Your home is where you spend most of the time with your kids, especially the living room - it is the central part of the home. So, it's no wonder that you have to include your kids' needs when you're arranging the living room. In order for all of you to enjoy in it together, here is what you should pay attention to:

Choose the right fabric

When it comes to choosing the right furniture, it is different when you're picking it for a living room where kids spend a lot of time. It automatically means your furniture needs to be endurable - there will be a lot of jumping, climbing, spilling food and drinks and doing art projects. So, the fabric of the furniture should be both practical and comfortable.

If you are aiming for durability, opt for fabrics with high rub counts or with tight weaves. The leather is another option if you are ready to spend more money - it can handle the spills, while scratches will blend in the patina in time. If you want a different kind of protection against spills, then try slipcovers - you can just peel off the cover when something gets spilled and wash it.

On the other hand, you can go for busy patterns or fabrics with various colors - both of them will disguise the stains really well.

Be smart with the storage

Kids need a lot of storage for their toys, books and art supply, you know that already.  The point is to find the right storage in the living room for all that stuff.

The best solution is to choose an enclosed storage that will allow you to hide the mess easily. You can use a credenza for this - it can have a double purpose - why not also use it as a TV stand? There are also various benches and ottomans that have interior storage. If you don't want to go that way, then simply get a couple of decorative baskets where you can quickly stash the toys. It's easier to have enclosed storage than the open one - even if it looks nice, open storage will take too much of your time.

Lighting in the living room

Lighting is used not only for spreading light but also for creating a certain mood. The living room should be the place of relaxation and fun, so your lighting needs to be adaptable to both. If you want to achieve a relaxing ambiance, go for low lighting fixtures and group them together in a couple of corners of the room. On the other hand, if you place halogen fixtures in the middle of the wall, it will create a sense of a larger, bright and inviting living room.

Table lamps are good if you want to shed light to only certain parts of the room, for example, when your kids are taking a nap on the sofa and you need the light at the table. Another great way to control the light, especially the sunlight, are popular Venetian blinds, which are also far more practical and safer than curtains when it comes to having kids in the living room.

Pieces of furniture - protection

Whatever piece of furniture you add to the living room, beside the sofa and the coffee table, such as bookcases and shelves, you need to secure them to the wall with brackets to make sure they don't fall down while your child is trying to climb them. Also, any piece of furniture with sharp corners has to be covered with bumpers, which are usually made of plastic or rubber.

Final comment

Your living room can be just as relaxing for you as it can be for your kids. With these tricks, you can make it happen.