Home Decorating For Busy Moms' - Tips & Ideas

Since moving out on my own, I’ve had a passion for decorating my space. No matter how tiny our outdated the place I’ve lived has been; I always make it my own. 

I also like to welcome each new season with little switches in our decor. Yes, my husband does know the difference between a regular tea towel and a seasonal one that is only for show. No, it did not happen overnight. 

Each year, switching out my seasonal decor has gone pretty smoothly. Until this year, when I forgot to welcome the Spring with fresh decor. Instead, we welcomed Spring with a tiny little human. 

We’re now in Fall and I gave my home decor the old college try because Fall is my favourite season to decorate. Is my house anywhere near the level of decoration and style as I would like it? Absolutely not. 

My son even joined my friend and I on our annual Fall homesense run to prepare and let’s just say it was a short trip. I got a little preview of what it is going to be like shopping with a little boy for mom’s stuff. He was so over it. 

So I’m determined to not find myself rowing in the same boat this upcoming Winter season. It’s our first Christmas together with our little man and I want a nicely decorated space to really capture the magic of the holiday season for him. Yet, we have a busy home life so finding a lot of time for creating the right home feel seems a little bit daunting . Like a full-time job one might say. 

Busy moms need to work smarter, not harder right? Rather than wing this, I thought, I’m going to pick the brain of someone who knows home decor & design inside and out to find a great way to make a beautiful home. I consulted a creative force who can take any space and make it beautiful. 

Kim Kostuch is the CEO & Lead Interior Designer at KKI Designs Co. With over fifteen years experience in interior design, she has a stunning portfolio of projects to swoon over. 

Now that you’ve hopefully taken a peak at Kim’s work, I bet you’re just as excited as I am to hear her best tips & tricks for keeping your space decorated. Even with kids. 

The thought of decorating as a mom may seem kind of daunting. We already struggle finding much time for things within our basic routine, we are often kind of pinched for cash (have you seen the mat leave rates recently?) and we now have this overwhelming task of how to incorporate our kids items and toys into our spaces. 

Yet, trying to dodge these obstacles to have even a semi decorated space is worth it. Have you ever heard the saying that your space is a reflection of what’s going on in your mind? While I’m no Neuroscientist, I have found this to be very true. 

When I walk into my home, it's chaos and no longer feels like my sanctuary; it’s usually because everything is going awry and it shows. So my thought process has always been to force myself to find the time to sort it out. After I organize and have a little decor reset, I start to feel less anxious and feel like I have more capacity to take other things on. I’m also left with a calm space to wind down in after a wild day of tiger taming my five month old down for nap time. 

Let’s first talk about making the transition from season to season with your decor. Kim mentions the use of clear bins to keep things organized from the onset. She says “Use clear bins, labels and be organized for your holiday decor whether it is Thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas, Easter, Canada Day, etc. Once you are set up you can do the same thing each year while your little ones are young.” 

Resist the urge to buy an entirely new seasonal decor haul each season. You can still make good use out of items from previous years. Kim suggests adding one new element each year to keep it fresh. She also points out that by using clear bins, it will make it quick and easy to see everything you have. Kim encourages that when you're busy, your decor doesn't always have to be a lot. It can simply be one element. Like pumpkins at the front door through Thanksgiving and into Halloween. Mom's have little time and a lot on their plate everyday! 

Planning ahead when you have the extra time will also help you execute your decorating goals. Kim says she likes to break the year up into four seasons and then work from there. For example, Kim adds “if you have planters at your front door, be ready to change them four times. Choose flowers that give you longevity. Maybe you keep it simple and use green and white only around the exterior of your family home.”

For the interior, Kim suggests using throw pillows (down filled) with removable covers that are washable. She notes “that way if the children have an accident or spill something on the pillows you can easily wash them.” Kim highlights that “what’s nice about the down filled pillows is that you can easily change the cover with each season. This allows your home to feel different with each season but it is the same insert.”

Kim recommends “a velvet (washable) in the Fall or stripes and then do pinks, creams and lighter colours in the Spring. Do the same with throw blankets. Have four that you change out with the seasons. This allows you to get more use out of each item as they are not wearing out with the season.” 

~Here’s Kim’s quick seasonal decor latest trends guide for different colours & texture tips ~

Fall 

Bring in brown, tans, heavier fabrics, plaid (darker colours) 

Winter

Soft fabrics like velvet, fur, knits, wools 

Spring

Light blankets, lighter coloured flowers

Summer

More greenery, plaids (light colours), white and linen, all things breathable.

I could buy a lot of home decor with the money we spend on formula and diapers. My son is a pretty good trade off though. However, just because our money is more tied up these days in baby costs doesn’t mean we can’t still maximize our budget to try and achieve our goal of a space we feel happy about. 

Kim says “Shop your home with each season. Stop spending $20 or $40 here and there and save for what you really love. Buy the highest quality you can afford. If you love it now you will still love it next year. So buy what you can afford. Instead of thinking I will buy this now and donate it when I am tired of it. If that makes sense.”

Only buying what you love rather than just admire is such a great philosophy. I found when I got more intentional about my home decor items it helped as well. I used to pick home decor items up because I liked them and thought they were cute. Then I would get home and not really have a place for it and the decor item often ended up getting listed on Marketplace because I didn’t have the space for it. So now I try to make myself picture whether or not I have a spot for the item or could think of an area where I would look for a spot for it in my home. If I don’t have any leads, back on the shelf it goes. 

Speaking of not really having a place for items in your home… Let’s talk about kids toys! What an intriguing challenge incorporating those into a space. 

Good news, Kim reassures there are a lot of things you can do to incorporate toys into your spaces. 

She notes as an example, “if you have a bookshelf with books, include their books on a lower shelf and their favourite stuffed animal (as long as it is small, lol). On the middle and higher shelves include their artwork framed. For example, if you keep a frame you love with room for a 8" x 10" photo you can always show off their latest artwork by storing the older copies behind.” 

The best part? Kim gave another great option to “use storage ottomans and coffee tables to hide toys for everyday use. You can have a space in the corner for a toy they love like a rocking horse or the play house.” 

Kim adds “If you are lucky enough to have a "toy room" go all in and make it fun. Incorporate room for everything. If not, I would look at each room and find a way to include their items. It feels like a long time but it is only a short time their "stuff" is in the way.” 

You can add in some fun while trying to incorporate kids toys as well. Do you like family games? Kim says “Teach your children to play chess or checkers (using a marble or wooden set) and keep it on the coffee table in the living room.”  

If you really want kids toys to blend into your space, another thing Kim adds that you could consider to make a world of difference would be to buy all wooden toys instead of the brightly coloured toys. 

Going back to budget for a minute, Kim suggests that the kids probably don't need SO many toys. (we’re looking at you Grandma) So if you’re looking for another quick way to save money, it may be giving yourself the permission to buy into the less is more concept and let your kids play with what they already have. Kim’s trick that she used was to have different bins for her kids toys each day and rotate them. That way her kids didn’t get bored and it kept the space from being flooded by toys. 

Another tricky order of business in maintaining style with kids is trying to keep things clean and safe. Before you start worrying about how daunting this is going to be; Kim recommends taking a step back and looking around your home to see what areas you and your children play in the most. Then start with one room to completion and move onto the next. 

Kim talks about getting started by reviewing the many materials available for family members on the market today that are easy to clean. She believes that “for children especially, to use natural materials like linen that don't have toxic coatings on them and get softer with time. It’s also good to incorporate wooden elements, washable rugs and washable everything really.” 

Trying to keep your spaces clean with kids really depends on what the application is according to Kim. She elaborates “if you are adding drapery to a room, any room, you want to make sure it is washable if your children are in that room at all.” Kim advocates that “leather couches are good when the children are super small because they are easy to clean.” When making adjustments to our spaces like swapping a fabric couch for a leather couch; it can come with some consequences like lack of coziness. Leather couches can be kind of cold to sit on at first even though the trade off is that they are easy to wipe down and keep clean. Not to worry, if you’re part of the always cold club like me; the best way to solve the cold couch problem is to try Kim’s solution of keeping a cozy blanket on the couch arm while making sure the couch is NOT over-stuffed looking. This keeps your personal style while making sure you, good friends and family have a good place to sit. Kim also suggests keeping a heating pad nearby. (There are some really stylish covers you can get to blend the heating pad in) Clean leather couch, cozy blanket and a heating pad? Sounds like a great opportunity to get nice and cozy with your little one while you read together on the couch or watch a fun family movie in style, grime free. See, styling challenges with kids is all about the right attitude ! 

What about safety? It’s a top priority of the mom's mind. Sure we want a beautiful space but not at the cost of our little ones hurting themselves. 

Kim confirms there are lots of things you can do to factor safety into your style. (Phew!) Kim says “Think things like custom safety gates or cabinetry that integrate into the wall when not in use.” Kim mentions that you can get some really nice gates for your staircase. She advises that if you are using a standard gate and your railing is white, buy the wooden one and paint it to match the railing. If you have darker stained floors, stain the gate dark like your floors. She promises that kids' safety stuff doesn't have to be plastic or ugly. 

Did you finally get your dream stone fireplace you always wanted? The one where you pictured yourself sitting there watching hallmark movies with a nicely scented candle lit and maybe a few cute logs in one of those beautiful little metal log holders? Then you had your little one and this wonderful vision got interrupted by thoughts of worry that they would bump their head or touch the hot glass? Well, Kim has some ideas for that too so you can go back to your hallmark movie in peace. She says “Sometimes, we have had custom padding made for across stone on a fireplace hearth where babies could get hurt. Everything we do is removable once the little ones are in bed or if you are entertaining.” 

Kim had another neat way for safety to meet style. She suggests “If you are looking for night lights or hallway lights there are so many options today that could work with any style you currently have. For kids' rooms, make sure you include cool ceiling lighting or under the bed lights. That way children aren't afraid of monsters and mom/dad can turn it off once the little one is asleep.” 

At the end of the day, if you find yourself feeling a little deflated that your space isn’t one-hundred percent your style because of your little one or their toys; Kim reminds us to remember they are only small for a little while. 

We’ve talked about general styling tips but you might be wondering how you can keep it both a stylish and functional place? Being a busy parent means things need to be efficient and organized so that you can be. 

~ Here are Kim’s top tips for functional style ~

Each stage will be different for your children but a good rule of thumb is to buy the best you can afford

For example, if you can afford a crib that turns into a toddler bed and then a double/queen bed, do so. You are paying for it once, then buying the different sized mattresses. As they grow you will change their bedding, add an accent pillow or two and maybe change the paint. 

Look for dual use items in natural textures

For example, an ottoman for your feet when reading to them but has storage for the books/toys and for learning to walk around. Buy larger frames like 20" x 20" that have mats to frame images that are 8" x 10". The artwork inside the frames might change but the frames can be used for 20+ years. 

Shop your home, your friends home and your families homes! 

Everyone I know has beautiful things they don't use that someone else would LOVE. Don't be shy to ask. This is the most inexpensive way to make progress on a tight budget.  

Kim believes that “today there is no excuse for not having great style. There are so many affordable options. I think mostly it is just learning to plan ahead and then execute the plan. We are in an instant gratification environment daily so it is difficult sometimes to plan ahead. However, if you make a vision board or pinterest board and then execute it room by room, you will make great progress.” 

I don’t know about you but I am feeling ready to decorate! I’m excited to try out Kim’s tips and tricks. I think she shared some really great ways to keep it organized, on budget and functional for life with kids. 

Thanks so much Kim and happy decorating mamas’ !