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The living room is off-limits to the children? How sad.

I know, and I could not understand why. The two items that she is concerned about--the table and the dog--are huge and heavy and highly unlikely to be damaged by the wee ones.

I appreciate your concern for the kids' right to access, but "the red zone" isn't off-limits when we're in it with them. Left to their own devices, the boys tend to use the sofa as a trampoline, and we've had some near misses between their heads and the marble table - should they collide at high speed, a trip to the emergency room would likely result (for the child, not the table). As for Coco, she does have a delicate nature.

Nice looking space.

I don't have kids, but I guess if I did, I'd think about not having any spaces (except the master bedroom and any areas with tools or dangerous stuff) that were off limits for normal living. And a living room would definitely not be an off limits room. (So, if it were me, I'd move the dog and find a child-friendly table, and put them back when the kids are older.)

Not that it's any of my business!

I have a kid and a marble topped table that could easily split open a head, so I appreciate the problem. I solved it by moving the dangerous table to a corner. It doesn't look as good, but I gigure it only for a few years.

It's interesting that the "living room" is the focus - we spend literally 95% of our time as a family in the den (where the shot of the whole family was taken). It's smaller than the room downstairs, but it's warm (an issue in an old house), cozy, and has become where we really "live" (note that the furniture in there takes abuse very well - the kids bounce off - and on - the cork tables, and their dad's coffee wipes right up!).

I suspect that the people who react to the "off-limits" rule for the room where the $28k furniture is just might have a memory of off-limits rooms when they were children. I had friends who had this rule in their homes, and the trophy rooms always looks cold and sad. My own home was run for the comfort and enjoyment of all members of the family -- adults, children and pets. There were no places considered too good, too expensive, or too dangerous for children. We, the children, were told not to jump on furniture and to behave ourselves, and we complied. Imagine that.

I am confused by this article. The sofa is half in one room, half in another, and somehow ate Brooklyn?
I would love to see more pictures of the home, though.

I agree that I could not get over the fact that Ms Oliver has made the living room off limits to his children.

Seems like the wrong women for a man with three busy active kids. Do they "visit" as the article said or is he sharing custody with his ex wife and enjoying raising his children?

If he has joint custody and this is the children's home get rid of the "stuff" that prevents the use of the room, since it's now only used to showcase for her furniture.
It could be a fun space for all to enjoy on a regular basis and the children can be made to feel welcome in all of their home.

I like what KJO said.
Children do learn to live with nice things.

I have kids and always had delicate antique model boats, pottery and all types of "valuable stuff" sitting on low shelves. My kids knew they were not toys but were always allowed to touch them, and took pride in showing there friends who visited our home how to touch all the antiques.

I also have antique children cap guns from the 1950's. Now kids love to play with them, but that freaked out parents on my very liberal of left UWS! :D

that dog statue reminds of the one from friends hahaha

"We, the children, were told not to jump on furniture and to behave ourselves, and we complied. Imagine that."

In a family that isn't kid-centric and where parents aren't trying to be "Cool" and their child's "Friend" - this approach works and you end up with polite, responsible and well-adjusted young adults.

When parents abdicate their inherent responsibility for educating/monitoring/disciplining their spawn - it doesn't work, and you end up with self-centered, irresponsible brats with no sense of consequences who expect everything in life handed to them on a silver platter.

I also grew up in a house that wasn't child-proofed and had limits on our activities - and we somehow survived.

As a child I once turned a mahogany desk on edge and used the flat surface as a place to hang my dart board. My mother was less than enthralled with the idea.

Kids who learn about quality and responsibility early on grow into adults with the same sets of values.

And my god - 28K or not - that is one gorgeous sofa!

Forestdweller, not many people are like you. My living room is off limits to the my daughter and niece as well. I have made it clear to my daughter that running, jumping etc. is for the outdoors. We have parties (birthday, Christmas, etc.) where people bring their kids over and it is like they let loose a circus caravan. My living room is not a "trophy space" at all. It consists of 2 lounge chairs, sisel rug, a comfortable couch, end table, lamp and easel and a LCD TV. The only thing that can easily get damaged is the TV. I just don't understand why kids need to jump on couches? Why they have to run in the house? Swing from chairs? I take my daughter sledding at a nearby park in the winter, swimming at the lake in the summer, long days in the back yard with the trampoline, she has a years worth of art canvas in her room, computer, books, nintendo DS etc. There is a time and a place for flipping, jumping etc. and that time and place is not in the house. Yes, that is how my cousins and I were brought up too, and to be honest with you, it helped us want to be outside instead of 2 inches from the TV for hours and hours.

I can't believe everyone is making such a big deal of this. If I had things that nice, I wouldn't let kids near it either. To be honest, I don't have children, but I don't particularly want kids in my living room anyway, and I don't even have nice things yet.

I think the owner is not so "off limits" and may be more "supervised visits" oriented. We have an 8 month old just starting to crawl. Our friends with unruly children can't believe we haven't crated 90% of what we own. All of our home is a well used ode to our travels and supervision is the key to success, along with learning the basics of respect for either people or possessions or peoples possessions. What I can't stand are those homes that have been given over to ever children's gadget or toy and have lost all "adult" space. But whatever. To each their own.

My parents were antique dealers when I was little, and had a lot of cool furniture. Some of it did get messed up by us kids, and they had to live with that. (My mom became very skilled at repairs). We were taught that certain pieces of furniture were ok to jump on, others were ok only to sit on, and some to not sit on at all. But of course, even more important to my parents was my and my younger sister's safety. I remember my sister (about 2 at the time) walking headfirst into the corner edge of a glass-topped coffee table, causing a pretty deep gash in her forehead. My parents were frantic until they realized she was going to be ok. As a parent the safety of your children has to be your top concern, and the furniture second. And it sounds like the parents in the article agree with that. It's just finding a balance between your nice furniture, accepting that it won't always look perfect, and making sure your kids are safe.

Wow, I bet Kimberly Oliver is kicking herself for that comment about the living room being "off limits." Nothing like parenting issues to bring out the ferocious comments on apartment therapy...