The Joy of Decorating a Family Home

The family home is an important place. As a family, we learn and develop together and I’ve come to realise the family home is a large part of this. It’s where so many treasured memories are made, where new pursuits and dreams are realised, where celebrations are held and commiserations are at their least destructive.

As such, decorating the family home is important and exciting. You’ll be setting the tone in your home for potentially years to come, and whilst changes can be made, it’s fun to see how your design sensibilities change over time.

So let’s say you’ve just purchased your first family home. What kind of interior design should you be considering, and how can it benefit your family? Are you looking for neon signs for home lighting?

Family Matters

To me, a family home never feels complete without a collection of personal photos on display. These should document all the special times you’ve spent together as a family, and therefore be presented as attractively as possible. Right now, my favourite way to present photos is in collages. You can either put together the photos yourself, or buy a multi-panel frame which has ready-set frames to create instant collages.

This doesn’t just apply to photos too! Through time, we often accumulate heirlooms that can have sentimental value. As they are passed on, they should be displayed proudly in your own home as both a sign of your culture and heritage. This will also likely engage your child’s curiosity, which gives them an opportunity to learn more about their history. For example, some people have a family logo or tag line, which can be turned into neon signs in home decor. It is a good idea to use one of these lights in a spot with less traffic or a dark corner that needs to become brighter. You may try this idea in the free online design tool with a background similar to your walls and pick your favorite colors, fonts, or just upload your logo.

Something Inspiring

Whether it’s something significant and historical, your home decor should also try to inspire some sense of greatness in your children. This could be a legendary cultural figure or representation of your ideology. Try expressing this via art to create something which not only adds to the décor of your room, but also has a personal meaning.

When I was younger, my mum had beautiful photographs of Santorini on our kitchen wall, Edinburgh in our living room, and the beaches of Koh Samui in our bathroom. As a child I didn’t really know where these places were, but I was always inspired and intrigued by the locations and it got me interested in travelling.

This affected me so much that I’ve now been to all three destinations with my husband; I think my mum really did inspire me to see those places, so try encouraging similar behaviour from your own kids with some lush pictures of a faraway place.

Something Childish

Your home is your castle, but with a bit of imagination it can be so much more! Close the window shutters, grab some sofa cushions and build a fort. What’s the fun in having children if you can’t act like a child yourself sometimes? Maintaining this sense of fun is important, and this should be reflected in your home décor.

Think of something colourful, bright, and fun that can permeate the more stoic design aspects of your home. This’ll not only keep your kids happy, but also nurture the child in you that, despite your greatest protests, just wants to see crazy, colourful creations adorn every inch of your home.

As a middle ground, consider a colourful or decorative wallpaper for certain rooms in your home. This could be a child’s bedroom or even a playroom, and will create a clear space for your kids that may be lacking in other areas of your house.

Encourage Curiosity

It’s healthy for your children to be curious about things, and the home is perfect for developing this knowledge. I remember watching my sister and her daughter bond over baking, and it’s now where they spend the most time together in her home. She even approached a maker of bespoke kitchens in Surrey (when she was living in the UK) to create a kinder cooking environment for my niece. Now they bake together almost every day.

This may sound odd, but altering the layout and design of a home, or just a particular room, can help open opportunities for children that can be carried into young adulthood. Do everything you can to encourage curious behaviour and practices, even if it ends with a crayon diorama on your white walls!

Go Outside

If you’re lucky enough to have outside space, you should invest in outdoors chairs and tables so you can spend time as a family in the garden. You’ll also need to ensure your garden is actually suitable for children, and not like something from The Little Shop of Horrors.

 

*This was a guest post

Featured image photo credit

Sharing is caring!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.