Reclaim space from kids as family grows

As the mother of two children, now ages 13 and 12, I can certainly relate to the client who called me recently to help her with a design project in her house. Last year, I helped her create a comfortable family room with plenty of stylish storage for all of her kids’ toys. This year, I am helping her “reclaim” her dining room, which had been turned over to her kids’ larger toys like Hot Wheel tracks and play tool bench. “I want an adult room now,” she said. “It’s time for the dining room to actually be a dining room.”

I remember when my kids were toddlers. My daughter is only seventeen months older than my son, and the first year after my son was born was challenging. The sleepless nights, the diapers, and the constant attention they demanded — it was overwhelming at times, and it was easy to let their accoutrements overtake the house. When my son turned one, I remember making a conscious decision to start reclaiming parts of the house. Of course children deserve to live comfortably in the house too, but that doesn’t mean you have to allow their toys to take over.

I started with our master bedroom. I banished all toys from this room, deciding that it had to be a peaceful retreat for my husband and myself. I added a few decorative touches like pretty bedding and candles.

The living room was next. I relegated the toys to the family room and their bedrooms. They were allowed to take things out to play in the living room, but toys were not allowed to live there permanently anymore. Sometimes the kids set up train tracks all through the living room and dining room. Other times they created restaurants and stores (and even a Karate school once!) in the living room. I always let them to do this, but after a few days, all had to be put away again.

My client is going through the same challenges now. As I walked around the toys to take measurements of her dining room, we talked about what she wanted for that space. A formal dining set and custom window treatments topped her list. She wanted a dining room where her large extended family could gather and feel welcome. It had to be child-friendly as well, so she wouldn’t worry and have to say no all the time. For the dining chairs, we selected a richly colored and patterned fabric, which would help disguise stains. She opted to get the fabric treated with a stain guard as an extra precaution. I designed beautiful top treatments for the windows in a merlot color with gold tassel fringe. We decided on valances rather than drapery panels so she wouldn’t have to worry about sticky hands on the fabrics. Her wedding china will finally have a home of its own in the new china cabinet. Soon she will have just what she wants: a family-friendly, beautiful formal dining room.

This article first appeared in Alameda Newspaper Group papers on March 3, 2007.

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All articles copyright 2003-2008 Anna Jacoby.