When you live with pets (or kids), it’s easy to forget about style in the name of making your home comfortable and safe for your furry friends.
But it doesn’t have to be this way! Style and comfort aren’t mutually exclusive. You can have a home that’s fashionable and safe for your pet. Here’s how to bring pet-friendly décor and design into your new home to make it the tasteful and chic abode you’ve always imagined.
1. Create a Stylish Pet Corner
Pets are just like humans in that they like a special place to retreat. Your pet deserves a space to call their own, and you deserve a living room that actually looks nice. Fortunately, you don’t have to build a pet suite in your new home to give your four legged family member a cozy pet corner.
A dog bed doesn’t have to stick out like a sore thumb. Choose a color or design that matches your overall décor. If your décor skews to traditional styles, Orvis’ luxury dog beds will blend in perfectly, more minimalist homeowners can explore IKEA’s pet line. You could even incorporate their bed under a table so it is out of sight.
For a stylish cat corner, consider hanging climbing shelves along the wall. Sleek, wall mounted hanging shelves give your curious critter a fun place to explore, without taking up floor or visual space. Place your shelves in a decorative way that your cat enjoys.
2. Invest in Attractive Pet Gates
As much as we love our pets, they don’t always need free range of the house. Whether you want to limit where your animal can go while you’re gone, or you have firm no pets in the bedroom/formal spaces/upstairs rules, pet gates safely keep your furry friends where they belong.
You don’t have to buy ugly plastic pet gates. Sleek, arched metal gates and mid-century wooden gates can work with your décor, not against it.
3. Only Buy Pet-Friendly Furniture
When shopping for pet friendly furniture, think big. Tall tables can keep your valuables safely away from wagging tails and playful paws. Look for sturdy pieces that can withstand the occasional bump from an overexcite pup or a cat’s gymnastic routine.
Unless you like to clean a lot, think about getting furniture with legs that are easy to clean under. Skirted armchairs and sofas make sweeping and vacuuming and are basically magnets for dirt and hair.
4. Focus on Fabrics that Can Take the Strain and the Stains
If you let your animals sit on upholstered furniture, you need to invest in fabric that can take the strain and the stain. (Or you can spend your days trying to keep a white sofa from looking like a pet sat on it.) Picking the right type of fabric protects your furniture and limits your cleaning.
The first step for pet friendly fabric is to choose the right material for upholstery. Stain-resistant fabrics like synthetic fibers, ultra-suede, and leather make clean-up a breeze.
When picking fabric colors you have a few options. Camouflage shedding by opting for colors similar to your pet. Unless your pet has white fur, choosing dark or patterned furniture hides stains and fur really well. This dog owner can attest that tan dog fur isn’t visible on a grey sofa.
If you have your heart set on a white velvet sofa, you might want to consider keeping Fido or Fluffy off the couch.
5. Install Hardy Flooring
Carpet is a major no no if you want to design a stylish, pet friendly home. Even if you have a housetrained pet, hard to clean carpet absorbs odors and traps shed fur, making your new home feel dirty and smell bad.
Stylish, and on trend, flooring options like hardwood, ceramic tile, stained concrete, or stone look fabulous and actually stay clean. If you and your furry friends live in a warm climate, these materials can help keep them cool during the summer.
Don’t let owning a pet limit you from the stylish person you are. Do you have any other pet-friendly décor ideas? Let us know in the comments below.
After graduating in 2016 from The University of Texas with a degree in English, Sanda Brown became a content writer for the BDX with a focus on website copy and content marketing.
At the BDX, Sanda helps write and edit articles on NewHomeSource.com, writes website copy for builders, and manages a team of freelancers that work on additional content needs.