At a Glance:
Importance of Protecting Your Furniture
Best Great Room Furniture for Families
It's extremely disappointing when you've purchased new furniture for your great room and discover that it doesn't work for your family's needs. The time to evaluate which furniture pieces will function best for your family and pets is before you buy them. In addition to setting a furniture budget and considering the available space in your great room, it's important that you think about your family's specific needs. This article will help you put your kids and family pets into the furniture equation before you spend any money.
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Shop Living Room FurnitureImportance of Protecting Your Furniture
Protecting your furniture isn't just about maintaining appearances; it's a strategic investment that safeguards your comfort, finances, and the very essence of your living space.
First and foremost, furniture protection preserves your financial investment. Quality pieces often come with a significant price tag, and by taking proactive steps to shield them from wear and tear, you're prolonging their lifespan and maximizing your initial expenditure.
Beyond cost, protecting your furniture contributes to a cozy and inviting ambiance. Well-maintained furnishings create an atmosphere of comfort and care, enhancing the overall aesthetic of your home. Your furniture serves as the backdrop to your everyday life, reflecting your style and personality – preserving its condition helps maintain a positive living environment.
Furthermore, furniture protection is essential for the health and hygiene of your household. Regular maintenance and cleaning prevent the buildup of allergens, dust mites, and dirt that can affect indoor air quality and the well-being of your family members.
By upholding your furniture's integrity, you're preserving cherished memories and experiences. Family gatherings, cozy movie nights, and shared meals all unfold upon these surfaces. Protecting them means preserving the stories and moments that make a house a home. In essence, furniture protection is a proactive approach to ensuring both the functional and emotional well-being of your living space. It's an investment in comfort, aesthetics, and the longevity of your home's core elements, making your living space a true sanctuary for years to come.
Best Great Room Furniture for Families
Now, let's look at some of the best furniture options for families' great rooms.
1. Sectional Sofa
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A sectional sofa is a practical seating option for your family's great room. Sectional sofas are available in a wide variety of sizes, price points, configurations, and upholstery materials to suit your family's needs and available floor space. Because a sectional is one continuous seat, it offers a great place for your young kids to snuggle beside you when your family is watching movies together. There is also ample room for your family pets to get cozy.
Some sectionals are available for purchase as individual pieces that you can custom design to accommodate your space requirements and family size. Choose a sectional sofa with a chaise to function as an additional guest bed for a small child. Some sectionals are also designed with a matching oversized ottoman that is constructed to fit snugly against the sofa to create a large bed for occasional overnight guests.
When you have small kids and pets that regularly lounge and romp on your sectional sofa, choose a fabric that is easy to clean. Microfibers and faux leather fabrics are kid-friendly. Avoid fussy fabrics that require spot cleaning or don't hold their original shapes, such as linen, cotton, silk, or velvet. In addition, select a fabric color that jives with your family's everyday living. White hues aren't recommended as they tend to show any speck of dirt. Brown or black tones work well with messy kids. Darker colors also help to disguise loose hair from pets with dark fur. If you have a dog or cat with light-toned fur, choose fabric in a light gray or beige hue. Upholstery material with a pattern also tends to conceal pet hair.
2. Standard Sofa
Standard sofas also work well in a great room. Choose a casual style with cushy back and seat cushions to offer a comfy spot for your family to lounge. Pillow-top arms provide a soft pillow for your head if you or your child decides to take an afternoon nap. Steer clear of sofas with uncomfortable track arms. A futon sofa with decorative wood or metal arms isn't the best choice if you have toddlers. They can become a hazard for young children who might run into the hard futon arms or could hit their heads on them.
If you have a great room with generous floor space, you may want to consider two matching sofas for additional seating. You can opt for a single sofa or a sofa and love seat combo to oblige a room with limited square footage. When you need a spare bed, select a full-size sofa sleeper with a comfortable memory foam mattress if your great room has sufficient space to unfold the bed when needed.
A sofa with removable back and seat cushions allows you to move them around, so they aren't repeatedly sat on in the same spot. Zippered, machine washable cushion casings is a wonderful sofa feature. Remove the cushions and toss the casings in the washing machine to easily clean.
3. Coffee Table
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An oversized wood coffee table makes perfect sense for a family with older kids. A square-shaped table provides an ideal location for playing board games, working on projects, putting together jigsaw puzzles, or doing homework. The square shape and hard surface also give your family an instant dining table for eating a simple meal while watching television, or a spot to set your drinks and snacks.
Special features can make your coffee table more family-friendly. For example, select a coffee table with a shelf underneath to house books, magazines, and other reading materials. For optimal storage, pick out a storage-type coffee table with a hinged lid. Choose a coffee table with a top that resists spills and stains. Natural wood that's been treated with a water-resistant finish is a suitable option. A faux wood, glass, or tile top might also suit your family's needs.
4. Upholstered Ottoman
An oversized, upholstered ottoman makes sense for a family with kids and pets. The padded corners of a fabric-covered ottoman make it soft and kid-friendly for any age, from toddlers to teens. A cushy top provides a convenient spot for your dog or cat to snooze the day away. At the end of a long day, an ottoman offers a comfy spot for you to prop your feet up and rest.
Choose an upholstery fabric that's easy to clean and wipe up spills. Some furniture companies will treat the ottoman with a water-repellent spray to help liquids bead up on top of the fabric as opposed to immediately penetrating the material. Store a lint roller or brush nearby to easily clean and remove unwanted pet hair from your ottoman.
Select a storage ottoman to provide a handy spot for storing items, such as small blankets, furniture throws, electronic devices, toys, games, puzzles, reading materials, or anything else you desire to have in your great room. You can choose a smaller ottoman with a removable top that flips over as a tray to hold snacks and drinks or a larger ottoman with a hinged top that you can open and close.
5. Suitable Chairs
The chairs you choose for your great room should correlate with the number of children in your family, as well as their respective ages. In addition, comfort is of the utmost importance in a casual great room. For example, a padded rocker works well when you want to rock your baby to sleep. Miniature chairs constructed specifically for toddlers offer fun, pint-sized seating for your younger kids.
Incorporate comfy recliners where teens and adults can stretch out and relax while watching their favorite television show. A chair-and-a-half is a perfect addition to a family-oriented great room and is exactly what its name implies. The size is equivalent to one full-size armchair combined with one-half of another armchair. The purpose is simple. It's big enough for two people to snuggle but doesn't take up as much space as a full-size sofa or love seat. A chair-and-a-half is also a great seat to cozy up with one or two of your small children to read them a story.
As with your other upholstered pieces, choose kid-friendly material that's durable, simple to clean, and won't easily show dirt. And, once again, remember your pets that will be lounging with the family on your chairs. You might prefer a fabric color that will blend smoothly with the hair color of your dog or cat.
6. Storage Considerations
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Even though a great room atmosphere is typically casual and relaxed, you don't want it to become a cluttered, disorganized dumping ground. The solution is viable storage options. You have several stylish choices to effectively hide, store, and organize items in your great room.
Free-standing cubicle units securely attached to a great room wall provide tons of usable storage space. Slide a fabric or woven basket into each cubbyhole. Fill the baskets with your children's small toys, coloring books, crayons, homework supplies, and books. A cubbyhole is also a perfect spot for storing your dog or cat toys, remote controls, board games, jigsaw puzzles, and small electronic devices. The kids can easily pull out the lower baskets, take out their toys, and put them away.
Include a storage bench in your great room with a hinged top that is kid-friendly, like a padded, upholstered bench with a lightweight top that stays up when you open it. The bench provides extra seating, as well as a spot to stash your kid's larger toys. A small rolling storage cart with drawers offers a superb spot to hide your craft items and art supplies. Incorporate a chic magazine rack to organize your reading materials and arrange books in a library cabinet with doors.
How to Protect Your Furniture
Shielding your furniture from the enthusiastic play of children and the unpredictable antics of pets requires a blend of foresight, creativity, and practicality. To preserve the integrity of your cherished pieces:
➤ Invest in Sturdy Materials: Opt for furniture crafted from durable and easy-to-clean materials, like leather, microfiber, or tightly woven fabrics. These can withstand spills, scratches, and general wear and tear.
➤ Utilize Protective Covers: Slipcovers and furniture protectors act as an armor against spills, pet hair, and scratches. They're easily washable, ensuring your furniture remains in top-notch condition.
➤ Create Designated Spaces: Designate certain areas where pets and kids can freely play, away from delicate furniture. Place toys, cushions, or rugs in these zones to divert their attention from your furnishings.
➤ Choose Pet-Friendly Fabrics: If you have pets, choose fabrics that are pet-friendly, like those with tight weaves or patterns that can camouflage minor stains and scratches.
➤ Regular Maintenance: Vacuum upholstery, clean spills promptly, and use pet-friendly cleaning products to maintain the cleanliness and longevity of your furniture.
➤ Invest in a Scratching Post: If you have cats, consider using scratching posts to redirect their natural behavior away from furniture.
➤ Supervise Playtime: Supervise interactions between pets, kids, and furniture. Offer alternatives like chew toys and activity stations to divert their attention from exploring furniture.
➤ Trim Pet Nails: Regularly trim your pets' nails to minimize the risk of accidental scratches on furniture surfaces.
By implementing a mix of preventive measures, strategic planning, and education, you can create a harmonious living space where both your furniture and your beloved family members – whether they're furry or tiny – can coexist happily.
You really do need to think a bit differently about furnishing your great room when you have toddlers, teens, young children, and pets in the family. Use the furniture tips that you read in this article to create a more functional, safe, organized, and enjoyable space for your family to congregate. Choose your favorite tips and start implementing them today.
FAQ
What are the best couches when you have dogs and kids?
The best couches for homes with dogs and kids are typically those made from durable and stain-resistant materials like leather, microfiber, or synthetic blends. These options are easier to clean and more resistant to wear and tear.
What is the easiest couch to clean with pets?
Leather couches are often considered the easiest to clean with pets. Their smooth surface makes it simple to wipe away pet hair and spills, reducing the risk of stains and odors.
What furniture fabric is best for pets?
Fabrics with tight weaves like microfiber or certain synthetic blends are best for pets. They are less likely to trap pet hair and are generally more resistant to scratches and stains.
What couch material is kid friendly?
Kid-friendly couch materials include microfiber, leather, and fabrics. These materials are durable and easy to clean, making them well-suited for the inevitable spills and messes that come with having children.
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For over 65 years, Liddiard Home Furnishings has been providing Utah with premium home furnishings. This family-owned business has worked to deliver a better kind of shopping experience to the greater Salt Lake City area. Whether it’s the carefully laid out showroom or the outstanding customer service, when you shop at Liddiard’s, you’ll feel like family. The team at Liddiard has crafted a catalog full of incredible products made by brands with reputations for quality. Shop online or visit our showroom to discover what makes Liddiard Home Furnishings so unique.
Shop Living Room Furniture at Liddiard Home Furnishings
For the home furnishings you need, visit Liddiard Home Furnishings in Tooele, UT. You’ll find the best prices when you shop for living room furniture online. Check out Liddiard reviews, and if you have questions, our friendly product experts are always happy to help you find great room furniture for families with kids and pets — whether you call us at 435-882-0964 or use our online chat feature. Visit our Tooele showroom today!
Learn more: 4 Best Products from Signature Design by Ashley