Babies and young children are very curious and interested in touching and tasting most everything.
In order for your baby or child to be safe, you should baby proof your home.
Most baby proofing products are not very attractive.
Here are some different ways of baby proofing that are designer approved.
photo courtesy of Tabitha Blue flickr.com/photos/tabithablue/4617830052/Dutch Door Instead of Baby Gate
Baby gates are not attractive.
They keep babies safe, but are annoying for adults.
Instead of using a baby gate, consider installing a dutch door (also called a stable door or half door).
Dutch doors are regular doors that look like they have been cut in half horizontally.
The bottom part can be closed while the top half is open.
Keeping the top half open allows you to see and hear your child playing while keeping them safe inside the room.
Swap Out Furniture Instead of Wrapping It
Many people use ugly padded baby proof wrapping on their furniture with hard edges.
It just looks hideous.
If you are planning on having multiple children, that ugly padding may become a permanent fixture in your home.
Instead of living with ugly things, swap furniture pieces throughout your home to put more adult friendly pieces in adult only rooms or invest in a few new pieces that are kid friendly.
You can use an upholstered ottoman instead of a wood coffee table, a sturdy wood dining table instead of a glass one, and/or wicker, fabric, or bamboo baskets instead of a wooden trunk with a heavy lid.
Acrylic Instead of Glass
Glass can break and hurt your kids, so swap out those glass items for non breakable ones instead.
Luckily, many acrylic companies make stylish items that mimic the look of glass.
Hidden Cabinet Locks
Instead of the ugly plastic cabinet locks that are difficult to open, use hidden cabinet locks instead.
These hidden locks are typically opened using a simple magnetic key.
