Kid-Friendly Decor on a Budget
In a perfect world, we’d have little ones who are always clean and well behaved. But if your kids are anything like mine, they have a permanent ring of crud around their mouths, are caked in dirt, and always seem to have a mystery stain on their clothes. My kids think all surfaces are a place to jump off of and all furniture has great fort-making potential. So, when it came time to decorate our new home two years ago, the initial thought was “why bother? We should wait until they’re older.” Sound familiar?
Most people I know hesitate to spend money on decorating projects because kids are messy and things will inevitably break or get dirty. But, I think furniture and furnishings have come a long way as the demand for practical but good looking furniture has increased. Most couches and chairs have performance fabric options and there are now vendors who soley specialize in washable rugs. Yet, it’s still hard to know how to spend your budget wisely when durability is just as important as style. What do I consider kid-friendly decor on a budget? I’d focus on the following 4 categories:
Rugs: I love the idea of a performance rug and companies like Ruggable are always coming out with beautiful designs. However, I think that sometimes the less expensive option can look cheap, which might be fine in a playroom, but not in a living room. I personally think most washable rugs feel thin and don’t hold up over time. For areas in your home where you plan to entertain, I’d go with a wool or nylon rug. Wool rugs aren’t marketed as performance rugs but they should be. They hide soil well and hold up in high traffic areas.
Couches: I know the kitchen is considered the heart of the home, but I think the living room actually might be. Because you spend so much time in the living room, particularly on the couch, this is where I’d encourage you to not go the cheap route. I would start by taking measurements and making sure you get the right size couch for the space. Then, I’d select a performance fabric that specifically says it holds up well against pets and stains. Luckily, there are so many great performance fabrics that you can still have luxe looking furniture, such as velvet or chenille. We bought a cream-colored couch (gasp!) from Pottery Barn that has managed to look nice even after 2 years with toddlers.
Bedroom Furniture: This may be controversial, but I don’t think you need to prioritize your budget on kids’ bedroom furniture. You shouldn’t buy anything that is total junk and definitely read the reviews, but spending $8k on a bed and dresser doesn’t yield exponentially greater results. As they continue to grow, they’ll probably want to change their room as they have stronger opinions about their own space. Don’t worry about furniture as a large investment. Instead, go with a simple design made with high quality materials that will last a long time. For example, we got the Crate & Kids Ever Simple bed that has a trundle bed option for our older toddler. We didn’t get the trundle component yet but are happy to have that optionality at such a reasonable price.
Wall Decals: I’m a huge fan of wall decals for kids’ bedrooms. It’s the perfect middle ground between paint and wallpaper. There are so many options from places like Etsy and Project Nursery that you can have any motif or theme you want. But unlike wallpaper, it’s not permanent and less time intensive to put up or take down. Plus, if your kiddo doesn’t love it after a few years, you can easily change it up without damage to your wall. It’s also usually a lot cheaper with some designs starting around $25.
No one I know wants to waste their money, especially since kids are already so expensive. But one way to ensure you are getting your money’s worth is to partner with an Interior Decorator. I know that seems contradictory since most interior designers and decorators are very expensive. But, there are some out there, such as myself, who take on smaller projects at a reasonable rate. For the cost of a few hours of my expertise, you’ll actually save money by taking advantage of our trade program discounts. Some of my clients have saved thousands of dollars and feel that much more confident in their purchases. That’s invaluable! If you’re interested in working together (even virtually!), I’d love to hear from you!
