Our homes should be sanctuaries, but it’s not always to create an environment that caters to everyone and checks every box. From health and safety to boosting mental well-being and designing a space that makes your whole family feel happy and relaxed, there are several elements to consider when building a house, updating a traditional home or embarking upon a renovation or interior design project. In this guide, we’ll highlight some effective steps to create a comfortable home environment for your family.
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Identify and eliminate hazards
It’s important for every homeowner to consider safety when designing a new home or modernizing an older property, but it’s particularly beneficial to prioritize health and safety when you have kids. When you become a parent, it’s natural to want to do everything you can to avoid accidents and injuries and keep your children safe. The first step to take when creating a comfortable environment for your family is to identify and eliminate hazards. Inspect every room and explore your outdoor space. Note down any jobs that need tackling and any problems that could pose a danger to your children.
Once you’ve highlighted issues to address, figure out if you can take on any of the tasks yourself and work out a timeframe. If you’re short on time, or you need expert help, start looking for suitable businesses, contractors or service providers in the local area. It’s an excellent idea to read reviews and ask friends, colleagues, neighbors and family members for recommendations. From plumbing and HVAC to gardening, construction and electrics, it’s always reassuring to use companies or individuals who have delivered high-quality services to people you know.
Common hazards to be aware of in the home include obstacles that can cause slips, trips and falls, trailing wires, items with cords, such as blinds and curtains, exposed wires, power sockets, cupboards that may contain toxic substances or medications, uneven or damaged flooring and sharp objects. In the backyard, check for broken or damaged fencing, decking or patio surfaces, clear pathways, and make sure your boundaries are secure.
Create zones for different activities
Our homes are multipurpose spaces. We use our homes for an ever-growing range of activities, from work and play to entertaining, working out, enjoying hobbies and even running businesses. If you need your house to cater to several people and provide a suitable base for different activities, it’s beneficial to create distinctive zones. This will enable you to allocate living spaces to different members of the family and ensure everyone has space to pursue their interests and relax. Designating areas for specific functions can also help you design shared and private spaces. You can enjoy time alone as well as spending quality time together as a family.
Before you start work on your home, think carefully about how you use your house and what kinds of zones would best suit your family. Perhaps your kids love to be creative, you would like space to exercise, write or play music, or you enjoy playing games together, for example. Based on this information, you could set up messy areas, create a quiet, adult-friendly space and design a social, cozy area for family time, fun activities and chilling out with your kids, friends and other family members. Adjust and tailor your plans to suit your needs and preferences as a family. You may also want to consider creating tranquil, private areas for working and studying or entertaining spaces if you love to host parties or your home tends to be the hub for family gatherings.
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Choose design concepts, ideas and trends that make you happy
Our home environments can have an amazing impact on how we feel, our moods and our mental well-being. One of the simplest ways to design a home that makes you feel happy is to choose concepts, ideas, trends and themes you love. It’s easy to get carried away with interior design trends, especially in the age of social media and glossy interior magazines, but it’s important to focus on what makes you happy. Don’t feel you have to choose certain colors because they’re on every hot list if you prefer other shades, for example.
When you’re decorating your home, accessorizing or choosing colors for your walls, floors or finishing touches, it’s worth spending time exploring stores, browsing online galleries and looking at products. Don’t rush to complete rooms or get a cohesive mood board together. Take your time to think about what you want, research and get inspiration. Many of us are inspired by other people’s ideas and concepts or themes we’ve seen in hotels, bars, stores or restaurants, but it’s always possible to put your stamp on the final blueprint.
It’s important to think about the aesthetic you want to create when you’re revamping your home or relocating to a new pad, but it’s also wise to consider the vibe. How do you want to feel when you’re at home and what kind of tone do you want to set? You may find that the answer changes depending on the room or space you’re working on. For most of us, the bedroom is a restful, peaceful haven, for example. You can use colors, lighting, soft furnishings, statement features, wall art and materials to help you add ambiance whether you’re aiming for a serene sanctuary or a vibrant, uplifting social area.
Get the temperature right
The temperature of a room can have a significant impact on our ability to relax, unwind and feel comfortable and content. If it’s too hot or cold, it can be difficult to focus on anything apart from staying warm or trying to cool down. Getting the temperature just right in your home plays an integral role in creating living spaces that induce calm and make us feel happy and comfortable.
The best ways to keep your home at the right temperature include using a thermostat, adding modern, energy-efficient HVAC systems, keeping your heating and AC service record up to date, and insulating your home effectively. During the winter when it’s cold outside, the goal is to create a cozy, warm home. Check your heating systems regularly, especially in the run-up to winter, schedule inspections and services and improve insulation. You can do this by using professional insulation services, replacing old or damaged windows and doors or using DIY hacks. Examples include sealing your window and door frames, using draft excluders, adding disposable secondary glazing sheets to your windows and plugging gaps in exterior walls.
When it’s hot during the summer months, you want your home to provide respite from the heat. You can create cool, refreshing spaces using AC systems, but there are also some clever DIY options. These include keeping your windows closed during the day to prevent hot air from getting in, opening the windows at night to allow cool air to flow through your home, using fans to circulate the air and planting trees or tall plants around the exterior of your house to provide shade.
You can also transition seamlessly from one season to the next using soft furnishings. If temperatures are plunging, opt for heavy-duty, warm materials such as wool, faux fur, borg and fleece and layer blankets, throws, and cushions. When the mercury rises, swap to lighter, natural fabrics, such as linen and cotton.
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Add personal touches
Adding personal touches can help you design a home that feels special and unique. Our homes should reflect our sense of style, personality, lifestyle and experiences. There are many ways to personalize your home, ranging from hanging family photos or customized wall art to choosing specific colors, using mementos as inspiration and adding statement pieces, such as furniture or bespoke lighting installations. Use personalization to elevate design ideas or put your own stamp on a trend or template you love.
Consider your lifestyle
We all want to live in homes that look stunning, but it’s also critical to make sure your home delivers on a practical level, especially when you have children. Consider your lifestyle when viewing properties, working on renovation or design plans and personalizing your space. How do you use your home? What kind of home do you want to create? How will you spend your time in each space? What are your priorities? If you can answer these questions before you start conjuring up ideas, it will help you create a home that fits with your lifestyle. Maybe you love the great outdoors, you prefer a quiet life, you have young kids who need space to explore, play, create mess and have fun, or you use your home for work, for example. Once you know what you need and want, you can modify, adapt and customize your plans to make sure they check every box.
Decluttering and storage
Clutter can increase the risk of stress, make spacious rooms look small and cramped and make it harder to find things. Decluttering is a great way to reduce stress, create a more aesthetically pleasing home and ensure tidying is a breeze. If you’re overdue a clearout, go through every room and set aside piles of stuff to keep, sell, throw away or donate. Invest in storage solutions to find a home for everything you want to hold onto. From tubs, crates, rails, racks and baskets to shelving systems, furniture with built-in storage, media walls, attics, garages and storage units, there are options to suit everyone.
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Every parent wants their children to feel safe, happy and comfortable at home. If you’re moving, updating your property, or planning a revamp, take these tips on board. Identify and eliminate hazards, create zones for different activities, and get the temperature right. Choose design trends, colors and concepts that you love, consider your lifestyle, add personal touches, declutter, and make use of innovative storage solutions.
