Guest blog: We’ve teamed up with family friendly interior designers The Living House, to share their interior design top tips to create a home that will work for the whole family.
New build homes are perfect for family living, giving you a blank canvas to put your own stamp on without any renovations or building work needed. They are all ready for you and your family to move in and make your own.
When designing our customers' family homes, there are design decisions we make to ensure their home is going to be practical as well as beautiful. It’s important the pieces and finishes you choose are going to be hard wearing, practical and have longevity to last throughout different stages of your children’s life from baby to toddler to teenager!
Storage, storage, and more storage!
When designing rooms for our customers, we always ask how much storage they need in each space. You can never have too much storage, whether it's for toys, books, sports kits, school supplies, or everything else that comes with having a busy family home.
That’s why, when designing rooms in your new build home, it’s important to carefully consider how much storage each space will require and what you plan to store in it.
Multi-functional furniture will be your friend! Here are a few examples of versatile pieces you can use in your home:
Storage footstools
We recommend incorporating a storage footstool into your living room. They work great to keep essentials within reach while keeping clutter out of sight. After a long day, you can quickly tidy up toys and turn your living room into a relaxing adult space.
Sideboards and shelving units
Sideboards, shelving units or built-in storage with closed cupboards are perfect to house board games, books, and crafting supplies. If you’re incorporating built-in storage to your new build home, we recommend a mix of shelving and closed cupboards. You can store your special accessories on the shelves away from any small hands to avoid breakages.
Baskets
Because who doesn't love a basket?! They’re great for storing your child's favourite toys. Opt for a set of baskets in varying sizes, they not only keep things organised but also look great when styled together. We recommend rattan or woven style baskets to bring in some natural textures and warmth to your room.
Family friendly fabrics for your new build home
You’ve just bought a beautiful, shiny new build home, and it’s time to enjoy it! The last thing you want is to feel too precious about furniture getting stained or marked, that’s why family-friendly fabrics are the way to go.
When choosing a sofa, armchairs, or any other upholstery throughout your new build home, we highly recommend choosing fabrics that are stain resistant, which can also be known as Aquaclean (a term used by some brands). If any spillages or accidents happen, they can easily be removed, usually with just a cloth and water! This means you can still have your beautiful neutral sofa you love, without the stress of being instantly ruined by sticky fingers, colouring pens, drinks or anything else.
Washable rugs
Just like with your sofa, you want to enjoy your new home with your family. That’s why we recommend investing in a washable rug. They are brilliant for family living, especially if you have pets. Whether it’s mucky paws, spilled drinks or snack time on the rug, you can relax knowing your beautiful rug can simply be washed in your washing machine and come out looking new!
Create a zoned play area
You may have brought a new build house, with space for a play room. However, we all know little ones love to follow their parents around and scatter their toys everywhere!
When designing the layout of your space, you may want to consider a dedicated play area for your children, whether that's in your living room or an open plan area.
If you have a designated area, it will help keep toys in one place and be a fun space your children can play in whilst spending time with you too. We designed a play area for our customer in her L-shape new build living room, using IKEA kallax units as a bench with baskets for storage underneath. We also added a cute play tent in a neutral colour to work with the rest of the living room style and colour scheme.
Paint finishes
Walls in a busy family home can quickly get marked, think little hand prints traveling up the stairs and across every possible surface! That’s why choosing the right paint finish will be your saviour and keep your new build home looking fresh. Opt for a paint finish that is scrubbable and washable, so you can still have a beautiful chalky paint finish without having to worry about marks. Most paint brands will offer durable and hard wearing finishes designed for family living. Any scuffs or stains can be easily wiped away without lifting the paint.
If you’re looking for interior design support to make your new build home work for you and your family, The Living House is here to help. They take the stress away that comes with making changes to your home, and give you the confidence to move forward. Get in touch with The Living House today to find out more.
If you’ve been busy making interior changes to your Miller home, share on Instagram with #MyMillerHome.