Family-Friendly Decorating: Lessons from Bunny Williams

Browsing over at Veranda today, I stopped to read the slideshow featuring the Bunny Williams-decorated family home from the Jan/Feb 2013 issue. When I saw this opening photo below, I scoffed thinking...family home? Really? Because my home does not look like that! 

But then I read on and I loved the smart tips the design legend had to offer. In my opinion they are these are three crucial items to think about for family-friendly decorating.

1. Baskets.

  “Children can spread things out in a room really fast, so it’s great to have a pretty basket in the room that you can quickly grab and scoop all the toys and things into."

Boy am I living through this right now. My 14 month old is running all over the place carrying toys with him and then dropping them everywhere. I adore her focus on utilizing baskets to corral all their "stuff." Its not a new idea (I must have written about the benefits of baskets and bins a million times myself)  but one that truly does make a difference in the home. With baskets he can just grab and go and then later, I can just toss the toys IN and go. I adore these and these. 

2. Space.

The caption for this photo discussed how the family's large entryway doubles as a play area for the children. I love this idea.

As Bunny explained on this slide, space is so important for children. The floor is where babies practice tummy time, learn to turn over, crawl and walk and where toddlers and kids run around, play with their toys and so on. 

Space is a hot commodity so if you have children or are thinking about having them soon, my best advice is to evaluate your rooms and get rid of excess furniture and accessories that may be taking up floor space. You'll be glad you did!

3. Throws and blankets.

In my opinion, you can never have too many! And as Bunny says in the article, a throw "keeps things from looking too matchy, and a throw can also save upholstery." She is right on the money. My sofa would have looked ten times worse had I not had plenty of throws, to shield it from the spit up, drool and other messes babies and tots are known for.

I also agree with her thoughts on using throws on the floor for small kids while they play. It's a must for hardwood floors, but also important even if you have a rug because it gives little ones as much cushion as possible making floor time play all the more fun. 

Thanks for stopping by today...let's continue the conversation...leave a comment below! Have a great weekend!