Your house is the haven where you end up spending most of your time. When designing and building homes, the focus is majorly on finding the most alluring wallpapers, fancy furniture, modern appliances, and more. However, there is more to a home than just décor – safety. We always recommend beginning the interior designing of a house by listing down all safety requirements such as – fireproof interiors and installing safety measures for senior citizens and newborn babies.
If you have just started designing your house, follow our guide on creating a design for safety at home!
1. Limiting the number of Stairs
Whether yours is a duplex flat or a bungalow, always remember that as age increases, climbing stairs becomes difficult. Try incorporating a lift right from the start and also limit the number of stairs. A zig-zag or asymmetrical fancy staircase might be the latest trend, but our suggestion is to always stick to the traditional staircase with fewer steps to keep your house apt for senior citizens. You can always use a unique paint colour or texture to enhance your staircase.
2. Non-Slippery Flooring
When selecting your flooring material as well as flooring paint, always stick to a non-glossy option. Two of the most slip-resistant floorings include Linoleum flooring and Vinyl flooring. Linoleum floorings are made of natural materials and have a cushion effect that makes it less risky and provides a comfortable footing. Vinyl flooring is more expensive than Linoleum flooring but provides more benefits, along with providing a comfortable slip-resistant footing they are also waterproof which makes it easy to maintain and clean. If you still wish to opt for tile flooring or wooden flooring, pick a sleek paint that is matte in nature and also protects the flooring material from water, alcohol, or any household chemicals. This prevents the chances of slipping or having an accident at home.
Many people like to decorate their flooring with rugs or carpets and carpeting the house helps in easy walking but here’s a little warning bell- carpet the entire floor for a smooth ground instead of placing small carpets and rugs randomly for home décor as that might result in slipping over the small pieces of slippery carpets. Flooring is our day-to-day contact and is the most important safety at home precaution because most accidents happen by slipping on a wet or slippery floor.
3. Carefully Curated Furniture
Furniture or home décor shopping is one of the most glamorous and exciting parts of designing a house. However, house owners end up making wrong decisions that impact safety at home, resulting in accidents and injuries. There are various types of home décor items available in unique shapes and sizes in today’s market. Most of this bizarrely shaped furniture comes with a safety warning- many have pointy edges, and some are way too big, occupying unnecessary space. Our suggestion is to give the house a little space to move around safely. Furniture with sharp edges is extremely hazardous for newborns who have just started to crawl or even for adults leaving home in a jiffy. To avoid any such injuries, our suggestion is to opt for non-sharp furniture.
4. Bright Lighting
Lighting indeed sets the mood of the house. Recently, fancy lights like fairy lights and dim lights have become trendy as they create a subtle, aesthetically pleasing ambience. However, these dim lights reduce the brightness inside the house resulting in lesser visibility. We believe that on special occasions, fairy lights or other party lights can be plugged in for a brief time, but a brightly lit house is the best for a better vision and it ensures safety at home. LED tube lights and downlights are the ideal lighting choice to create a brightly lit room.
When it comes to light switchboards or cords try opting for an automatic switch rather than the wired one to prevent tripping over tangled wires. If you have the wired switchboard, don’t place it near walking areas or furniture. It is safest to place it in a corner.
5. Making Your House Fireproof
House fire is an extremely severe hazard that can happen. Most buildings already have house fire precautions and preventive measures. If you are building a bungalow or want to ensure your house is fireproof, simply follow these easy steps :
- Firstly, while purchasing your house windows, buy a fire-resistant glass for it. Tempered or double-paned window glasses are strong enough to bear the heat and don’t break under fire pressure.
- Secondly, ensure that your roof is made of non-combustible material like concrete, metal, copper, etc., to make sure that your house roof is safe if a fire breaks out.
- Thirdly, cover your home walls with fire-resistant materials to ensure the utmost safety of your house.
- Lastly, the most common reason for a short circuit causing a fire is improper electrical wiring. To ensure the utmost safety, we recommend using FRLS wires which in case of fire, emit very less smoke. The fire can also be prevented by using appropriately sized MCBs and RCCBs. RCCBs should be tested regularly for proper functioning.
6. Strong Security System Keeps the Robbers Away
Many house owners underestimate the importance of a security system. Whether it is an urban setup or a rural area, all houses can be a victim of crimes related to burglary and break-ins. Therefore, it is not an option but a necessity for house owners to install a strong security system in their house. There are many ways to secure your house – for many house owners it might be keeping a security dog or a security guard but for urban nuclear families who want a simple, secure solution, the best way is to install a 24/7 surveillance camera and an alarm system both outside the gate of the house and inside the living room. Always ensure to lock your bedrooms and double lock jewellery/cash in a safe.
7. Spacious Kitchens
Most house owners and interior designers make kitchen areas very compact to allot extra space to the living room and bedrooms. However, the kitchen is the busiest area of the house and has various fire equipment like a stove, oven, etc. We always recommend making a big working space in a kitchen where all the kitchen activities like chopping vegetables, making beverages can be carried out smoothly while keeping a distance from inflammable and kitchen equipment.
Incorporate this safety at home guidelines before any home décor or further plan for a safe happy home always. HomeLane is a one-stop-shop for all your home interior and décor related solutions. Our experts help create custom curated homes that suit your personal taste perfectly and are at the same time vibrant, functional, and safe.
