Alma Emprendedora Alma Emprendedora Issue 001 2014 | Page 16

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5 KID-FRIENDLY HOME
DECORATING TIPS
F

or many years, creating familyfriendly spaces meant sacrificing your
design aesthetic. Thankfully, gone are
the days when having children meant
succumbing to a house full of brightyellow bins and sofas wrapped in plastic.
Today, new materials and technologies
make it easy to create a beautiful, welldesigned home that meets the needs of
adults and children alike. The following
tips may help you design a living space
that satisfies your design goals and
meets the demands of your youngest
family members.

1- Invest in good furniture.
It may seem counterintuitive, but
Erica Islas, interior designer and founder
of EMI Interior Design, encourages
clients with young children to buy highquality furniture. “Some people are
afraid to invest in living rooms and
family rooms because they think kids will
ruin everything,” Islas says. “But the
truth is that you have to get things that
will hold up to children.”Children are
notoriously tough on furniture; and the
cheaper furniture you may be tempted
17 ALMA EMPRENDERORA

to buy will likely break more easily and
need to be replaced frequently.
Instead, look for pieces that are built
to withstand years of abuse and can be
reupholstered or refinished once your
children have grown. Furthermore, many
furniture manufacturers and stores offer
warranties. Consider those carefully and
decide if the extra protection would be
of value to your family.

“Creating a kid-friendly

space does not mean glass
and art should go into
storage. Instead, teach

your family to appreciate

beautiful objects by living
among them and elevate

the more fragile accessories
so they are out of reach.”