Design Tips for Life-Proofing Your Home

We’ve all been there before… After investing in your dream sofa, you turn the corner and see little finger smudges or paw prints covering your beautiful ivory statement-maker, or you find yourself talking with your hands a bit too expressively (guilty) and your morning coffee crashes down on your beloved settee – and your stomach drops. 

There is nothing worse than watching your cherished pieces take the beatings of everyday life. But I live by the sentiment that life is worth living. Too often, we purchase pieces that we are too scared to use, for fear of it getting ruined. 

So today I want to sit down with you and reveal my secrets for life-proofing your home. Accidents happen, things will break, spills will be made – but, strategically selecting tough, stain-resistant materials and designing with durability in mind can greatly reduce the number of furniture and decor-induced heartbreaks when the inevitable happens. 

No need to sacrifice form to have function; with the powerful new materials out there today and with some careful placement you can make high design highly functioning.  

Start with Durable Flooring and Walls 

For flooring, I always recommend the powerful triad of porcelain tiles, vinyl or laminate. These materials are easy to clean and resistant to varying temperatures and humidity. 

When layering on rugs, my first word of caution is beware of shag. I know it’s comfortable, but take it from someone with a lot of shag experience: it becomes a sinkhole. Sand, earrings, dust, pet hair, candy – you name it, it will get lost in it. Plus, it’s incredibly hard to vacuum, so it never gets clean enough. 

So instead, and I cannot stress this enough, go with wool. Wool is naturally stain-resistant, and the fibers can withstand heavy traffic for years and years.

For the walls, always, always, always select paint finishes that can be wiped down. It is worth the minimal investment to select a finish that is cleanable. These days, there are plenty of durable wallpaper choices, as well, so no matter your style, you know your walls are prepared for anything. 

Select Low-Maintenance Countertops 

From the kitchen to the bathrooms, I always recommend nonporous countertops like engineered quartz. This will help prevent stains and scratches and you can forgo reoccurring sealings with quartz. Have confidence in putting your countertops to the test.

Invest in Powerful Fabrics 

Nine times out of ten, a furniture crisis could have been prevented with an alternative fabric. While performance fabrics definitely come with a heftier price tag, I firmly believe that they are worth it.  

Many high-end furniture brands have developed amazing outdoor furniture lines that fit in seamlessly indoors, too. Gone are the days where outdoor fabric means coarse and scratchy. Now, outdoor fabrics can have the same visual and comfort impact as interior fabrics, with the added benefit of durability. Here at AKD, we also create a lot of custom pieces that incorporate outdoor fabrics into high-design pieces for that extra peace of mind and protection.

There are also several natural fibers that act as performance fabrics, my two favorites being wool and mohair. We use these fabrics in almost all of our projects thanks to their reliability and luxuriousness. 

Then, of course, there are also some fabrics I would caution you against in high-traffic areas or homes with kids or pets. While silk is absolutely stunning, it is hard to clean, absorbs water so it stains easily, and the fibers get worn down in the sun and fade easier. No one can deny the beauty of silk, but I recommend using it sparingly. 

Contrary to popular trends right now, wicker can also be a tricky material. I’d recommend steering clear of wicker for bar stools and dining chairs as it is a natural material and absorbs water and holds on to dirt quite easily. Plus, food particles tend to get stuck in between the wicker, so when used in dining areas, it can be particularly difficult to clean.

Protect and Seal

One last fabric step I always recommend: spray and seal! Fabric sealants and protectants are truly a gift to us all. Crypton has been my trusty sidekick for years, but there are lots of great options out there that repel water and prevent stains that you can use on almost any type of fabric. You would be amazed how spilled red wine just sits on top of a white sofa that has been treated, making it easy to wipe away!

But for the times where a stain goes a bit deeper, or finds its way onto a non-treated piece of furniture, Folex carpet stain remover is truly a miracle in a bottle. I have literally watched stains disappear before my eyes on carpets and upholstery.  I cannot recommend it enough!

Carefully Consider Furniture Placement 

A guide to life-proofing your home wouldn’t be complete without considering furniture and decor placement. While it might be a tough pill to swallow when you can only envision a beautiful glass coffee table in your family room that is typically filled with three kids and two dogs, sometimes, you just have to go an alternative route.

It’s important that you feel like you can truly live in your spaces, and sometimes, that might mean redecorating so your beautiful glassware is on the higher shelves, or moving a side table to the opposite end of your sofa so it doesn’t snag a running toddler who comes whipping around the corner. Embrace the energy that flows through your home, and design for your lifestyle. Believe me, you will always be thankful for a home that allows you to live freely.