Family Friendly Home Improvements

You may have noticed me taking a lot about different home improvements we want to do around our house recently. Whether it’s an extension, office space or storage solutions, there’s a lot of things we could do to make our improve our home, but keep it family friendly.

You probably have childhood memories of certain rooms of the house that your mum would never let you enter – because, for example, there were many delicate glass objects she feared you could break or a pristine white carpet she worried you might inadvertently drop yoghurt onto.

If you are now a parent yourself, you probably wouldn’t want to close off entire sections of the house just to protect them from the kids. In my case, there’s no stopping Bear from escaping into any room he wants to!

Here are some family friendly home improvement suggestions that shouldn’t be too difficult to achieve.

Create spaces the whole family can enjoy

Consider what your little ones like to do and set up spaces where they can do this without incurring your disapproval. For instance, if you have a bookish child, leave a cosy nook where they can quietly read. A budding gymnast, meanwhile, could benefit from somewhere to practice cartwheels.

These places could also include amenities the entire household can enjoy during get-togethers. Such as a big table and chairs if playing board games is something your family loves.

Incorporate storage in a design-friendly way

While household clutter can gather quickly when there are tiny feet often pitter-pattering, you can still help yourself keep on top of it by adding storage that is cleverly tucked away.

You could put spacious baskets in empty corners and find open shelves into which to slide visually appealing boxes. However, put the storage specifically in places where it will be useful, HGTV advises; for instance, boxes containing DVDs should naturally be kept close to the TV.

Apply a fresh layer to tired looking paint

You might regularly see certain parts of the house where paint is fading or flaking. You might even often tell yourself that you’ll address the paint issue one day… and yet you never do. A fresh lick of paint to doors and skirting boards makes a huge difference. 

However, personally repainting your home can provide a great bonding opportunity for the family, Senior Outlook Today points out. Parents and kids can both get stuck in. Though remember to assign a “supervisor” role to a responsible adult with enough time to carefully watch everyone else.

Make your wood floors nice and shiny

If you have wood floors, you might not need to be reminded how easily they can pick up scratches and general wear-and-tear. It might not help if your children often get too excited and run across these floors without realising the damage that could result.

However, you can repair surface damage and so give these floors a refresh. In the case of more serious damage or rotting, you could replace entire boards with newer but design-matching ones.

Create a dedicated eating area

With many homes lacking any dedicated spaces in which the whole family can settle down to eat together. You could really benefit from creating one in your own home.

This task might involve as little as putting a dining table in the kitchen, says Growing Family. On the opposite end of the scale, you might get an extension that can form an entire dining room. Bi folding doors could then be used to provide a conveniently large opening for that space.

This is something we desperately want to add to our house. A big living/dining area with bi folding doors onto the garden. In the summer it would be so lush.

~A~

*collaborative post