Balance Between House and Home

Planete Deco

We know that you love good home fashion as much as we do. Like us, you might think of your home in the same way you think of your closet: an extension of your personality, a blank canvas you can play on to express creativity and have some fun! We also know, however, that keeping our homes clean can be a bit more challenging with a few kids and pets thrown into the mix!

That velvet sofa and wool shag rug can seem a little less appealing when decorated with spilled snacks and dirty paws.

Finding the delicate balance between having a house you love to look at and a home you are happy to let your kids run around in isn’t always the easiest. As professional cleaners our goal is to help you live life a little less afraid of mess. So, today we have listed some of our favourite kid or pet friendly decorating tips found over on HGTV.com to help you find your balance!

Think about how you really live:

It’s all about balance, right? So, having a room that looks incredible but no one is allowed to step foot in seems a bit, well, imbalanced. On the other hand, you don’t really want a room that is ready to be destroyed at any minute. Consider who lives in your home and decorate with them in mind.

Don’t wait till they’re older:

Some people have the mindset that waiting until the kids are grown to invest in pieces of furniture they actually like is the way to go. We totally disagree! Investing in beautiful pieces of furniture and décor can benefit everyone. Children growing up around things of value learn to appreciate them, while Mom and Dad get to feel good about how they’re spending their money.

Be bold with colour, texture or pattern:

These three things may become your best friends with kids and/or pets in the house! They will all help camouflage that inevitable spill that is coming, no matter how hard we all try to stop it.

Choose something a little indestructible (or as close as you can get):

Picking fabrics that will last is possibly the most important thing you can do, when life-proofing your home. Heavy fabric, true leathers, and anything stain-resistant is the way to go for furniture. You can even consider having your favourite fabric laminated for the kitchen to make it wipe-able.  Rugs are a great floor-saver! You might think, “But what if the kids spill on it/wear it down/get it dirty?” Rugs actually soften and protect floors from kids – not to mention, they make the floor a softer spot to land when kids go flying! Once they get a bit grungy, you can always send them off to your friendly neighbourhood dry cleaner (hint, hint) to have them freshened up again!

For more tips, visit HGTV or Apartment Therapy for more ideas on where to go looking for that kid-friendly furniture.