6 Kid Friendly Living Room Essentials

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of CORT Furniture Clearance Center. All opinions are 100% mine.

I remember growing up and visiting my Grandmother’s house. She didn’t have a very kid friendly living room. You weren’t allowed to sit down if the furniture wasn’t covered in plastic so that it wouldn’t get damaged. It was uncomfortable especially in those summer months. The heat of the summer combined with the slippery plastic made for the most uncomfortable hours of my life as a kid.

I knew that when I had kids of my own I wanted to have nice things that weren’t covered in plastic, even though I understand why my Grandmother did it. Kids are destructive. Babies are messy. It’s just a fact of life. A few weeks ago we ditched our dingy red sofa for a luxurious new sectional from CORT Furniture Clearance Center. The one agreement that we made as a family was that we would take better care of this couch than we did the last.

Once the sofa set foot in our home, we decided that we would make our kid friendly living room as livable as possible with no plastic covers anywhere in sight. If you’re like us and on the hunt to make your living room more kid friendly while still keeping it stylish, here are 6 essentials to consider when designing the room.

6 Kid Friendly Living Room Essentials

1. The right fabric is key!

When we were shopping for our new sofa, we already knew what fabric we wanted. We’ve always loved microfiber so that was what we decided to go with. Microfiber can be easily treated with a fabric stain protecter to help make those spills and stains easier to get rid of. Another great option is leather too. However, we decided against that for our kid friendly living room because it’s not the greatest quietest options. If you’re kids are anything like mine and constantly hopping on and off the sofa, I would skip the leather too.

2. An open floor plan is great for entertaining.

Open floor plans are all the rage these days. They allow you to keep an eye on the kids and are great for entertaining guests. I love an open floor plan in our home because we have tons of extra space to get out our art supplies and create masterpieces with our kids.

3. Add pops of color to brighten the room.

Pops of color can brighten up any space and lighten the mood in any room. I love going for bright colors in kid friendly rooms. Colors like pinks, yellows, and blues are great options. Hints of gold are a great eye-catcher too. I love changing the colors seasonally with pillows and throws.

4. Don’t forget the personal touches.

Just because you have a kid friendly living room doesn’t mean that you can’t add some personal touches. I love adding pictures, photo albums, and artwork to a space. A fun display of your kids artwork can add the personal touch your home needs.

5. Washable pillow cases and throws are a must.

Remember how I said kids are reckless? You’ll want to keep that in mind when designing your family room. When you’re shopping for accent pieces, remember to choose only the throw pillows that have removable cases that can be washed.

6. Hidden storage is priceless.

When you have kids, it seems like you have an endless supply of things. Over the years you accumulate more stuff than you know what to do with. Storage in your kid friendly living room is priceless. Hidden storage like a storage ottoman or photo box is perfect whether you’re wanting to store toys, keepsakes, or movies. A coffee table with drawers or shelf space for baskets is a great solution too.

Keep the bean bags for the kids rooms and create a stylish, adult space that’s still kid friendly with these tips. Do you have a family friendly living space? What are some essential design elements you used when creating your space?

Head over to the CORT Blog for some serious design inspiration.