How to decorate a home with kids without compromising your style

The aesthetics of my home are very important to me – I want the spaces I live in to be tidy, organised, elegant, inspiring and uplifting. That’s not just about looks. It’s also about how it makes me feel. Living in a stylish, pared-back home helps me feel calm and at ease. I would feel anxious if there was a lot of clutter, colour or visual noise. I want my home to be a place of relaxation and restoration. 

And you know what brings with it a lot of stuff and a huge amount of noise?! A child. Surely enough to turn a house upside down.

Since having my daughter last year, my home has evolved and changed to fit this little person in it, but the core concept of the space is still there. My home is still simple and, on the surface, calm. There’s a little more clutter, a bit more chaos and everything else that comes with a tiny human, but I’ve somehow managed to hold onto the bones of my interior style. I’ve got a beige sofa (probably not that sensible, but hey!), a white worktop and pale painted walls, and it all still works. I haven’t had to swap out the things I love or hugely change the way I decorate. That’s about having a good idea of what I want my home to look and feel like, mindfully choosing children’s furniture that will fit with my style, and making sure my child slots seamlessly into our home, rather than completely taking it over. 

Here I’m sharing my tips for decorating your home your way, without compromising on style.  

How to decorate a home with kids without compromising your style

Adapt your mindset
My first tip would be to have a closer look at the way you think you should decorate with children and maybe challenge some of those beliefs. Just because you have little ones doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy certain things or have certain objects in your home. It certainly doesn’t mean you have to curtail your ideas or make them boring, just for the sake of practicality!

I chose to have a pale beige sofa, even with a dog and baby, but we look after it and make it work by being careful or covering the seat with a beautiful blanket. We still enjoy the space and even have red wine on the sofa occasionally! Similarly, if you really like the look of a velvet sofa, choose a stain resistant velvet that’s easy to clean. You can make it work for you if you really want to.

I also want to teach my daughter to be respectful of the things around her and show her how to look after her belongings. For me, that starts in the home.

Make sure you dedicate a space or area to the child
Aside from their room, curate a little space that is theirs. This could be a whole playroom if you have the space or just a little corner if you’re lacking in room. It helps to contain the toys/mess/clutter in one place and it gives them a space they can take ownership of, so they feel like part of the home.

It’s a bit tricky to do so in our open plan living/kitchen space – it’s the beating heart of our home where everything goes on, from cooking and working, to playing and relaxing. But we have a big toy chest for her toys and a round playmat that’s sufficient enough. Then when it comes to the evening we can regain our space by tidying away toys and rolling up the playmat and putting it under the sofa. It helps if you don’t have to see their stuff when you’re having grown up adult time, whether that’s closing a door on a space or hiding everything out of sight.

Storage is king
Which brings me onto my next point, storage. Good storage is EVERYTHING when you don’t have kids and even more when you do. Without sufficient storage your space is going to feel out of control, your head will be all over the place and you won’t be able to relax. Prioritise storage space for the child’s things, whether that’s floor level Montessori-style open shelves they can easily access or plenty of baskets to compartmentalise books, toys, music equipment and other baby things.

The storage you choose doesn’t have to particularly made for kids, you can adapt what you’ve already got or look for something that will fit with the rest of your home. Just make sure it’s easily accessible so they’ll actually use it and you can quickly tidy things away at the end of the day.

Children actually need less than you think
My daughter is actually the most absorbed in something when it isn’t a toy. We let her play with pretty much anything, as long as it’s safe. A Tupperware filled with a random assortment of objects and lids can keep her happily entertained (for ten minutes!). You don’t need lots of toys. I recently read that a child is more engaged and focused when they have a limited amount of toys (around 8) that are regularly rotated. Basically: their stuff doesn’t need to cramp your style.

Make practical choices while still thinking about aesthetics
The best interiors consider both form and function – they look the part and they work on an everyday level too. Keep your style in mind, but think about the material choices available. You can still choose that pale wall colour, just choose a wipeable finish so you don’t have to worry about marks. Instead of a beautiful Moroccan-style shaggy rug, find a washable, synthetic version that can be put in the machine or spot washed. Or perhaps pick a linoleum table top for your dining table instead of wood that could get scratched or marked.

Just because they’re children doesn’t mean they need babyish things
If you don’t want to compromise your style, have a good idea of what that style is and choose items accordingly. Look at your home and pick out common colours, shapes or themes then look for them in children’s homeware or any new items you might need. For example, I chose a monochrome spotty playmat that still had an element of playfulness in the design, but fitted with my monochrome style.

Discrete, minimalist design is always a winner in my book
Simply designed objects will always stand the test of time and fit into your home. Choosing minimalist designs will make sure the baby stuff or baby proofing is less intrusive or obvious to the eye. Take our stair gate – I searched high and low for something that was discrete and not too awful to look at. I found a wooden one that had clean lines and a simple aesthetic. I don’t mind it being there at all. And happily, coincidentally, it kinda fits with my dining chairs. [Ad – Affiliate link]

Place your most beautiful objects up high
Soon after we had our daughter, we moved our coffee table out of the living room. It was just getting in the way and later, when she was crawling about, there was no way we could have pretty objects out within the reach of tiny grabby hands. The walls are your friends. Use shelves to display your most treasured finds, and save lower surfaces for unbreakable things (we still have a few coffee table books out as it doesn’t matter so much if she pulls them off). In the evenings we can always bring out a candle or two if we feel like. 

Make sure your space is adaptable
A home should work for everyone who lives in it, so adaptability is key. You want your home to easily change from daytime fun to grownup serenity, without you having to do too much. That might mean lightweight side tables you can push to one side during the day in place of a coffee table. Or a pouffe or footstool with hidden storage. Or a playmat you can push under the sofa when not in use.

Involve children in the design process
This might be one for the older kids, but it might help children appreciate their space if they have a hand in its making. Make it fun: spend an afternoon creating some mood boards together, take them to pick out some fabrics, try out sofas together, get them interested in design. When I was younger I was obsessed with looking through the IKEA catalogue and seeing how I could rearrange my room to give it a little refresh! It meant I looked after my space and cared about my surroundings.

Most of all when you decorate a home with kids, or even without them, think about what YOU want from the space. They’re just a small (but very important) part of your home. Your interior will no doubt change with a little one but it can still work for you. Perhaps it will even change for the better.