'Practical Doesn't Have to Mean Ugly'

Hide - and even prevent - dirty wear-and-tear on home accessories and furniture by decorating with low-maintenance items that are tailored for any given environment

By Paige Bowie
CTW Features

Image courtesy John Savarese Photography

After Ross and Juliette Coulter outgrew their 1950s-era house in Dallas, the couple decided to buy a bigger place with more room for The Coulter Group, their home-based public relations firm.

The Coulters got the space they wanted in a sprawling ranch home built in the 1970s, but the interior décor was outdated. That led them to undertake more than $60,000 in remodeling.

Certainly a professional-looking home office was foremost in the couple’s minds, but another consideration was equally important in making their decorating choices: toddler daughter McKenna.

“We have one very active nearly 2-year-old,” Juliette says. “We wanted things she couldn’t destroy.” It’s easy to fall in love with colors, fabrics and finishes that look and feel elegant, but some materials are as impractical as they are pretty. Consequently, more and more consumers are rethinking their beige velvet couches or wall-to-wall carpet in off-white.

“Low-maintenance items are really popular,” said designer Marilyn Raines of Final Touch Interiors in Springfield, Mo. “Any time you tell someone something is low-maintenance, that’s a big selling point.”

But sensible décor doesn’t mean you must resign yourself to a boring home. Practical doesn’t have to mean ugly, says Dallas interior designer Sharon Sue Dockery, who helped the Coulters remodel their new house.

“Certainly there are ways to have both beauty and easy maintenance,” Dockery says. “I don’t think you have to live in a dreary, drab, plain house or that everything has to be brown.

“There are a million choices out there. Anything you could want is available in lots of different colors and materials for sparkle, personality and variety.”

Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind as you create a hassle-free home:

• Everybody knows white and other light colors are a bad idea if you want to mask dirt, but you may not know that the opposite extreme is just as troublesome. Very dark colors show dirt and streaks, too, so stick to mid-range colors.

• As a rule, the busier the better. Solids will show dirt, scratches and other imperfections much more than plaids, florals and other prints. Bear that in mind as you select upholstery and wall covering. Consider wallpaper with intricate patterns, or mix paints for an uneven texture. If you choose paint, use enamels, which are washable.

• Fabrics are terribly important, especially for high-traffic areas. Avoid silk-, linen- and/or velvet-covered furniture. It doesn’t hold up well to wear. Synthetics are the most durable but aren’t as soft. For a happy medium, consider a synthetic blend. Whatever your decision, make sure the fabric is tightly woven for better stain resistance. And cover it with Teflon or some other finish to repel moisture.

• Flooring choices will be different depending on your priority. Hardwood floors are easier to keep clean, but they may not be the softest surface for accident-prone kids or crawling babies. For carpets, stay away from wool. It looks wonderful but is expensive and hard to clean. Nylons and blends can give you the same look without the headaches. For an alternative to hardwood floors, take a look at synthetic materials that simulate wood but are easily mopped.

• All woods are not created equal. Maple and oak are harder than pine, for instance, so they’ll resist scratches and nicks better. Don’t fret if you like a wood that’s not a good fit. You can cover wooden dressers and tabletops with glass to bear the brunt of everyday abuse. Also, the right stain is an effective way to masquerade one wood as another.

• Glass has advantages and disadvantages, so give it some thought before you use it. Obviously it shows dust, streaks and fingerprints, but it also wipes clean without a lot of fuss and doesn’t chip easily. Wood, on the other hand, is less forgiving of, say, a ring left behind from a cold glass of water.

• A matte finish on walls, metals and woods is generally superior to a glossy finish. The latter shows fingerprints and is less forgiving of scratches and other flaws.

• Stay away from intricate, ornate carving, which is lovely but hard to clean.

• If all else fails, buy furniture that’s distressed to begin with. That way, newer flaws blend right in, and they may even increase a piece’s character. “Antiques are perfect because they’re already used, and that’s the whole point,” says Final Touch’s Raines.

Charlotte, N.C., designer Ed Starr agrees. “Linen, for instance, doesn’t dye well, so you should avoid it if you want a piece that will hold its color,” Starr says.

“On the other hand, the look of old, worn linen is a great look sometimes that you actually want to achieve. It all depends on your taste and what kind of style you’re after.”

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