Written by: Jossie Sepulveda
Something About Art and Design Owner
Designing a new space where children will inhabit it, is a common dilemma, specially because not all elements on "high end" design are kids friendly. A kid friendly interior design requires careful consideration of various factors, such as safety, durability, and functionality, without sacrificing aesthetics and budget. Here are a few tips to consider when exploring the option of updating an existing space, new space, entire home and bring interior design consultation into the equation. A kid friendly space is a place where children learn new skills, explore world, develop safety sense and grow into confident and capable individuals.
Safety
Due to their curiosity, kids encounter the most risk of having accidents while at home, must of them due to the lack of kid friendly design. Furniture should be comfortable, appropriate sizes, safe and proper allocated through the house to allow smooth spaces and transitions. The great option would be round and soft corners on your furniture such as table, Ottoman, consoles and others. You can also consider adding a soft area rug, install appropriate floors (carpet or wood), poufs, or comfortable bean bag chairs for added comfort and relaxation.
Emotional Well being
For kids to feel safe and content, they need a warm, approachable and secure environment, and a kid-friendly home can contribute to that. Kids love to play and explore with furnitures, this may involve grabbing and pulling, which can lead to a large piece of furniture toppling over if not properly anchored. Safety environment at home, can be accomplished by ensuring proper furnitures sizes, adding safety locks (when needed, example bookshelf, and dressers, among others). We want our kids to enjoy all spaces, it creates a feeling of safety, comfortable, and familiarity, which can support the emotional stability and well-being of children.
Development
As kids grow, their world is around playing and exploring their environment. Play and explore are important components of a child’s learning and development. A kid-friendly home interior design, helps with that. In a kid-friendly home, children have ample opportunities to engage in play, imagination, and creativity, which supports their cognitive, social, and emotional growth.
Family Time
A kid friendly home can unite the whole family by providing spaces that are functional, comfortable, and safe for shared experiences and activities. This can aid in the formation of strong relationships and memories that will last a lifetime.
Storage
Select storage furniture that is safe, or that you could incorporate any safety lock, if needed. There a vast of options that would be part of your interior design without hurt it, such as bookshelf, ottoman with storage, or most expensive options "built in" furnitures. For containers, choose those that are easy to use and access for children, and choose durable materials that are easy to clean. Today, you could find labeling storage containers, labeling tags, and more to help keep items organized and easy to find. Additionally, consider adding storage solutions specifically designed for children on their rooms, such as toy chests or storage benches with a seat that doubles as a lid.
By incorporating functional storage solutions into your kid-friendly interior design, you can help keep clutter under control, prevent unnecessary accident, and create an organized and inviting space.
Chose the right colors
Choosing a suitable color palette is an important aspect of a kid friendly interior design. Bright, bold colors such yellow, orange, red can be stimulating for children, but they can also be overwhelming and overstimulating. If your kid is already stimulated by nature, consider another option in colors.
Balance is the key and you could consider a softer, more calming color palette such whites, creams, blues, and mauves, with pops of brighter colors for accents.
Neutral colors such as white, beige, and grey provide a calming and minimalist backdrop to help children and adults, relax and feel at ease. Soft pastels, such as pale blue, green or pink, can also be a good choice for creating a soothing atmosphere.
When choosing brighter colors, opt for accents such as throw pillows, wall art, or rugs rather than large pieces of furniture, appliances, or wall colors. This allows for flexibility in changing the accents as children’s interests and preferences evolve.
As we discussed last week, consider the psychological effects of color on human behavior— for example, green, mauves, grays, can be calming and grounding due to the fact that nature poses those colors and effects, while yellow can be energizing and uplifting in a kid-friendly space and that is why being outside while the sun is up, energize people.
Inclusive Space
When designing kid-friendly spaces, accessibility, comfortability, and safety, are a key factors. This involves ensuring that the space is easy for children to navigate, explore, and easy to use and that everything they need is within reach. One way to improve accessibility, if the space is available, is to create a designated area for different activities, such as a play area with toys, a reading nook with books, and a craft table with art supplies. This will help children understand where things belong and encourages them to be independent and self-sufficient. Another way to improve accessibility is to store items at child-friendly heights, such as placing toys and books on low shelves, bins, or providing a proper age step stools for children to reach higher items.
A kid-friendly space should be free of hazards and obstacles such as having loose cords lying around, crowded with a lot of furnitures, and keep consumable items out of reach.
Brighting the room
Natural light can make a significant impact in creating a comfortable, and inviting kid-friendly space. Natural light has many benefits — it can boost mood, improve productivity, and even help regulate sleep patterns. When possible, allow the natural light to bright the room. Natural light can also make a kid-friendly space feel larger and more open, which is especially important for smaller spaces, in homes or apartments. To let natural light in, consider using light-colored window treatments that allow light to filter through, such as sheer curtains or blinds. You could position furniture near windows to take advantage of natural light or to use reflective surfaces such as mirrors to bounce light around the room. If your space you are designing doesn’t have many windows or gets limited natural light, consider using artificial lighting, such as floor lamps or table lamps, to create a warm and inviting atmosphere.
In conclusion
By considering these tips while designing or renovating a kid-friendly space, or home for little ones, you can create a space that is safe, functional, comfortable, and reflective of your child’s and family unique personality and interests. In case you are still stuck on design inspiration and need a little professional help, we can support you on designing a safe space for your children and family using our services at www.somethingaboutartanddesign.com. Contact us, and we will make your space and home being a reflection of your family desires within your budget.
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