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So, you've just purchased a new piece of real estate as a family. Maybe it's your first home or perhaps you're a seasoned investor, but there's an additional factor in your property choice: a new, young member of the family.
You've got some fantastic schools and family-friendly amenities nearby, but you're concerned about the safety of your little one. There are far too many sharp corners for small heads to bump into, plus you think that junior might do some damage to the current furniture - it might be time to rethink your decor.
This is a great opportunity to not only freshen up your interior design, but also make sure your young child is protected from your new home - and your new home is protected from them too!
Looking to the upholstery
Toddlers have a habit of clambering and climbing all over everything.
The sofa is the centrepiece of any living room, but is also the piece of decor that will likely be seeing the most use - and abuse. We've previously discussed your options between leather and fabric upholstery, but of course now there's a child to factor into the equation.
Leather is easier to clean, and is relatively stain resistant. However, it also is far more susceptible to scratches. Toddlers have a habit of clambering and climbing all over everything, without much due care when considering your lovely new sofa. A leather choice won't stain as easily, and you can just wipe dirt off, but you might end up with unsightly gashes that fabric would not suffer from.
Plus, there's the fact that leather is a lot more expensive than most fabric upholstery - is it worth the extra price if you then have to quickly replace it?
The oft-forgotten flooring
Perhaps something extra fluffy, such as a shag carpet?
Hardwood flooring, while certainly chic in the right circumstances, also offers a hard surface for a small child to hit their head on. Kids who are still learning how to control their limbs are going to fall over - a lot. Plenty of accidents happen in the home, and there were over 500,000 hospitalisations of children under 10 in 2013 alone, according to the Institute of Health and Welfare.
You can keep a lot of these nasty knocks at bay by getting rid of the hardwood flooring and replacing it with a softer carpet. Perhaps something extra fluffy, such as a shag carpet? On the other hand, if you don't want to give up your lovely wood flooring, you could invest in a play mat and encourage your child to use that as much as possible. That way, they are safe and your flooring doesn't have to hide under a carpet.
Thinking outside the square
Rounded coffee tables offer a safer option completely devoid of corners.
Coffee tables come in all shapes and sizes, but the classic rectangular or square renditions suddenly take on a sinister edge when the corners are at your child's height.
However, there's some good news - rounded coffee tables offer a safer option completely devoid of corners, while also remaining extremely trendy. If you are very much in love with the square profile, you do still have a few options. Ottomans, usually relegated to mere footstools, offer a transformative medium - you can change them into coffee tables simply by placing a larger tray or circular disc on the top.
It keeps your living room both open and safe, only bringing out the corners when absolutely necessary - and when you have your eye on the little one!
A new house is an exciting prospect, but it always pays to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into, especially when you're catering to a child's needs as well. Whether you're selling your current home or looking for a new one, make sure you get the right information from the start of your search to the finish by talking to a local real estate agent.
