Wouldn’t it be nice if a house can be completely kid proof? I’m talking about a house that’s resistant to bad odors, stains, and breakage. Even though you may not have kids, your friends and family do. Perhaps you have pets or if you’re like me, you’re a little bit clumsy and drop things. When we first got furniture and pretty decor for our house, I didn’t think about how kids can ruin every. single. one. of. them.

Kidding, it actually has not been that bad. But we did have to replace a couple of things here and there rather quickly. Since I now consider what I buy and how long it will possibly last, I wanted to share with you some things we’ve purchased that are compatible with kids.

Washable cushion covers

Did you know that most, if not all, of Ikea’s sofa sets, are washable? You can even buy new covers inexpensively. There are other companies that sell Ikea’s covers, but I have found Ikea to be the least expensive. My kids decided to turn our old sofa into an art mural with their markers and pens.  I did what I could to remove the stains, but the couch still looked stale. when it was time to replace the couch (like six years later), I knew right away I wanted a sofa and loveseat that had removable covers.  We went to well-known furniture stores but didn’t like the price tag. So one day as we were shopping at Ikea, I went into the discounted section of the store and found an Erktop display sofa for 50% off. I beamed with excitement. It was in great shape. I then proceeded to buy the loveseat during a 20% off sale. The total cost of the set was about $600 including the purchase of new covers. The material is easy to clean by hand and in the washer machine. I wash the covers quarterly and spot clean when needed. 

Plush or plastic containers

 

It’s hard not to have ceramic items in your house especially when they are so pretty and shiny. It’s ok to have ceramic pots and vases but place them in a place where the kids can’t get a hold of it. I must say that I like when the kids have cute things in their room. I had a couple of ceramic containers that I placed in their room when they were older. They would put money and other things in them. The next thing I know, I see chipped pieces in random areas. So we got them plush baskets to hold some of their items. I hide or cut the handles of the baskets to make it more streamline. These baskets were purchased at the thrift store and Walmart respectively for less than $2.00.  

Dining room chairs that can be wiped down

I don’t have these yet, but I see the importance in them. We have cushions built into our chairs, and it would get dirty with markings and food debris. When I’m ready to get new chairs I will consider wood, acrylic, leather, or metal. If it’s too uncomfortable, I can get seat cushions that can be washed.

Ceramic tile or Luxury Vinyl Floors

Having hardwood floors are great as well, but being in South Florida, wood floors don’t work very well for our climate. Currently, our house is mostly tile and laminate floors. No carpet which I am very thankful for. Our laminate floors are starting to peel off so we want to switch them out with luxury vinyl floors (LVF). Plus LVF is completely waterproof which is a plus. But all in all, even though things were dropped, spilled, and written on, our floors have held up from the children.

Ikea furnishing

Yep, I’m all about this store. We bought our bathroom vanity from Ikea and the kiddos broke a piece inside the drawer. The drawer couldn’t fully close. I was going nuts trying to find this piece online not knowing what it was called. Then I realized, I can just call the company. So when I did, I explained the situation, they told me to pull up the assembly instructions online and locate that particular piece with its correct number or code. They shipped it out to me free of charge even though I didn’t have a receipt. I got it in the mail and my husband replaced the broken item. Not only is their return policy phenomenal (365-day returns), Ikea has a great warranty plan on most of their products with no extra cost to you. Learn more here.

What items do you have that can withstand the test of time and children?