Decorating a room for kids is child’s play

Interiors go topsy-turvy when little ones come along, but as Kya deLongchamps reveals, a space for all can be found

ONCE children enter the interior arena, priorities have to change. White linen upholstery and glass topped coffee tables take now elicit high pitched yells from parents as something far more precious wobbles towards them on unsteady legs with a fist full of Nutella poised overhead. Compromise between an orderly home and the ocean of activities and detritus that accompanies children of every age is vital to keep the peace.

WHOSE HOUSE IS IT ANYWAY? Corralling children sternly out of ‘good rooms’ is a leftover from the 1950s. The ‘good room’ was pickled in the aspic of social etiquette demanding a perfect display of tastefully chosen goods if a neighbour called unexpectedly. Today, with every room pressed into service in a busy family house, it simply doesn’t make sense and it could be argued that estranging little ones based on the room you are in is questionable.