Families need to spend time together both at home and outside of it, but there are also benefits to having kid-free zones at home, too. This doesn’t mean banishing your children from rooms of the house, but having separate spaces for them to enjoy and the adults to relax in can sometimes be beneficial. This is especially true when your kids begin to transition into teenagers and start to want more privacy.
If you’re lucky enough to have a home that’s large enough for two living rooms, turning one of them into a den room for your kids could be a great idea. Here are some ideas and tips for you to use as a guide if you’re considering doing something like this at home.
Furniture
Of course, like in any living room or den, having comfortable furniture is essential. Corner couches or armchairs always look nice in a room like this and it’s important to buy furniture that’s big enough for your kids and their friends to sit on together.
If your kids enjoy video games, SumoLounge offers large bean-bag chairs that are ideal for gaming, but they’ll also look great in the den. Ask your kids what kind of furniture they’d like and include them in the selection process. You might also want to think about your budget, too. While you want to buy your kids nice things, remember there is likely to be a lot of spills and mess in a den room designed for kids; therefore, investing in an expensive couch might not be the best way to go. At the very least, buy some throws to protect the furniture from spilled drinks, etc.
Snack Station
Your kids are likely to spend a lot of time in their den either alone or with friends, and a feature they will appreciate is a snack station. A mini-fridge stocked with their favorite sodas and other drinks will be wonderful when they’re entertaining their friends, especially when paired with some tasty treats. This will be a big hit with teens and younger children alike.
Games
If your kids are into video games, they are likely going to want to have a games console included in their den, and it’s good to give them some other options, too. Buying some classic board games, cards, or some new favorites for them to play with each other or their friends could be a good idea. These alternative games might persuade them to reduce their screen-time and interact with each other face-to-face and can be enjoyed by all ages, making them suitable for teens and younger kids.
Décor
If you’re designing this den for your kids, you should let them decide how it’s decorated (within reason!). It’s a space for them to enjoy, so allowing them to express themselves and create a room that reflects their personalities is a good idea. Although there may be a few squabbles about how it should look, having them work together to design the room could turn out to be a good bonding experience and a fun project for them. If you’d rather take charge of this task, think about their favorite books, movies, or other references to things they like that you could introduce into the room via artwork or other items. Consider introducing calming color schemes to help them relax, too.
Play Area
If you’re designing this den for younger children, it’ll need to become more of a play area rather than a casual living space that teens would enjoy. To do this effectively, it could be worth splitting the room into sections. For example, one corner of the room could be dedicated to arts and crafts, and in another corner perhaps a playhouse could be put up? You might even want to consider putting up special wallpaper that is designed for children to draw on, allowing them to indulge in their creative side while you don’t have to worry about ruined walls!
Reading Nook
There has been a growing concern over how much time both children and adults spend looking at screens during the day. If you’re worried about this as a parent and want to try and reduce your children’s screen time, creating a reading nook in their den could be a good way to combat this. It’s an idea that would work well for both younger kids and teenagers and could be the perfect hideaway for them to get lost in a good book. You should make it cozy and comfortable, and ensure there is a good light at hand for them to use when reading in the evenings or on gloomy days.
Storage
Having adequate storage will also be important in your kids’ den, particularly for the younger children who will have a lot of toys lying around. There are plenty of creative storage options available for those who are working with smaller rooms and want to retain as much floor space as possible. Floating shelves are also stylish storage solutions that can help make more room for furniture. A media unit is another option that could provide plenty of storage space and only take up one wall.
Having a shared space at home that the entire family can use together is essential, but it’s also important that kids and adults feel like they have their separate spaces, too. You can both entertain friends without feeling as though you’re on top of one another. Younger children have a whole room they can play in and teenagers can retreat to their den when they don’t want to hang out with their parents.
As an adult, you can have a grown-up living room without worrying about spills or tripping up on toys, and be able to relax with your partner or by yourself in peace. If you have space at home to create a den room for your kids, why not give it a try? Use the tips above to help you design and decorate a perfect hideaway for your kids.
To read more on topics like this, check out the Lifestyle category
Leave a Reply