Becoming a parent comes with an unspoken set of assumptions about how a home is supposed to look afterward. Not in terms of taste evolving, but in terms of inevitability. The expectation is that once a child enters the picture, your space will naturally become cluttered, surfaces will stay bare out of necessity, and anything expressive or decorative will eventually be packed away. It is framed less as a choice and more as a fact of life.

Takeaways New Hide ▲

Family homes don’t

need to become bland

to be truly functional

Choose durable furniture

that welcomes wear

without sacrificing character

Keep color and art

edit thoughtfully instead

of stripping walls bare

Use smart storage

to corral toys

without overtaking shared rooms

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I understood that my home would need to function differently long before my son arrived. During pregnancy, it became clear that there would be new systems, new routines and new considerations layered into daily life. What I never accepted was the idea that personality and point of view had to disappear in the process. I refused to treat my home like a placeholder for some future version of myself, one where I would eventually be allowed to care about design again.

Designing for a Toddler Without Erasing Personality

Now, with a 21-month-old who climbs the coffee table, pulls at the console, throws toys with impressive force, and leaves crumbs everywhere, the reality of living with a toddler is very present. I vacuum constantly. I had to secure objects with museum putty after watching him test gravity more than once. I no longer style low surfaces the way I used to. None of this has diminished my home. It has simply made me more deliberate.

I did not give up color nor replace everything with wipeable neutrals. I did not empty my walls or remove art because a child lives here. Instead, I edited thoughtfully. I paid attention to placement. I moved meaningful objects higher, chose sturdier materials when it made sense, and accepted that some wear is part of a lived-in home rather than a design failure.

Why I Refused to Design a “Kid-Only” Home

I am firmly against the idea that homes with children must default to blindness or visual emptiness. I believe kids should grow up around design, not away from it. Color, art, quirky objects, and spaces with a clear perspective teach children how to see, how to appreciate form, and how to exist in environments that feel layered and expressive.

My home still has personality. It still reflects how I see the world. What it does not do is prioritize fragility. I choose materials that can handle daily life. I accept wear as part of living. I edit rather than eliminate. There is a meaningful difference between being careless and being realistic.

Editing Thoughtfully Instead of Starting Over

There are things I did not give up. I did not strip my walls. I did not remove art. I did not replace everything with purely practical pieces that lacked character. Instead, I made adjustments. Rugs that can be cleaned without losing their visual impact. Furniture that holds up under real use. Storage solutions that work without overtaking the room.

The goal was never to preserve my home in perfect condition. It was to allow it to remain expressive while acknowledging that a small person lives here too.

A Home That Reflects Life as It Is

Designing a home with a child has sharpened my perspective rather than diluted it. It has made me more intentional about what stays, where it lives, and why it matters. My son is growing up in a space filled with color, art, and objects that tell a story. That feels far more valuable than pretending life does not unfold here.

The Art of Home is not about preserving a space untouched. It is about allowing it to evolve while keeping its point of view intact.