I'm constantly in awe of images that I see online of five kiddo families with gorgeous decorated rooms. How do they do it? I can barely mange my one kiddo and have a slightly-picked up house. On top of that, how do we even get to the point where we have a well-decorated house? For me, decorating comes in phases. I usually start off with a hand-me down piece of furniture or a piece of art and then slowly add to that. I also move things around five billion times before I actually settle on something that I love. But, you know what, moving your furniture and decor around is completely free to do and anyone can do it. I remember back when we rented an apartment and I did it there as well. So, whether you rent or own I think the takeaway is that you don't have to be afraid to mix things up by rearranging furniture or wall decor. As far as having a well-decorated house and raising kiddos, well, I think things evolve over time. I think you can work with what you have and I think that in the end you end up with a well-collected room when you make purchases more slowly.
Let's talk about storage and design for a family with kiddos shall we?
Take this living room for example:
(Image via RentersPages)
The layout is open enough for kiddos to run, the rug is great, the furniture is neutral, and with some baskets under the tv you could easily have toy storage. To help with the decorating, I would focus on one piece of art and I would do something like this above the sofa:
(Image via The Animal Print Shop)
The art is fun and bold and I think it pairs well with the more feminine rug that is already in the room.
Next, I would tackle adding layers. That seems to be the one thing that really helps every room, in my opinion. Yet, one that I have the hardest time actually doing. Adding layers and textures (in regards to blankets, extra rugs, window coverings, etc) can easily add up in regards to the budget. For the above room, it already has a great base curtain in white. So, why don't we add some texture with some bamboo shades. You can always go the traditional route and buy some, but that can cost you quite a bit. I have a tutorial for making your own which would definitely fit perfectly for this room.
Another kid-friendly and texture-adding thing would be to add a pouf or two. We have one in our house and it moves around the living room all the time. My little guy loves to sit, jump and throw it.
I love how the two poufs are used here:
(via Houzz)
They are casual, yet fun and definitely add something to the decor of the room.
I think no room is complete without some sort of greenery. So, I would add a larger plant to the room. I really like this stand-alone planter and plant:
(via Wicker Paradise)
So, whether you rent or own, whether you have hand-me down furniture or brand-new, I think you can add small touches to make your room fit your lifestyle and decor.
This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are 100% my own.
Linking up to:
Found and Foraged, C.R.A.F.T., Your Designs This Time, The Makers, The Winthrop Chronicles, Home Stories A-Z, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Outside the Box, Work It Wednesday, Think and Make Thursday, Fry Sauce and Grits, Liz Marie Blog, The Inspiration Gallery, Creativity Unleashed - The Bold Abode, Remodelaholic, Whipperberry, The Creative Collection, Tatertots and Jello, and Frugal Crafty Blog Hop.
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Julia@Cuckoo4Design
What great tips and such a gorgeous mood board. Love the buffalo!
Ashley Mayes
Thanks Julia! If that buffalo was a Highland Cow... I would totally own it. But, I have a possible DIY for that little problem.
Jennifer @ Brave New Home
Great mood board! I do think that decorating with kids in mind gets easier as they get older. I love that you address this issue though. I always wonder how moms do it, too!
Ashley Mayes
Thanks Jennifer! Right now, I'm mostly concerned with not breaking a toe on Legos! Seriously, I cannot keep those things picked up!
Kyla @HouseOfHipsters
Hey, hey, hey! I have that lamp from Crate & Barrel. It's actually a new addition and I love it. It brings the eye up and it's not overly bright.
And that buffalo photo by Sharon Montrose. Man, I've been eyeing that puppy since she debuted it. It's on my most wanted list.
Love your style lady!
Ashley Mayes
Thanks Kyla! I have a similar (cheaper) version of that lamp and I love mine as well. That buffalo... totally love it.
Sarah @ An Inviting Home
Hang in there Ashley! I say, "clean up your things" at least 15 times a day. I think it gets easier as kids get bigger and can clean up their own things although I'm still having to remind them that they need to clean up after themselves...constantly. It is something that drives me nuts but living in chaos drives me nuts too. And my philosophy on decorating is doing little things that add up over time...the nice thing is it keeps us decorators always having a possible project to work on. 🙂
~Sarah
Ashley Mayes
Great tips Sarah. Thanks for the encouragement!
Grace @ The Big Reveal
Love this! So glad you linked it up to our Found & Foraged linky party. Hope to see you again next week:)
Ashley Mayes
Thanks Grace! I'll be back for sure. =)
Laura Irion // Avery Street Design
Hey Ashley, this was a great read. I can so relate! And everyone says it gets better as kids grow older, but right now it's just smaller toys and MORE of them!! Hopefully there will be an end in sight eventually. 🙂 And I know exactly what you're saying about layering being hard (and especially when those layers will likely get knocked down, climbed on, or eaten!) *Sigh* At least we traded clean & put together homes for the wonderful things that snuggles and giggles and tiny toes and rumpled little bed heads are. We definitely got the better end of the deal! 🙂
Ashley Mayes
I laughed (out loud) while reading your reply on kids eating things. So funny! The legos over here are out of control. I hope Santa brings some sort of organization system my way. =)
Kyla @ House Of Hipsters
Oh man, send Santa over this way with a lego organizer contraption! Girl, thank you so much for supporting the new gals on the block with Found & Foraged! And you best come back next Saturday night!
Ashley Mayes
Ha! I'm glad that someone else shares my pain. I've heard good stuff about this bag: http://www.amazon.com/Swoop-Original-Storage-Playmat-BLUE/dp/B007VD8POW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1416576076&sr=8-3&keywords=storage+bag+for+kids
I think Santa will bring it to our house this year.