How To

5 Simple Ways To Transform A Couple’s Pad Into A Stylish Family Home

Collecting and curating pieces for your home can take years. From selecting (and saving for) bespoke furnishings, to finding the perfect artworks to match your style, making a house a home is no easy feat.

When adding children into the mix, it’s inevitable that certain things in your space will change. But that doesn’t mean you have to completely replace all of your beloved furniture and homewares!

In partnership with Koala, here we show you below how to style the new modular Bangalow sofa two ways — Look One gives you an idea of a simple, contemporary living room fit for a couple, while Look Two shows you how to make the first more family-friendly (without giving up everything you love).

Written
by
Emily Holgate
|
Photography
by
|
Editorial styling
by

Annie Portelli + Lucy Feagins

Supported By Koala

Koala’s Bangalow modular sofa in ‘sand dune’ is perfect for a sophisticated couple’s pad. Koala Kirribilli side table paired with Coco Flip’s Sequence Table 1.

The sofa pairs perfectly with Koala’s Kirribilli side table and one of its textured rugs.

The Koala Kirribilli side table slots perfectly over the Coco Flip Sequence Table 01.

Vintage sideboard. Artwork by Spencer Shakespeare. Bell Table Lamp (on sideboard) by  Ellison Studios, with ceramics by Benna co , Elena Strohfeldt and Henry Holland via Jardan. Koala Kirribilli side table and Coco Flip Sequence Table 01.

You can easily transform your existing space to be more kid-friendly! Here, we’ve added an extra module to the Koala Bangalow sofa to increase seating space – the easiest way to upsize your sofa! To left, Koala Kirribilli side table, additional coffee tables (centre) from the Coco Flip Sequence Collection. Classic wool pile rug from Loom.

We also added the Bangalow modular sofa armchair in ‘sand dune’ for extra seating and comfort. Classic wool pile rug from Loom.

Koala’s Kirribilli Bookshelf is nice and tall, perfect for keep valuable items away from little hands. On shelving, ceramics by Benna co , Elena Strohfeldt, Simone Karras and Henry Holland via Jardan.

Kids toys and books are perfect for the lower shelves! Ceramic vase by Simone Karras.

Grab some cute storage baskets to easily pack up toys and clutter after playtime! Ceramics by Benna co , Elena Strohfeldt, Simone Karras and Henry Holland via Jardan. Classic wool pile rug from Loom.

Coffee tables from the Coco Flip Sequence Collection. Classic wool pile rug from Loom.

Opt for a low-pile rug like this one from Loom Rugs — comfy for tiny feet but easy to vaccum!

Writer
Emily Holgate
Photography
Editorial styling

Annie Portelli + Lucy Feagins

18th of July 2024

Transforming a couple’s pad into a family home might seem like a daunting task. But, it doesn’t need to be.

Below we take you through some easy ways to take an existing living area fit for a couple (Look One) and turn it into a family-oriented zone without compromising on style — or forking out a small fortune for a whole new look.

The result (Look Two) is still contemporary and chic, but also relaxed and above all, super functional for family life. See our top five tips below!

1. Maximise seating

The best thing about modular furniture is having the flexibility to change your seating configuration in the future. So whether you’re moving house, or welcoming a new addition to the family, your furniture can shapeshift to suit.

Take Look One, which features the cosy three-seater Bangalow — perfect for a couple living alone. But when you’ve got more people to seat, you can easily upgrade the existing sofa to a four-seater by simply adding an extra module. We’ve also added a matching cosy armchair to the room, to maximise seating and really dial up the comfort.

2. Add height

The vintage sideboard seen in Look One is gorgeous, but unfortunately not viable if it means your precious homewares and trinkets are in reach of small children. So, for Look Two we replaced the sideboard with Koala’s Kirribilli shelving — a taller unit to enable extra special treasures to be displayed up high, away from little hands.

3. All about the storage

There’s no denying it, small children really bring with them a whole lot more stuff. A new arrival can quickly turn any beautiful space into disarray with the clutter of toys, gadgets and general kids’ mess. That’s why for Look Two we knew we needed to significantly increase the storage capacity of this living space!

We sourced some cute storage baskets to hide away kids things. These storage baskets slide away perfectly in the lower shelves of the Kirribilli shelving unit, making packing up after playtime a breeze.

4. Low-pile floor coverings

We love the texture and weave of the rug in Look One, but the higher-pile of this rug can make it a challenge to vacuum — and let’s face it, kids are messy. Still, tiny feet do need cosy textures underfoot. Just make sure you’re avoiding anything with too much fluff!

In this instance, we’ve replaced the textured rug with a stunning lower-pile woven wool rug from Loom, which really elevates the space, whilst also ensuring maximum comfort for little knees and toes.

5. Move-able feast

When it comes to family-friendly styling, flexibility is key. Rather than investing in one large, heavy coffee table, consider building a collection of smaller side tables — they’re easier to move around, cluster together or clear away to make more space for playtime.

In Look One, we styled Koala’s Kirribilli side table with the Sequence Table 01 by Coco Flip. They make a surprisingly perfect pair! Then, for Look Two, after extending the length of the Bangalow couch, we added an additional coffee table from Coco Flip’s Sequence collection.

Head to Koala to check out their full range of Australian-designed furniture at down-to-earth prices!

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