Designing Shared Family Spaces That Work For Adults And Kids

If you live in a house with kids, then you likely have a playroom that moonlights as an office or a living room full of LEGO bricks. Perhaps your kitchen needs to handle homework as deftly as it does meal prep. Unless you live in a larger home, you’re sharing spaces with your children, so what’s the best way to make it work?

Design shared spaces around how your family uses them instead of forcing them to be something else. Create zones to guide kids on where to do what, and choose hidden storage that makes clean-up easy. Include design elements that represent children and adults so everyone feels at home, rather than as if they’re living in a Pinterest board.

The good news? You don’t need to move to a bigger house, really, you don’t. A bit of flexibility and staying honest about how your family lives life is the foundation for crafting shared spaces that actually work for everyone.

Don’t Do Anything Until You Think About How Your Family Lives

It’s understandable. You spend one too many nights trying to watch a movie while your kids are four feet away, creating the world’s largest tower of monster trucks. You start fantasizing about moving to a bigger house. Or you decide to make your kids share a bedroom, so the other room can be dedicated to play. (Sure, the kids will love that, right?) It’s not going to be perfect (or quiet) all of the time, but hey, that’s life with kids. Instead of fighting how your family uses your home, embrace it. Working with your family’s daily habits instead of against them will make you a lot happier in the long run.

Forget about how you dream about using the space if it doesn’t mesh with reality. For example, if your kids inevitably build forts in the living room using the couch cushions, so be it. The living room is a play space, but that doesn’t mean everyone can’t enjoy it. Designing a well-functioning shared space starts with honesty and then working with that reality to discover shared solutions. In a way, you can think of your shared spaces as the set of a play. The better the set suits the play, the smoother the performance will go.

Create Zones Within Shared Spaces

When you can’t put up walls, make zones instead. Design each shared space with intention, honing in on how different family members use the room. For example, do your kids do homework in the kitchen while you prepare dinner? If so, create a dedicated space for them to complete schoolwork without interfering with your cooking area. Install a tilt-out storage tray beneath the kitchen island to hold pencils, pens, and other small supplies. Position it at the furthest corner of the island, so you have the other half for meal prep. A basket for large items serves as a divider between the school and cooking zones.

In the living room, a desk or table near the window turns into a crafting or homework zone. A small rug and cozy floor cushions in the corner turn it into a quiet place for reading. A low table and chairs in another corner turn it into a build zone for LEGO enthusiasts, keeping your coffee table clear.

Stay Flexible

Zones don’t have to be super rigid. Don’t feel like you need to get overly specific in each area.  Instead, let elements such as rugs, lighting, and furniture placement define activity spaces. This guidance is primarily for children to understand where they can spread out toys, books, or other items so adults don’t trip over toy cars.

Choose Durable, Low-Maintenance Furniture

It’s no secret that kids are hard on furniture. They spill, jump, climb, smoosh, and stain, no matter how hard they try not to. Instead of piling more stress on your shoulders by worrying about expensive silk pillows, keep things durable and easy to clean. Stain-resistant, washable, forgiving fabrics are your friends.

Make sure to select materials that hold up to real-life use with kids. Some good options include performance fabrics, removable and washable cushion covers, and solid wood. Also, focus on safety, such as rounded corners instead of sharp edges. These tips don’t mean you have to choose kid furniture; just skip the delicate items that will make you tense every time your kids come within two feet of them.

Hidden Storage Is A Must

You don’t want your living room to feel like a playroom, even if it is one, so get creative with storage. Shared spaces require clever, secret storage for toys, children’s books, stuffed animals, and craft supplies. But you also need adequate storage for all the clutter that comes with adults, such as chargers, laptops, mugs, and hobby items like crochet kits and jigsaw puzzles. Storage needs to be accessible to those who use it while also making it easy to put everything away in a pinch.

This last point is critical. If stuff takes too long to put away, it’s not going to happen. Design the space so kids can tidy it up within 30 seconds, giving you back your living room post-bedtime. Think things like:

• Baskets for games and toys
• Double-duty furniture like storage ottomans, lift-top coffee tables, and couches with drawers
• Shelves for books and display pieces with lower cabinets that provide hidden storage
• Charging stations inside drawers or baskets to corral unsightly technology components

Choose A Design That Makes Kids And Adults Feel At Home

Don’t forget you’re designing a shared space, not an adult space that the kids use sometimes, or a kids’ space that the grown-ups take over at night. Therefore, everyone who uses the space should feel represented within it at all times. The easiest way to do this is often to start with a neutral base for big pieces like walls and large furniture. Then add kid-friendly colors through the decor, including rugs, pillows, and art.

Invest in stylish storage instead of plastic bins. Hang artwork in the kid zones at kid height and at adult eye level in other parts of the room. Provide children with a dedicated shelf for their favorite books, a small table for drawing, and designated wall space to display their masterpieces. The idea is to create a space that transitions seamlessly from adult to kid without making you feel off.

Another key component of changing a room's function and mood without a major upheaval is lighting. Perhaps you have brighter, task lighting for daytime use when you’re working or playing in the space. Then, turn on sconces and table lamps for warm evening lighting.

Don’t Just Design Spaces With Visuals In Mind

Design considers all of the senses, and this is even more essential when you’re working with shared spaces. Sounds and movements are top priorities to keep everyone comfortable and enjoying the space, especially when they’re in it at the same time.

Shared spaces can get noisy and busy, so opt for soft surfaces, such as rugs, curtains, and upholstered furniture, to absorb sound. Place furniture so that you have open pathways in which people can maneuver around each other without tripping or stubbing a toe.

Create A Consistent Routine

When you’re sharing a space, it’s important to be crystal clear about schedules. Kids do especially well when they know what to expect, but you have to keep it consistent. For example, if your living room is where everyone watches TV, maybe your kids know they get TV 30 minutes after school. Then, it’s time for them to move into the kitchen for homework.

When your kids are having their 30-minute TV time, you get a head start on dinner in the kitchen. After dinner, the kids may play in the living room for an hour, then switch to quieter activities by a certain time. The schedule can be whatever you want it to be, as long as everyone in the home knows it and sticks to it. 

Embrace A Little Mess To Enjoy Your Home Together

You would never know this from a magazine or Pinterest, but family spaces are not perfect. (At least not in the standard, HGTV sense.) But if your shared spaces work well for your family and everyone enjoys them, then they are perfect for you. A space that truly works for adults and kids is one that looks a little lived in, because it is!

A successful shared room isn’t pristine — it’s a half-finished puzzle on the table, a blanket over the couch, and a kid’s drawing taped to the fridge. Concentrate on designing shared spaces with the intention of keeping them from feeling overwhelming. Don’t design for some made-up family on Instagram. You’re designing your home for your family in a way that supports how you all live and relate to each other, because that’s what really matters.

Related Guides:

• How To Design Shared Spaces When You Have Opposite Styles
• Designer Tips To Create A Cohesive Home
• Organizing For Kids’ Spring Sports Without The Pile-Up