Living with parents, kids or pets? Follow these tips for a comfortable living space
A comfortable living space brings together the needs of the whole household, including elderly family members, children and family pets. Let’s see how you can work to make your home comfortable for everyone.
Furniture Makes the Difference
Making your home a safe and fun place for the family might include electric rise and recline chairs in your TV room, especially if you have elderly or disabled family members. Falls in the home are less of a risk when armchairs can change tilt and height to accommodate your loved ones’ needs and help them get in and out of your shared living spaces with ease.
It’s especially important to balance form and function when choosing the furniture for your common areas. While low-rise, flat lined sofas may be sleek and attractive in magazines or showrooms, often they aren’t as comfortable as plumper sofas with deep cushions and higher backs. If you have small pets or small children that will want to use the sofas, take their needs into consideration when choosing upholstery and color, too. Some upholstery fabrics can be uncomfortable for small hands or small paws.
Flooring Makes it Fabulous
If you’re in a position to change up your flooring, then you can make a big difference on how comfortable your home is. Tiled flooring is good if you’re living somewhere with hot summers, but it’s often not very comfortable for dogs or kids to play on, and can be slippery when wet. A wood-paneled or parquet floor often makes a room look cozy, but will be more expensive to maintain.
Carpeting is often the most comfortable option you have for flooring, but not every carpet makes for a cozy home. You’ll need to consider how the color of your carpet affects the ambiance of your living space and compare that with how practical it is. For example, a lighter-colored carpet will often make your room seem bigger and better lit, but may need to be covered with rugs to offset spills.
Rugs are a good way to make your home more comfortable, but need to be in places where they don’t form a tripping hazard.
Lighting Sets the Mood
Though you can’t really touch it, how your home is lit will affect how comfortable it seems to you. Yellow-toned lights will create a cozy glow in the winter, while overhead lights give a feeling of security.
Generally, installing levels of lighting—overhead, table lamps and floor lamps—will give you the option of changing your lighting style during the evening and to suit your mood. Be sure to choose options that are easy to reach and out of the way for your younger family members.
What other tricks have you discovered for keeping your home comfortable?
