Life changes when you have kids in tow — and so too, does your home.
When you have little ones around the house, some things are inevitable. You’ll need more room for family snuggles on the couch or evening meals. You’ll need to consider which pieces are most resistant to spills and crayon marks. And most importantly, you’ll need to be comfortable with a healthy amount of clutter—no matter how often you clean up.
Here’s the good news: Being a parent doesn’t mean you have to compromise your interior style (or even ditch white furniture!). With these five tips, you’ll be finding family-friendly furniture that’s on-point in terms of form and function.
1. Start with kid-friendly materials
Family-friendly furniture begins with having the right materials. While glass furniture might look great, it’s prone to fingerprints and marks - making it a nightmare to keep clean. Likewise, it will be challenging to keep your velvet or linen sofa in pristine condition (especially if you have toddlers).
Our favourite family-friendly materials include:
- Hardwood for dining tables and coffee tables, thanks to their durability
- Cotton fabrics for easy-to-clean sofas
- Leather, which is low maintenance and can withstand wear and tear from kids and pets
Bronte: Made with solid American timber oak, the Bronte Dining Table is hardy, while also bringing a sense of modern luxury into your home.
2. Configuration counts
Another important feature, particularly for a family-friendly couch? The configuration of your furniture. On top of being able to house all of your family members, you want to provide everyone with multiple options for entertainment and relaxation - particularly in the living room.
We are big fans of modular furniture options like the Haven, versatile sofa beds like the Divano, or corner sofas like the Frankie Reversible Chaise Lounge. Each of these provides ample flexibility to the changing needs of a household with kids, while also offering plenty of room for entertaining.
3. Opt for additional storage whenever possible
When you have little ones, you end up accumulating stuff—a ton of it. From new toys to colouring in books, board games, and clothes, there’s no denying that having kids comes with a certain amount of clutter. That’s why we love furniture options that are stylish AND come with extra storage space for the kids.
Space-savers: Options like the Bronte Sideboard or the Felix Sofa Bed with Storage offer ample space to pack things away, while adding an element of sophistication to the home.
4. Embrace textures and patterns
Textures and patterns can be a fantastic way to draw the eye and add a hint of designer flair to your home. But more importantly, these patterns can help mask any accidental spills or wear and tear that comes from having kids in the home.
Guard your furniture: Even with the utmost care, accidents happen. We recommend protecting your pieces with the Guardsman range for fabric, leather and wood furniture. Guardsman products are formulated to help guard against accidental spills, stains, tears and rips—plus, if anything does happen to your furniture, with the 5-year warranty option, a qualified Guardsman technician will repair your furniture at no extra cost.
5. Removable covers are your best friend
If you’re shopping for a new family-friendly sofa and find one that you like with removable covers, get it — stat. Removable covers are incredibly handy with kids around the house: if anyone spills something, it’s easy enough to throw it in the wash and have it clean in no time. And, if it’s irreparable, the other great thing about removable covers is that they’re easily replaceable, so your sofa will be looking brand new again, like the day you bought it.
Long Beach: With its spacious frame and removable covers, the Long Beach Sofa is the epitome of family-friendly coastal style. Opt for the chaise for maximum lounging space, or pair the 3-seat option for more seating options in the house.