Guide How To Design A Kid-Friendly Living Room

If one of the phrases you find yourself saying a lot at home is “be careful!” No doubt you have young children running about. This can be interesting for getting a good balance between a stylish living room and a family space that’s kid-friendly, but suitable for all family members.

Here are some tips on how to design a kid-friendly living room that the whole family can enjoy. 

How To Design A Kid-Friendly Living Room 

The main thing to consider is the size and the layout of your living room, and these factors:

• How kid-friendly would you like your space to be? Is there space for a play area in the living room? Are your kids’ things going to be displayed or put away in hidden storage?
• The colours you choose. Is it bright and friendly or a neutral palette with durable materials and pops of colour elsewhere?
• The type of furniture you choose. Sharp edges are best ruled out for most of the furniture in the living room for a kid-friendly space.
• What materials are best for decor and furniture? Keep away from glass coffee tables and side tables. And anything else that is delicate. 

Kid-Friendly Living Room Furniture 

Seating

Your living room furniture will be the focus of the room. Seating will be an investment piece. So you need to make sure it lasts with a lot of daily use and small children around.

It depends on the size of your living room as to what the best seating option is for you. A modular sofa works well and is flexible. Or a sofa or two and accent chairs will work better in a smaller family room. 

Whichever style of seating you go for, the material you choose is most important. The best options are durable materials and easy-clean fabrics. Performance fabrics like Sunbrella fabrics are a great option, as you can wipe them down, and even though they’re made of synthetic fibers, they pretty much feel like a normal fabric.

Velvets in darker colors are a good option too, as it’s got a thicker pile and can hide stains easily. Another alternative is sofas with slipcovers. 

For throw pillows on the seating, keep away from expensive materials. We know pillows are going to be used for playing games, building tents, and whatever else!

Extra Seating 

Bean bags and woven or fabric ottomans are great for extra seating for a kid-centred living room. And they’re quite affordable. They’re easy to move around, and your kids have extra seating that they can move around and play with without you having to worry about bumps and damaging furniture. 

Tables

Having a round coffee table is best as part of your living room design. And a wooden coffee table is the most popular choice for a kid-friendly living area.

If you’re going to have rectangular furniture, it’s best to keep it against the wall or at the back of the room. Like a console table against the back of a sofa. Or a low bookshelf or media console against the wall. It’s just easier for children to navigate the space that way. 

Or use a large upholstered ottoman for your coffee table centrepiece. No sharp corners, and it’s a safe place for babies and toddlers.

Also, end tables and furniture that are solid and heavy-duty. Meaning round tables that sit on the floor and aren’t a pedestal style or on legs if they’re out in the open, away from walls and the sofas. These kinds of pieces are less likely to topple over, and they’re much easier to see. 

Area Rugs

If you have hardwood in your living room, then an area rug is a great idea. I can’t tell you the number of times my daughter has slipped over while having her socks on, slipping and sliding around the floor (a temptation too strong for them not to, and when their slippers have been mysteriously misplaced).

An area rug will save you and your children in more ways than one. Just make sure the corners of the rug are taped down to the floor to prevent a tripping hazard. Some of your furniture should be sitting on the rug to secure it in place.

Washable rugs and outdoor rugs are even better. So stains and spillages are not an issue. 

What Kind Of Storage Is Best?

More often than not, the living room ends up as more than just a living room. It’s a play area, sometimes a workspace; there are lots of things going on. The type of storage you decide to use will depend on just how kid-friendly you’d like your space to be.

Hidden storage is discreet and stylish and fits in with any personal style easily. It will still give access to the things your children need if they are coming out of toddler age. 

Open storage makes the living room a more inclusive area for your kids. And encourages a more independent take on using and putting away their playthings. If you have a place for built-in storage, you could do a combination of open and closed storage.

There is no wrong or right answer; it depends on the age of your children, theirs, and your personality. And the size of your living room and if it’s an open floor plan. These are all things to consider. Decide what works best for you and the entire family. 

Storage Baskets 

For younger children, storage baskets and bins are ideal. These will help to keep your space organized and in order. Everything has an assigned place, and things can be found easily.

You can store your kids’ toys and board games away, and they’ll have easy access to them and be able to put them away themselves as well. They’ll likely be displayed as part of home decor in your living space.

Decide what style is best for you and the children. Plastic storage bins stored on open shelves or wicker floor baskets? There are many options to choose from.

Hidden Storage 

Storage space is an essential part of any kid-friendly home. Any built-in storage is great in terms of function and as a space-saver in the family room. Consider whether it’s worth putting in a built-in bench seat in your room if you have the space.

Other great alternatives are storage ottomans and round storage coffee tables, which will save you from any major DIY jobs in the living room. 

Organizational Storage 

Furniture such as shelves and console tables is needed as part of a family space. Especially for a growing family, it’s ideal to have shelving and cabinets in your room.

Console tables, media units, and other storage furniture are always best with a solid support behind them with children around. Have these pieces backed up against your sofa and walls for safety and security. A sofa console table is a great way to keep organized but out of the way of children. 

Lighting for Living Room

​It’s always good to have more than one source of lighting in your living room. With children about, it’s a good idea to keep the lighting wall-mounted so it’s out of the children’s reach. If you can’t hardwire a sconce and don’t fancy a plug-in wall sconce, you can check out this lighting hack.  

Wall Art 

It’s up to you whether you choose to keep your wall decor personal by adding family photographs along with some nice artwork. A nice idea is to frame some of your children’s artwork to mix into a wall gallery with other art pieces. They’ll love that!

​Stylish Kid-Friendly Living Room Ideas

Here are some family living room ideas that are stylish but kid-friendly. If you have the room, bring in children’s pieces that will work for the children too, like tiny tables and chairs. Here are a few design ideas for inspiration for your own space.

Design One

1 Woven Wall Decor || 2. Upright Floor Lamp || 3. Modular Sofa || 4. Side Table || 5. Patterned Area Rug || 6. Throw Cushions || 7. Floral Cushions || 8. Tassel Cushions || 9. Storage Coffee Table || 10. Console Table || 11. Storage Baskets || 12. Accent Chair || 13. Soft Pouf

You’re probably thinking neutral colors are a no-go for a family space, but there are ways around it. A neutral colour palette with the right materials and furnishings will still work with children.

In this design, the tables are wood and all wipeable. The coffee table has extra storage space to put kids’ toys and blankets away for the night. To keep things easy when tidying up.

The modular sofa is made of durable fabric that’s easy to clean even though it’s of a light colour. And the fact that it’s a modular sofa adds so much flexibility to the space. 

​The rug is easy to clean as well, so you don’t have to worry about that either. And woollen storage baskets sit under the console for even more storage for everyday life. 

Kid-Friendly Design Two

1. Velvet Sofa || 2. Plug-in Wall Sconce || 3. Blue Knit Throw || 4. Patterned Rug || 5. Chunky Wool Cushion || 6. Printed Cushion || 7. Blue Bolster Cushion || 8. Oval Coffee Table || 9. Storage Console Table || 10. Storage Baskets || 11. Large Striped Storage Basket || 12. Knitted Soft Pouf

The distressed blue rug adds colour to the space and pops against the dark-colored sofa. Because the sofa is performance velvet, it’s easy to clean. Soft furnishings add a cozy vibe but are modern and friendly.

This low open console is low enough that young children can access storage baskets for their favorite toys. And a large storage basket for bigger items you need to store away.

Design your perfect kid-friendly living room with a custom design via our e-design services.

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