How transitioning to a Minimalist design brought kids and sleek design together.
As a mom of a newborn and a toddler, it’s never been more important to me to have a living space that feels clean, sleek, and calm. My home needs to be a sanctuary from all the chaos outside our walls.
But before our first child was born, I admit that I didn’t think much about creating a kid-friendly design. Instead, I cared more about the build quality and material selections— but long-lasting isn’t the same as family-first. After all, stain-resistant material can only take you so far!
Having a clean and sleek design in our living space helps create a sanctuary feeling when we step into our homes.
Why I moved from eclectic design to organic modern style.
I love eclectic design, combining old and new, mixing different designs like mid-century modern with baroque style extravaganza. One of my first finds was this incredible vintage mirror I hung over the mantel. I have balanced the space with modern furniture to keep the vintage more of an accent. The mirror is such a statement piece and created an unexpected edge for our home.
But then, our newly-abled daughter started jumping on our glass coffee table and playing with the décor objects I collected over the years, which were displayed in our glass etagere bookshelves. I also had a corner with many plants, including a cactus almost 3 feet tall.
Although we child-proofed everywhere, it still made us anxious that she could hurt herself despite our efforts. And from a designer lens, all my carefully curated furniture and decor pieces lost their effect with ugly, clunky childproof edging.
Once we knew we were expecting our second baby, a boy this time, my husband agreed that it was time to fund a redesign. With my fresh perspective as a mom and an interior designer, my home refresh objectives were clear:
Create a stylish, kid-friendly refuge by incorporating a calm, organic, and minimalist design.
Here is the design board for the living room update
So what did I do to pull it all off? Here are my top 5 tips for a stylish but kid-friendly home.
1. Use durable furniture with smooth edges.
In our home refresh, the first thing I changed was the glass furniture. We sold most of our furniture on Facebook Marketplace, which helped offset some of the replacement furniture costs.
Next, I did a lot of research to find the best-fit coffee table, keeping an organic design palette in mind. The dimensions were also critical, focusing on filling the space but keeping clear running paths for my two children.
I opted in for the Ada coffee table from Lulu and Georgia. It is sturdy and stylish with its smooth edges and beautiful, unique design (here is a similar one from World Market).
Added Vernon accent chair from Target with cream sherpa upholster for a soft feeling.
Pro tip: Plan to leave 1-2 feet between the sofa and coffee table, and you can select a coffee table max 2/3 of the sofa length for a comfortable experience
2. Fresh paint with white walls and black window frames.
Whether you lean towards minimalist styles or prefer to add a lot of colors, white walls are an excellent base for any room. For my minimalist space, this all-white base was a no-brainer! Then I could incorporate neutral colors and add natural elements like wood accents and greenery.
After using peel-and-stick color samples from Sherwin Williams, I moved forward with High Reflective White. The reflective quality of this paint helped to maximize the little natural light we get in our townhome.
Pro tip: A minimalist design looks best when it’s light and airy, which relies heavily on natural light!
Finally, I saved a little money by painting our window frames black myself! It immediately refreshed and modernized our living room from the outdated, yellowish-cream of the original window frames.
3. Incorporate modern cabinets or console tables with storage!
I had a console table, an open bar cart, and doorless bookshelves, so they were easy to access for our toddlers. Actually, I think she took the open storage as an invitation to play with everything!
Though it was very tempting to display the beautiful cocktail sets and glasses, I switched to a cabinet with doors. There was enough storage to hide away our dinnerware, cocktail glasses, and drinks, plus the doors gave me a new layer to use with our interior design!
I went with a white and rattan look with the Ida Woven Console from West Elm! I love it so much in our space, and it’s hard to miss the open glass storage with these sleek lines.
Then, I sourced a console table with drawers from Target to add height and rhythm to the space (always search for one with drawers if you need extra storage).
It created another focal point to balance out the drama of the mantel across the room (unfortunately, this console is now out of stock).
After searching endlessly for an affordable modern art piece, I still couldn’t find the perfect style and size for our space. So I ended up styling it with natural wall art from Collection Prints— they’re a great option because they allow you to custom-select the print size print and frame style!
4. Add a layer of texture with rugs and plants!
Once your furniture layout is set, you can incorporate rugs and plants to lift the room and introduce new colors and textures.
Plants: If you are not a perfect plant mama, there are many great-looking faux plant options. I am mixing plants with faux ones, filling out the low-light portions of the room with forever green faux.
I used a faux olive tree from Target, adding perfect texture and height together with my banana tree.
Rugs: Before our redesign, we had a rug that was too small for our space. In addition, our floors are dark wood, so I needed a light-colored area rug to bring a light base and bring the furniture together.
I spent a lot of time looking for a minimalist, neutral, and modern flatweave rug. Once I found the Vera Rug from Lulu & Georgia— and saw it was on sale— I knew I’d found the perfect match.
Pro tip: The best size ratio to properly layer a rug is 2/3 of the depth of your sofa, and at least the front legs should be on the rug– for sofas and accent chairs alike.
5. Less is more in Decor.
As life gets busier with a bigger family, it’s helpful to de-clutter your home. Pairing down the knick-knacks and decor items will bring a subtle, peaceful influence to the home. As a mom of young kids, I knew it was time to switch to a minimalist approach, particularly with the objects I chose to display.
Step one was to take down all of my decor items. Step two was intentionally selecting which pieces to put back on the shelves, giving preference to organic textures with perfectly imperfect curved silhouettes.
Finally, I put the rest of my collection into storage, keeping the treasures I collected from my travels in a safe place for the future. Part of me wants to have them out, but I know they’re better off safe in storage at this stage of our lives.
Pro tip: Choose decor items based on either texture or accent colors to elevate the entire design.
Updating Your Home for a New Stage in Life?
An organic, neutral-toned approach works for our young family stage. The idea here is to do what works best for you right now! And don’t be afraid to update your home with small tweaks every two or three years. It will refresh your soul as much as it refreshes your living space!
Want to get more free tips on beautiful, trendy, family-friendly designs? Come follow me on Instagram! Username: @designandcurations or sign up for my blog to get more design tips.
If you want to see more furniture selections from my redesign, you can check below:
Living room design board: Area Rug // Coffee Table // Accent Chair // Sofa // Artificial Olive Tree // Side table // Art // Olive Branch Vase // throw pillow // Bowl
Living room console table: Console Table // Art // Table Lamp // Wireless Wall Sconce
And as always, thank you for being here, in my little corner!
See you in the next blog post! :)
Love,
Burcu
*This blog post contains affiliate links. If you purchase from me, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Keywords: Organic Modern, Livingroom Home Decor, Modern, Living room
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