These materials keep mother-of-four Jody Bretkelly’s house casual, beautiful, and stain-free—no matter how many kids are running through
Spotted gum, a type of eucalyptus, is the plank wood flooring throughout the house. The very hard wood is durable against heel marks and other abuse.
The flecks in the quartz stone remind Jody of seashells, but it’s the way it resists scratches and stains that she loves.
The more you have to fuss with materials, the less suitable they are for children. Jody looked for items that only needed wiping down: a vinyl sofa for the rec room and Lucite for the dining room chairs, for example.
Thick-pile charcoal carpet in the entry and bedrooms hides dirt.
The infrastructure cost about three times as much as simple landscaping, but the yard is now maintenance free.
The backyard is bordered with succulents, which can handle a soccer ball in the face. Other border plants are tough pittosporum, agaves, euphorbia, and Australian tree ferns.