15 Home Renovation Tips for Families with Kids

Just before the Pandemic hit, Brett and I bought a new house that we immediately remodeled.  Our daughter Poppy was just a baby, and now that she’s a very active toddler, we’ve learned some lessons that I thought I’d pass along to you!  Below are 15 tips to consider before remodeling your kid-friendly home:

1. Knobs instead of levers - I debated between knobs and levers for our doors, but ultimately opted for levers.  About a month after we moved in, Poppy was not only walking, but was actively trying to open doors.  The levers made that so easy for her!  If we did it all over again, I’d get knobs to buy us a few more months of being able to contain her.

2. Easy to clean floors - in our townhouse, I had my *dream* floors installed: Hallmark Floors’ Alta Vista Malibu.  They are wide plank Vintage European designed hardwood floors.  They weren’t cheap, but I loved them!  About a week after the floors were laid, we scratched them.  I was devastated.  So when we started planning our next remodel, I opted for Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) because it was inexpensive, waterproof, and virtually indestructible.  Admittedly, I still wish we had our Hallmark Floors, but everytime the dog or Poppy spills something on the floor, I am thankful that we went with the practical option.

3. Easy to Clean Paint - Flat paint might be most designer’s preference, but unless you like to routinely wash your walls, I’d opt for an eggshell sheen.  Eggshell isn’t “shiny” but it is also easy to clean.  For your trim, I suggest semi-gloss because dirty hands have a way of touching door frames, doors, and built-ins.

4. Easy to clean upholstery - You may be sensing a theme here… but if you’re opting for built-ins, particularly breakfast benches, make sure the upholstery you choose is washable and durable.  Ideally, the bench cushion cover is removable and can be thrown in the wash, but it also should have stain fighting features.  My best suggestion is to choose an outdoor fabric like Sunbrella for these areas.

5. Get a bigger sink than you think you need - I absolutely love our 36” single basin sink.  I keep a sink grid on the bottom to keep it from getting scratched, and also keep a container in the sink so I have the effect of a double basin sink, without the commitment.  When we first moved in, Poppy’s tub stopper wasn’t working, so we used the sink as her bathtub!

6. Find a Dishwasher with top controls - Our dishwasher’s controls are on the top, so when the door is closed, the buttons aren’t visible to a toddler’s eye.  I’m so glad we opted for this style because I am certain Poppy would be constantly pushing the buttons if she knew they were there.

7. Plan your kitchen cabinets wisely - anytime a client is preparing for a kitchen remodel, I always suggest taking inventory of everything in their kitchen and confirming that the new kitchen layout has a “place” for everything.  Minimalistic kitchens look great, if you only have a minimal amount of kitchenware.  What I’ve found is kids bring with them extra EVERYTHING, so I was glad we had plenty of kitchen cabinet space to store the extra cups, plates, utensils, etc.

8. Use hooks instead of towel bars - in the bathroom, hooks are easier for kids to use, require less adjusting, and stay put better than towel rods.

9. Dark grout in the bathroom - whether you’re doing large format tiles to save money or vintage penny tiles, don’t use white grout.  White grout is a constant battle to keep clean, so opting for a darker grout will help you keep your sanity.

10. Consider tiled walls in the bathroom - If you love the look of wainscoting, consider doing tiled walls.  It’ll last longer and is much easier to clean!

11. Consider Mini-Splits - Our new house had a wall heater, so we needed to install a new heat and air source throughout the house.  Because our house has a very small attic crawl space, we opted for mini splits in each room instead of central heat and air, and we couldn’t be happier!  With mini-splits, you can control the air in each room individually.  What that means is during the day, we don’t heat/cool our empty bedrooms, but even better is at night, we can keep the temperature in our room different from Poppy’s room.  

12. Blackout shades - I didn’t realize the difference between privacy shades and blackout shades when I ordered the shades for our bedrooms.  I opted for privacy shades thinking that privacy shades with blackout curtains would be sufficient for darkening Poppy’s room for daytime naptime.  I was wrong.  While the shades + curtains do significantly darken the room, I wish I had gone with the blackout shades to maximize nap time.

13. Add more Outlets - Make sure you have an outlet on every wall of your house, even if you don’t think you’ll need it.  New homes require this anyway, but if you’re remodeling an old home add the outlets.  A few areas where you might not think to add an outlet but should, include: the hall (for the vacuum cleaner), both sides of a kitchen island, above any built-in cabinet, on both sides of every bed, floor outlets in the living room, one in the exterior eaves for christmas lights, and multiple outlets on your home’s exterior.  

14. Overhead lights are your friend - Table lamps and floor lamps are a recipe for disaster with a toddler, so make sure you have overhead lighting in every room.  That way you can opt for additional lighting if you want, but you aren’t dependent on lamps for lighting.

15. Closed Storage - Open bookcases are beautiful, but make sure you have closed storage for your kiddos toys to hide away (unless you love looking at clutter!).

I’d love to hear your thoughts, especially for families with older kids!  As soon as I publish this post, I’ll likely think of a few more tips, so check back for updates.

If you’re thinking of buying a house that you plan to remodel, let’s connect to chat through the pros and cons!  Give me a call today: Kate Gillingham Milke (619) 933-5319.