Family-Friendly Design
Got kids? Then get the low-down on putting together rooms that will stand up to family life — and still look fabulous.
(Continued from Page 6) By Leah Hennen
Special to HGTV.com
DON’T scrimp on furniture.
Make no mistake: That cushy new reading chair will, in fact, be used as trampoline. It may seem paradoxical, but when you have children it makes sense to buy the best-made furniture you can afford. Look for heavy, solid furnishings constructed with kiln-dried hardwood that’s been screwed, glued and corner-blocked. Make sure upholstered pieces have eight-way ties. And upgrade chair and couch cushions to spring down, which does an excellent job of holding its shape, Wiener advises. These pieces will stand up to years of abuse, and can be reupholstered once your children reach a more civilized age. The cheapo furniture you may be tempted to make do with, on the other hand, will most likely wind up broken, battered, and taking up space in a landfill within a few years — making it no bargain at all. Other tips: Opt for rounded corners on tables and countertops to prevent bruises and black eyes. If couch cushions wind up as weapons in pillow fights or building blocks for forts (and you’re not OK with that), choose a couch with a "tight" — i.e. no-cushion — back, or request hold-down cushion straps or semi-attached cushions, which are sewn onto the couch itself. Whatever you do, leave that fussy pillow-back couch on the showroom floor — you’ll either be hunting down the pillows all over the house, or endlessly fluffing them after family members have plopped down and bounced back up again.
