Little hands and paws have a knack for causing lots of premature wear-and-tear. From unremovable stains in the carpet to scratch marks on the furniture, the havoc these little beings can wreak on your home seems to be limitless. Instead of just dealing with it, there are ways to proactively guard against the mess and destruction. Below, we’ll go over a few materials and home design choices to make your house more resistant to kids and pets.
Let’s start with one of the most problematic areas: your floors. Seeing lots of traffic every day, certain flooring may become worn much faster than others. A great choice for families with little ones or accident-prone pets is solution-dyed fiber carpeting. Using modern technology, this method lets the carpet fiber soak up the dye, which makes it much more resilient to new colors or “stains.” Available in all shades, these carpets are free of harmful materials and chemicals, making them a fantastic choice for maintaining the aesthetics while also keeping the family healthy and happy.
Another option is luxury vinyl plank flooring, specifically one with stone plastic composite (SPC). Sustainable and waterproof, the core layer made of stone dust makes this surface denser and more durable than other vinyl planks and composite flooring options. It also features a transparent wear layer for lots of scratch and stain resistance. Easy to install, SPC comes in a variety of wood and stone visuals to match the look you want.
Next are the walls. With kids using them as a canvas and pets splashing mud all the way up to the ceiling, a house’s walls need a little help defensively from time to time. One great way to enhance your walls is with the right paint. By opting for paint with a satin or eggshell finish, it makes the walls a lot easier to maintain, since messes can be wiped off quickly and easily.
If you want to add more flair but still have family-friendly walls, there’s also pet-proof wallpaper. Perfect for an accent wall or enchanting entryway, modern wallpaper has huge potential design-wise. It’s also made with safe, durable materials for stronger resistance and easy clean-up. When next renovating your walls, consider browsing the wide selection of non-woven or laminated options to help you find a unique design to love.
Lastly, it’s important to be particular when it comes to furniture fabrics. A wide variety of fabrics have been developed to withstand even the most active of households. For instance, solution-dyed acrylic fabrics are spill- and stain-proof, making them perfect for functional yet still decorative throw pillows and furniture cushions. If you’ve already invested in furnishings, there are also slipcovers to make upkeep easier. Machine-washable and versatile, modern slipcovers can be changed seasonally to help prolong the life of your higher-traffic furniture.
Want to learn more about kid- and pet-friendly materials for your home? Check out the accompanying resource from Floor Covering Associates for further information.
https://whitesandsdesignbuild.com/kid-pet-friendly-luxury-home/
https://www.fcainc.com/waterproof-vinyl-flooring/
https://www.fcainc.com/carpet/
Infographic created by FCA Floor Covering Associates, Top-of-the-Line Flooring Store Serving the Chicago Area
