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Family-Friendly Design Trends and Miscellaneous Must-Haves for Homes with New Babies

Home renovations in the US total over $350 billion in a given year, and the top reasons for home improvements are enhanced functionality and beauty. Many homeowners seek to renovate during important transitions in their lives, such as the arrival of a new baby. While a child’s nursery is the main point of interest, there are many other areas of your home that can be adapted to make way for a growing family. Incorporating new technology into your design, meanwhile, can ensure your baby is safe and sound. Below are just a few trends in the areas of family home tech and design.

Multi-Motion Swings

For moms and dads across the globe, a baby swing can be no less than a lifesaver, as babies calm down as they are rocked, freeing up their parents for a few minutes or longer. New-fangled swings now have many more functions than in the past, including different motions that are all designed to promote calm and slumber. Top swings to watch out for include the mamaRoo 4 Multi-Motion Baby Swing and the Graco Duetsoothe Swing + Rocker.

Baby Sleep Tech

If your baby is a fussy sleeper, there are many high-tech gadgets you can try out. The Sleep Miracle Soother is a cool device that literally makes “shushing” noises for up to half an hour. It is small and bright, boasting a vivid orange and white design and it is light enough to be taken in the car. Another device to try out is the Baby Rest night Light and Sound Machine, which is both a night light and sound machine. Use your phone to control its brightness and sound level.

Prioritizing Sustainability

Sustainability is a top priority for those buying new homes and renovating existing ones, with issues such as global warming and indoor air pollution leading to an interest in environmentally friendly, toxin-free materials, fixtures, and furniture. The EPA has warned that many homes in the US have an air quality that is two to five times than the air outdoors. Much of the problem can be attributed to pressed wood furniture and soft furnishings that contain components such as formaldehyde and flame retardants. These components release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into indoor air, affecting human health and wellbeing. Thus, renovators are choosing materials such as reclaimed wood, bamboo, and solid wood for everything from flooring to ceiling beams. They are also opting for eco-friendly soft furnishings that are flame-retardant-free.

Bringing Nature Indoors

The ‘biophilic design’ trend is hitting the worlds of architecture and design hard, with experts seeking to blur the gap between indoor and outdoor living. This can be achieved in various ways, one of the most important of which is to let natural sunlight flood indoors. In terms of renovation, this means knocking down walls and replacing them with sliding doors and floor-to-ceiling glass walls. Biophilic design additionally involves using natural materials such as rattan, bamboo, and macrame, to add a sense of warmth and wildness to indoor living spaces. Indoor plants are also ‘in’ and they aren’t simply being used as statement pieces in the corner of the home. They are also being hung from ceilings and beams at various levels and taking over vertical ‘green walls’ and space dividers.

Gender-Neutral Baby Nurseries

While many parents are very much into traditional nursery design styles (pink for girls, blue for boys, flowers for a baby girl, cars for a boy), others are enthusiastically embracing gender-neutral ones. To get this style right, themes to look into include wildlife (jungle, puppy/kitten, and dinosaur), transportation and flight (think hot air balloons, vintage planes, and helium balloons), and colors like pastel green, light gray, and beige. When it comes to symbols, top trends on Pinterest include the sky (think stars, and the sun and moon), forests and fantasy (such as ancient trees, mystic unicorns, and fairies), and characters from famous books and franchises (including Harry Potter, Winnie the Pooh, and Peter Rabbit). 

Compartmentalized Open Floor Plans

Open floor plans are still very much on the mind of savvy interior designers, who are creating spaces in which home dwellers move freely from the kitchen to the living room and backyard terrace or porch. However, the US (like many other countries across the globe) is currently undergoing a remote work boom, with surveys indicating that by 2025, remote work will rival in-office work models. To create more privacy for areas such as ad hoc work set-ups in living rooms, designers are relying on folding screens and dividers, plants, bookcases, and glass partitions.

Having a new baby is an exciting time for parents with an eye for design. Trends that enhance family life include sustainability, biophilic design principles, and compartmentalized open floor plans. When it comes to nurseries, meanwhile, both traditional and gender-neutral features are popular, with hot themes including forests, fantasy, and famous characters.

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