When Papa Ed and I got our very own house, we were very excited! We put in alot of effort, but also had a lot of fun, designing our new house. That time to us “open space” was an attraction and so we went on hacking down walls, converting rooms to spacious and open living area and also “open concept” kitchen. Being able to live in our dream home and also seeing our design on paper becoming a reality, had made us so happy, living in a world of our own – He and Me. Obviously, design for kids friendly home was never in our mind then.

Shortly after my first boy started learning to walk, we realized that we could have designed the house, remembering the needs of our kids – storage of their belongings and kids’ safety.

When my second boy came into our lives, the “inadequacy” of the house design has become a practical concern. These were some of our concerns:

Hazard in an open concept kitchen with no door – have to keep reminding kids not to play with kitchenware, gas stove and really have to pay extra attention.

Hazard of a staircase at home – have to keep making sure that domestic helper keep an eye on the active boys when she is also busy at her housework.

Sharp corners of furniture at home

Big pond in the balcony – have to ensure my baby then did not crawl right into the pond and treat it as a swimming pool

Laminated flooring – there is risk that the joints of the laminated flooring might pop up easily, with constant contact with water, and the floor also scratches easily. It is quite a challenge to keep the laminated flooring “scratch free” since kids are expected to be pretty rough when they play, dragging toys on the floor, cycling and others.

No boundary and limited privacy – spacious room becomes crowded with more people now, including domestic helper and kids, and there is also no boundary. Here goes our much appreciated space for peace and privacy.

Limited storage space – we end up having to add cabinets and storage area now and it is absolutely way out of the ”look” of the original set of furniture that we have installed. Hmmm…now my home has quite a mixed taste of colours (since kids have different preference of colours) and also many add-ons of furniture and the original face of the design has been altered.

Fragile Ornaments - those artistic and expensive ornaments that we had placed in open shelves and area have now become cold storaged items.

Simply look at how my little cosy area has transformed. It might not be as tidy and presentable as it has been before but it has definitely become warmer and well-euipped (SMILE or FROWN??)

My advice for couples who have plans for early family planning is defintely to consider the needs and safety of young children when designing your new home.