Just because you have kids, doesn’t mean your once flawlessly presented decor should be replaced with an explosion of plastic toys and grubby walls. Sure, with little ones running around it can be a lot harder to keep your house looking as sleek as it once was, but you can certainly still have fun with your interior design – while keeping the kids happy too.

Here are some of our child-friendly styling tips!

Use rugs.

Worried about your cream carpets suffering tomato sauce stains? Or your shiny new floorboards becoming the victim of rollerblade scratches? There’s only one obvious solution! Rugs are a fantastic way to add colour to your room, while preserving your beautiful floors. Have fun with them, and bring the kids along to help you choose (perhaps don’t lead them into the “children’s” section, unless you want to end up with Dora the Explorer adorning your floors!) If indoor rugs are too hard to keep clean, why not try using an outdoor rug inside? When it gets dirty – just drag it outside and hose it off!

Display their art.

Kids love it when you show interest in their masterpieces, so why not make them feel super important and use their art as a statement piece?! I’m not talking about burying it on the fridge under a tacky $2 magnet. Purchase some crisp, simple frames (so as to not detract from the explosion of colour they are encasing) and hang their artwork on the wall for all to see! Not only will your kids be thrilled, but this sentimental element will breathe light and love into your interior design.

Bring life to the room.

Indoor plants tick all the boxes. They add a splash of colour to your kitchen/living space, they smell incredible, and – if edible – they can help to teach your kids about healthy, organic food choices! The little ones will love watering them and watching them grow; just imagine their pride when they pick their own home-grown basil, to sprinkle on top of a fresh bowl of Spaghetti Bolognese. Not many design elements can give you that kind of satisfaction!

Be smart with your walls.

That spaghetti we spoke about above? Chances are, at some point this will end up being spoon-catapulted onto your beautiful dining room wall. The loungeroom wall may as well have a ‘colour me in’ sign stuck to it, and the bedroom walls will likely be used for handstand competitions, resulting in a mosaic of different sized foot prints. Its no secret that walls can get a little bit grubby in a family home, but there are certainly ways to counteract this. First of all; be sure to use washable paint – texta will come right off, giving the kids a blank canvas to start all over again! Second, consider adding a bold pop of colour – hopefully this will hide some of the fingerprints. Thirdly, succumb to your children’s creativity, and promote the walls as a medium for their sketches – a blackboard wall should do the trick!

Champion colours and textures.

Let’s be honest; if you want a white house, with white walls, white carpet, on which you place the white furniture that your children will be playing on – then you’re going to have a bad time. As the old saying goes; ‘you can’t have your cake and eat it too’. Children, or your white suede couch – you’ll have to pick one or the other. Not only is cleanliness a factor, but colour also acts as a visual stimulant to aid a child’s development. Using the right colours for the right age group can work to improve their memory, attention span and nervous system. This handy blog article provides some great tips on what colour schemes will benefit your child the most. Texture also works in a similar way. No need to construct ‘sensory play’ exercises; by simply utilising different materials and surfaces in your design, children will experience sensory stimulation in their everyday life at home.

Disclaimer: The advice provided in this article is general advice only. It has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on this advice you should consider the appropriateness of the advice, having regard to your own objectives, financial situation and needs. We encourage you to consult a finance professional before acting on any advice provided in this article or on this website.