Create Kid-Friendly Spaces at Home Maintaining a home that is welcoming and kid-friendly can be challenging. Kids are full of energy and oftentimes put fun ahead of tidiness. But no matter how energetic their youngsters are, parents can still employ several strategies to ensure their homes are both sophisticated and child-friendly. • Consider an open floor plan. Rooms that flow into one another make it easier to keep tabs on children. Such rooms also allow residents and guests to mingle in separate rooms but not be too far away from one another. • Choose washable fabrics. Upholstery will need to stand up to the abuse kids can dish out. Sofas and chairs with slipcovers can be advantageous because many slipcovers can be easily removed and laundered. Patterned fabrics will hide some stains, while treated fabrics may resist liquid spills for easier cleanup. •Create a catch-all spot. Special bins or other organizational tools in the entryway can help to cull clutter when children come in the house from school or play. Be sure the keep cubbies, containers and coat hooks at a child-friendly height. • Look for high-traffic rugs. Rugs designed for high-traffic areas will be more forgiving when children march across them several times per day. There are no rules that say you can’t bring an outdoor rug inside, and these rugs tend to be easier to clean. •Ensure there is plenty of seating. Sectionals give children ample room to spread out. And ample seating ensures there is enough room for kids to invite their friends over to hang out. •Think outside pink and blue. For children’s rooms, make sure they’re colorful, but consider other hues to give the rooms some personality. Focus on a hobby or activity and borrow the color scheme from the accessories used for decorating. • Hang whimsical artwork. Employ framing and lighting to make kids’ artwork look like professional pieces. Routinely change the pictures when a new look is desired. •Designate a place for play. Devote an entire room or a nook in a house for imaginative play. Store toys here so these items will not create clutter in individual bedrooms. Creating child-friendly spaces while ensuring a home maintains a sophisticated feel is easier than parents might think. home improvement resources analyze the cost of a project versus the overall value of that project with regard to property value. For example, a $100,000 basement remodel may not add $100,000 to the value of the home in the event you choose to sell down the line. It’s important to know which projects provide the best return on investment. v MetroCreative Connection Did you know? Many homeowners have lofty goals for their homes. Such plans may include extensive renovations or even additions. While many of these projects create beautiful changes in a home, it’s important to consider the impact that renovations can have on property value before beginning a project. Many home improvement projects do not add as much value as homeowners may think they do. In fact, some homeowners ‘overbuild’ for their neighborhoods. This means the amount of money invested in improvements can likely never be recuperated because the house value 16• TODAY’S HOME - Spring 2017 simply exceeds those around by too much money. To avoid overbuilding, homeowners can ask themselves several questions before beginning a renovation project. • Will my house be the largest house in the neighborhood? Larger homes tend to have a lower price per square foot, so you may not want to improve to this extent. • Will the house blend with others in the area? If your house will stick out like a sore thumb, it will detract from its own value and could impact the value of other homes in the area. • Have I examined the cost vs. value of the project? Many Residential Auto Commercial HARDING GLASS 907 Broadway Ave • Yankton, SD (605) 665-3616 We work with Insurance Companies Major Credit Cards Accepted