By Randi Wilson, C.I.D. | Interior Decorator
Most of us have stood in the grocery checkout line and envied the beautiful rooms gracing the covers of magazines. But can beautiful design and everday function coexist when children and pets are in the mix? Absolutely! Fabric has a come a long way in the last decade. Many manufacturers are now covering sofas in fabrics that were once only used for outdoor furniture. These fabrics are both fade and stain resistant, making it easy to wipe up paw prints and spills. Another option is slipcovers. You can purchase a slip covered sofa or buy slipcovers for an existing sofa. Slipcovers are an affordable way to protect and update the color or pattern on your sofa, while offering the convenience of a machine washable fabric. Go ahead and use those stain-resistant fabrics and slipcovers for your dining room chairs too. Just because kids are messy doesn’t mean you need to resign yourself to plain wooden chairs for the next 18 years!
Many people opt for blinds over curtains because curtains can become magnets for dust, pet hair and sticky hands. There’s no need to forgo window dressings if you purchase curtains in machine washable fabrics. This may sound odd, but cotton shower curtains make great inexpensive drapes! Simply clamp ring clips onto the curtains and slide them right onto your curtain rod.
Afraid to use a decorative rug in the play room or under your dining room table? You shouldn’t be. Synthetic polypropylene rugs, once only used for patios or sun rooms, are now being manufactured in a rainbow of colors, textures and patterns for indoor use. These rugs are durable and can be easily spot-cleaned, unlike wool, cotton or sisal options.
Traditional wood floors are beautiful and easy to clean, but can be expensive. Pet nails and toys can leave can leave unsightly scratches and dents on hardwood. One good alternative is laminate flooring. Benefits of laminates include cost, durability, resistance to ultraviolet light, and ease of installation and repair. Bamboo flooring is another great option. Since bamboo is a fast-growing plant and is easy to produce, it can be less costly than traditional hardwoods. Bamboo can also harder than many traditional hardwoods. Another great eco-friendly renewable resource is cork flooring. Cork has the unique ability to compress and recover even under heavy traffic situations. It provides noise and vibration reduction and thermal insulation. It’s also antimicrobial and resistant to water, mildew, mold, rot and insects.
Don’t be overwhelmed. A stylish room is attainable and affordable with a little ingenuity and a great washing machine!
Randi Wilson has an interior decorating degree from the Art Institutes and specializes in eco-friendly residential design. She can be contacted by emailing: lostcoast4@yahoo.com. Additional photos of her projects can be seen on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/RandiWilsonInteriors.