If you don't like the look and inconvenience of safety gates in your home, hang split stable doors between rooms instead; close the bottom section whenever you want to restrict your toddler's travels.
You can replace a solid door with a door with a safety glass panel in the top half in your child's room. That way you'll be able to see what the child is up to, even though her getaway will be thoroughly blocked. just make sure that the lock is on the outside.
When a friend brings a crawler or toddler to visit your normally child-free home, you can improvise temporary safety gates from mattresses or tables turned on their sides.
