Creating a child friendly lounge with adults in mind

Parents who have young children will know that a living room or lounge needs to be practical for everyone in the home. There are ways of achieving this without losing any of the style and sophistication that parents want from this room.

Furniture

 The main thing with a child-friendly lounge is that the furniture in it needs to be able to withstand a great deal of wear and tear. It should be easy to clean, be able to survive the children climbing on it and be easy to repair if necessary. It can be difficult to choose a sofa, for example, as there are so many out there. A fabric one might be fairly easy to get simple marks off or re-upholster when needed but can it survive everything that might get thrown at it by the family? A leather sofa is a very practical option as they are easy to clean, but be careful of the shade as in a couple of years it could look a little tired. If the children are very young then practical is the way to go, perhaps changing over to a fabric sofa when they are older and less likely to write/paint/draw on it!

Storage

 With any lounge it is important to have some type of storage, particularly when there are children around. Naturally they will want to play with toys in there, and without storage, other members of the family could find themselves tripping over them at the end of the day. Simple drawer units or a toy box tucked away behind an armchair or sofa could be the answer.

Room décor

 Clean lines are a good idea in any lounge but can be difficult to achieve with small children. Opting for a wipe-clean wallpaper or washable paint could be the answer. It is also important to minimise the number of ornaments and knick-knacks that are within easy reach. Where young children are, these items could easily be broken. However, it is not necessary to avoid ornaments altogether. Wall sculptures mean that you could get the look that you want from the room and they could be easily kept out of reach of curious youngsters. They will also add texture and depth to the room and give it that unique look that the homeowner wants.

Accessories

 Simple accessories can help to keep the room as sleek as needed. For example, the sofa and armchairs are more easily protected with throws. These can be removed when the children have gone to bed or when visitors arrive, returning the room to its original look. Other accessories such as rugs can be used to protect the flooring, helping to prolong its life. The advantage of accessories such as these is that they can be changed frequently.

A child-friendly lounge is quite easy to achieve, but when the room has to be a little more sophisticated for the adults this can make the process more complicated. With just a little effort the room can be made to work for everyone in the home.

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