You might not think of the living room as being a particularly child unfriendly place, but when you think about it, that’s exactly what it can be!
A coffee table with pointy edges? Kids can run head first into it, or graze their legs as they’re running by. A bookshelf with your favourite books and an old vase on it? Easy to knock over if someone is going through a growth spurt and is more clumsy than usual!
And as far as having a wonderfully cosy fireplace underneath a mantle goes, you’re just never going to be comfortable having an open flame in the same room!
All in all, your living room is at risk of damage and destruction, and you just don’t want the kids to constantly have bumps and bruises!
So what can you do to make a cosy living room design go hand in hand with creating a child friendly space to lounge in? Here’s a few tips you’ll want to keep in mind.
Attach Standing Furniture to the Walls
Did you know you can get wall attachments for all kinds of different furniture, from bookcases to desks to sofas and even cat trees? The best ones will require you to drill into the wall to secure something in place, but you can also get adhesive and tie varieties.
Not only does this prevent a wonky desk from being a bit too skew-whiff, or stop the bookcase from naturally starting to tilt as the months go on, but it also means the kids can’t pull anything down when they lean on it.
And if you have younger children who are learning to walk, or are still unsteady on their feet, they’re going to be grabbing onto any surface in sight!
Go for a Faux Fireplace
If you’d love the look of a fire, and you’re less concerned about actually getting heat from it, you can always install a faux fireplace instead.
Or if you’d like both the warmth and soft ambience that a roaring fire creates, you can shop around at Barton Fireplaces and get an electric fireplace installed. The best thing about an electric fireplace is the fact that you can turn it by just pressing a button.
No need for kindling or to stay stocked up on firewood, and no need to spend 10 minutes just trying to get everything to light!
Put Throws and Blankets Everywhere
When you’ve got plenty of soft, warm fabrics to lounge on, you’re always going to feel incredibly cosy!
However, the throws and blankets you use also have a dual purpose here. Kids can be messy, and often don’t watch what they’re doing, and that makes spills very common.
But with a throw covering the sofa, none of their blackcurrant juice goes over the upholstery! Instead, you can just gather up the throw, put it in the wash, and no harm done.
If you want a cosy living room, you’ll need to child proof it!
