s not in my budget.”
Truth be told, leather is perfect for withstanding abuse from children because it’s very forgiving. It’s durable against scuffs and scratches and it can repel liquids on initial contact. The thing about leather is that the more you live on it the more it begins to develop its character. So it’s perfect for the family.
Use White As An Accent
Yes, you read that correctly. Designers have an eye for detail and we think about functionality in a way that most do not.
You might think that white accent paint is a terrible idea, allowing pesky little finger prints to be seen more easily. We beg to differ. White accents can often be painted in a glossy finish. Glossy finishes can easily be wiped down and cleaned. Eggshell or matte finishes, which are typically used on a full wall, are much harder to wipe down.
Pro Tip: Use white on the portion of walls, allowing you to save the darker colors for the upper half of the wall! Now that’s a kid-friendly and mom-loved design!
See this color psychology of White.
Layer With Rugs
We’re a big fan of layering rugs and here’s why:
- They are so on trend right now.
- They give us an opportunity to provide more personal design expression to your space.
- Best of all – layered rugs open up design techniques that allow more flexibility when it comes to color options on the floor.
Typically, we’re inclined to think that dark rugs are the way to go. Because naturally, they hide spills, dirt and grime better than lighter options. There’s certainly truth to that. However, when you layer rugs, you have more options to put a lighter color underneath, which can brighten the space and make it feel a bit bigger!
Pro Tip: Instead of splurging on a large, big money rug, use the layering technique to cover more square-footage for less!
Select Items With A Heavier Base
There are certain items in an interior that kids could care less about, but that us adults can’t live without. When they’re jumping on the sofa cushions, they’re not aware that they just swung that pillow two inches from the table lamp!
Pro Tip: Select lamps with heavier bases that are made from solid stone, brass, iron or marble. They are much sturdier and less likely to tip.
Integrate Color Schemes
Often times you don’t get the luxury of having a kid-free zone. And that art table in the corner of the living room, although cute and small, is a real eye sore. So when you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!
Pro Tip: Incorporate bursts of color around the room by carefully integrating your kids’ items. Consider it kid curation! This technique can actually be a very good thing, helping to develop continuity throughout the space and minimizing distractions.
See these ways of hiding common household eyesores.