Kid-friendly can look smart too

Paint and stain can make an improvement on store-bought safety gates, and websites such as www.babygates.com offer models made from beechwood that go with many architectural styles. For a more custom look, Dalinger had doors made with Gothic crosses cut out of the center. “My daughter is just tall enough to look through and put her mouth up to it so I can give her a kiss,” he says.

Instead of installing the common plastic, interior cabinet latches that are hard for unsuspecting adults to open, Dalinger devised his own that match the wood on cabinetry. The design — a decorative piece of wood that is mounted on the exterior and can be spun like a dial to hold doors shut — is easy on the eyes. Placed on the top edge of cabinets, out of toddlers’ reach, they are also simple for grown-ups to operate.

“We don’t leave anything fragile or dangerous lying around, but we don’t believe in putting things out of reach,” says Rosenheck. The father of twins has a large wall of shelves filled with a collection of records and books. For a few days, Ginger and Ruby grabbed things off the shelves. Dad pulled a switch play, adding an easily accessible corner bookcase filled with their toys and books next to his shelves. “Now,” he says, “they’re much more curious and focused on what’s on their bookcase.”

“Unfortunately everything they sell to protect kids is plastic and white and cheap,” says Dalinger. An electrical outlet cap was necessary but spoiled the look of the dining room walls, shown here, that he painted himself. “I had to faux finish the cap along with the switch plate,” he says.

— David A. Keeps