Furniture – Choose the Right Material

It’s funny to think that our two favorite members in the home – children and pets – can also be the most destructive, particularly on major investments like furniture. For many homeowners, the process of choosing the right type of kid and pet-friendly furniture can be a frustrating challenge. Before you convince yourself you can’t have durable furniture that also looks nice, check out these practical design ideas.

Choose the Right Material

Some furniture materials help resist stains and fur better than others. For easy cleanup, leather is often a good choice because food stains and fur can come right off. However, clawed animals like cats can ruin a piece of leather furniture just as quickly as little Johnny can permanently make his mark with his collection of ink pens. Instead, you might consider cloth materials such as micro-fiber for its tight weave or a nice tweed, both of which are great for repelling stains and are easy to clean if they need it.

Choose Colorful Patterns

Allow yourself to become one with your children’s and pets’ destructive tendencies by choosing colors and patterns that naturally camouflage many of the stains that happen on a daily basis. The goal is not to hide stains, but rather to draw less attention to the problem until you can get a good, professional cleaning. Patterned and darker colored textiles or large, bold print fabrics are ideal for this.

Designate an Area That’s Just for Them

It’s unrealistic to keep your children or pets in just one area of the home, but you can create a unique living area that puts their needs first and, over time, may become more appealing to them than adult furniture. Children’s furniture stores offer comfortable recliners and table and chair sets that look nice and your kids will certainly enjoy. Pet beds have also come a long way in recent years and now are available in designer brands, right along with the regular sofas and chairs you’ll find at your favorite furniture store.

So, see, you can have beautiful looking furniture. It just requires more thought and consideration during the buying process. Be realistic about your lifestyle when choosing pieces, so you can spend more time playing with little Johnny and less time worrying about what else is in his path of destruction.