“The reality is, if you have kids, they’re going to trash the house,” she says. “There’s no way around it and you kind of need to embrace it.”

Josh and Jenna Densten with daughters Freddie and Story at their North Melbourne cottage. Photo: Instagram: @joshandjenna

The North Melbourne home she shares with husband Josh and two daughters, Freddie, 3, and Story, 1, always looks immaculate in Instagram posts, with a carefully considered colour palette that doesn’t shy away from light, neutral tones.

For some style-conscious parents, living with a plethora of plastic toys and baby items in bold colours and patterns is the stuff of technicolour nightmares, but there are now plenty of brands that cater to those keen on a softer aesthetic, with barely a primary colour in sight.

While these items might look good in the home, in photographs and on our Instagram feed, does it actually have any impact on a child’s development? It doesn’t, says Dr Wendy Saeme Lee, a lecturer in early childhood education at The University of Sydney.