4 Stylish Ways to Earthquake-Proof Your Home’s Design

There’s no questioning an earthquake’s ability to shake things up on the West Coast—literally—but what does your home décor have to do with it? After all, the mere thought of an unceremonious tremble will make you want to replenish an emergency kit, brush up your knowledge of the Ritcher scale, and reinforce your home’s foundation. Oftentimes, any thought about quake-proofing your home doesn’t go past the structural upkeep. But when you think about filling your home with items that bring you joy—specifically, fragile items that bring you joy, which all can shatter at a moment’s notice—thinking through your home decor suddenly takes a new precedence—especially when you have some fancy stuff at home. 

Quake-proofing your home might seem like an exhausting, laborious undertaking, but it’s actually the exact opposite. In fact, a few tiny tweaks can give you some added peace of mind. Go ahead, read on to check out these stylish tips to smooth out your next shake.

Thomas J. Story

Stick the Landing

Picture this: That dainty glass vase you inherited from your grandmother is placed a little too close to the edge of your fireplace mantle. One false more and the whole thing will come tumbling down, which is pretty terrifying, right? Well, Linda Hayslett says it doesn’t have to be this way. “One thing I like to use is museum wax to put on the bottom of vases, statues or delicate items so they don’t move when the house shakes,” the Southern California-based interior designer explains. “If you need to move the item, it’s easy to clean the wax off and reapply to place the object elsewhere.” Not only is museum wax an affordable addition to your Amazon cart, but you won’t have to worry about something accidentally shaking off the shelf.

Courtesy of Amazon

Rethink Your Art Placement

While we love large-scale art as much as the next design enthusiast, the wrong placement can be an accident waiting to happen—especially if you live somewhere that’s prone to earthquakes. A big canvas or framed photo can bonk you on the head if it falls off the wall, so be sure you hang them far away from sofas, chairs, or a bed. Sure, this decorating tip might seem silly; however, it can give you some much-needed peace of mind if a tremor happens while you’re sleeping or relaxing. At the end of the day, better safe than sorry!

Courtesy of Anthropologie

Get Rid of Glass

A glass-topped coffee table will rack up the style points…until a tremor occurs, that is. Hayslett is quick to point out that, though beautiful, glass furniture pieces can break easily during an earthquake. (Not to mention the fickle material can lead to damage and even injury.) Don’t worry, you don’t have to totally compromise the barely-there look glass offers. Hayslett says: “I’d either swap out the glass for plexiglass or get acrylic pieces to get that glass fix like in this family room [pictured at the top of the article].”

Opt out of Open Shelving

Speaking of glass, can we talk about that open shelving in your kitchen? Sure, a stack of floating shelves might give your storage situation an aesthetically-pleasing edge; however, there’s a good chance your dainty drinkware will come tumbling down mid-shake. If you want to err on the side of caution—and avoid the time and money it’ll take to replace all your glasses—keep those valuables behind a proper cabinet door. That said, you can always strike a balance with glass-fronted cabinets. A healthy mix between barely-there and safe? Yes, please.

We only recommend things we love. If you buy something through our site, we might earn a commission.