Decorating a Family Friendly Home that is Modern, Sophisticated and Livable
Since 2010, D2 Interieurs has been creating beautiful homes for growing families. Recognized and sought after for their distinct use of color, pattern and texture, D2 is helmed by award winning designer and CEO Denise Davies who infuses her business with an infectious joie de vivre and an in-house team of fellow designers, architects and project managers. They mix their love of modern sophistication with a little rock & roll to achieve a fun yet timeless look.
D2 Interieurs fuses a fresh, modern and “perfectly current” look with a proven approach to designing and decorating homes for young families relocating from NYC to the suburbs. D2’s signature has become creating a sophisticated and chic, family friendly environment matched to each individual clients needs and tastes.
D2 INTERIEURS TIPS FOR DESIGN WITH THE KIDDOS IN MIND:
With children in the mix, it’s difficult (impossible) to have a home where things are always in their proper place and clutter is virtually non-existent, nevertheless you don’t have to sacrifice good design for comfort as your family grows. Denise Davies offers a few ideas to guide you through the process of designing a highly styled and kid friendly home, room by room.
1. Rooms don’t have to be outgrown. Having children can inspire the decor to be bold, magical and colorful and when done well, the rooms have longevity as the little ones get bigger. Kid friendly does not require lack of style. Homes can and should be fun, and can be designed in way that the “bones” of a room can be timeless and comfortable as your family grows.
2. Your home is your life, especially the kitchen. When you have young children, your kitchen is the heart of your home since everyone spends so much time there. Ask yourself how you are using your home and design your rooms around your lifestyle. Nowhere is this as important as in the Kitchen.
3. No worse for the wear. A key part of the strategy in designing a home for a young family is including furniture that will age well, and still look great with the dings and scratches that all kids leave in their wake. Durable and wipeable fabrics that are highly colorful are a great start. Banquette seating in the kitchen offers additional seating for friends and larger families and allows you to use these types of fabrics. Install a valance or roman shade upholstered in a fabric that has bold pops of color over the sink and other windows in the kitchen. This gives the room more visual interest and it’s a fun way to add color and pattern.
4. The imperfect match. The days of matching furniture and lighting are over. A well curated room should look like its been there forever, not like a designer just left the building. Your home is your life. Many families spend many years and in one house and your home should be a reflection of you. What do you want to see when you walk in the door? The answer is often not a matched set of furnishings and fabrics but a collection of things that are distinctly different and work well together
5. Kids are color waiting to happen. Bold colors can be sophisticated and elegant and every room deserves good design, including the kids playroom. Minimal and clean lines work very well in a playroom as does creating smart storage solutions so that toys can be tucked away neatly. The perfect kids play spaces should be enjoyed by the kids and appreciated by adults and after all, color makes people happy. #happyhomehappylife
Denise’s tips for designing family friendly homes:
Create a neutral backdrop and add pops of color and texture throughout the home.
Using kid-friendly fabrics and furnishings, we like to use fabrics that are wipeable and durable. Outdoor fabrics are primarily resistant to stains, fading and moisture and have come a long way and are well suited for indoor use.
Nothing says family like a finished basement with a fabulous playroom, we like to infuse color and texture. Built in storage is a must.
Think long term, your kids won’t be babies and toddlers forever, so use lots of color when planning the space and make sure not to forget the whimsy in the accessories such as floor pillows, artwork, shades and window treatments.
Make Spaces for your kids, don’t just relegate them to the basement or bedrooms. If your kids like games set up a game table and chairs in the corner of the family room, use oversized floor pillows and ottomans to soften up the space.
Incorporate lots of storage to make the spaces look less cluttered.
*This story originally appeared on Greenwich Moms.