If painting, use low VOC paint. When replacing things, look for low, or non outgassing furnishings. No sharp corners on tables etc. Choose safety features on blinds to eliminate strangling on cords. Non breakable ornaments/bowls down low. Breakables and hot coffees up high. A chest for toys, but sand down sharp corners. A small chair. Any tall furniture should be affixed to wall with brackets. Don't be in a tearing hurry to remove all kitchen walls that can have a baby gate attached to them. Burns by scalding in kitchens kill and maim.

Hi Michele, self build is very exciting and we wish you luck for your upcoming project. We have various tips when it comes to our customers designing their home. As some have suggested above understanding how you and your family occupy the space is fundamental in making those early design decisions. We also tell self builders to put 'wants and needs' into 3 columns, must have, nice to have and luxury. This helps define budget and start with the fundamentals before progressing to those items such as cinema rooms or a top end kitchen worktop. There are many helpful tips on our Self Build Academy website also plenty of design and interior inspiration at Potton Self Build Galleries Before you decide that building your home is right for you, ask yourself four questions; Do you have the time and commitment to see your project through to the end. Do you have the skills and knowledge required for the task ahead Do you understand the cost involved and do you have enough money to complete the build Do you have a constitution strong enough to see you through both the highs and lows of building your own home Provided you understand your answers to these questions and can ‘fill the gaps’ when it comes to skills, knowledge, time and funding, then press ahead and enjoy what is probably going to be one of the most rewarding experiences that you will ever have in your lifetime!

Hello Annken, What about buying a very long Bungalow style home 1930's style.. If you treat it like two wings of a stately home.. With one side each for both of you that meets in the middle for kitchen/dining etc.. Or would you both want completely separate living quarters?.. If the height wasn't too low you may be able to create some split level rooms with ramp style stairs.. Or if it's not a bungalow if it was big enough you could have split level flooring with low spiral stairs.. Think Guggenheim or the Berthold Lubetkin beautifully designed Penguin house at the zoo that also had "slides" for the penguins to enter the pool in style.. These two both have a similar "feel" aesthetically to them and very beautiful... They are both favourites of mine... but it seems to me to be a way of adapting the home to the use of your wheelchairs in a nice stylish and modern way.. Possibly even more affordable than having stairs and chair lifts.. : ))

Hello Houzz Ireland, We are currently renovating a 1960's build - so as you know, there is a lot of decisions to be made!! So it would be nice to get some gems of advice from the experts to help us through this daunting task. Areas where we would really like some inspiration for - small bathroom downstairs. I would really like to do something fun with this room and although small, I think it could work really well with some funky wallpaper or possibly tiles?! I'm just not sure what to do with it. Also - pulling a whole house together?! Where do we start? We have the bigger pieces of furniture but how do I know what nest of tables goes best with a suite? Or what accessories will bring a room together? I'm due a second baby in 2 weeks time so any help at this stage would be so amazing - to guide me on the right interior design path for our new house. Thanks, Laurie