We love our little fur-babies! Our pets are members of the family and we wouldn’t have it any other way. They make their way into our hearts and then take over the whole house. Which, if we’re honest, can be a bit of a problem. We want our pets to enjoy life without destroying the home we’ve worked so hard for. Living with pets can be much easier with a pet-friendly interior design. Keep reading for some tips on how to make the animals and humans of your home happy!
Tips to Make Life Easier
Strong Floors
Who doesn’t love the sound of that little pitter-patter around the house? As amazing as that is, our little furry friends can easily damage flooring. Bad hardwood flooring does not stand a chance against the nails and claws of our pets. Shop around for beautiful laminate or tile flooring that will withstand those claws and make your space pop.
Choose Window Treatments Carefully
If you’ve ever had a cat, you know that they love curtains. Living with pets is all fun and games until you realize you can’t have the window treatments you always wanted. Pets love windows: to people and bird watch, to sunbathe, or to simply hang out. It’s important to keep windows clear and safe, but you might need to choose those treatments carefully. Remember that blinds can easily get tangled up in a dog or cat, especially the cord, so going cordless may be a way to have the blinds you want and keep your pet safe.
Keep a Clean Kitchen
While keeping a clean kitchen is usually good practice, keeping it clean when you live with pets is crucial. If food is left out anywhere, your pet will find it. Dogs will handle the floor and cats will handle the counters (or, if you have an adventurous dog, they’ll handle everywhere). It’s best to just keep everything away, or choose secure storage that the pets can’t get into. Remember that many pets can learn to open cabinets and doors so some baby-proofing may be in order for the quick-witted pets.
Fur Resistant Furniture
When you live with pets, you will have to deal with fur – there is no way around it. Most animals will want to be up on the furniture with you (or without you). They are going to shed and to avoid lint rolling every five minutes, you’re going to want to choose fur resistant furniture that will also be tough against nails when they jump up.
Toys, Toys, Toys
Make sure your pets have plenty of toys around the house! Not only will they really love that, it’s important to have things that will supplement their need to chew or scratch your furniture and walls. It may feel like clutter to have toys in every room, but you can pick tasteful or cute toys for your fur babies. It’ll make a huge difference.
Try Built-Ins
Built-ins are becoming more and more popular for those living with pets. These are major space savers and incredibly convenient. We love having food bowls in a bottom drawer that you just pull out when it’s feeding time. Or a little carveout in the wall for a dog bed. These features are helpful and beautiful!
Match Your Aesthetic
Just because you’re catering the design of your home to pets, doesn’t mean it has to be ugly or out of place. You can easily match your aesthetic while creating a pet-friendly space. Choose pet beds that match your color scheme, or a storage box for toys and bones that seamlessly blends in with the living room or bedroom. Create a space that is happy for them and happy for you!
Tail-Wagging Designs
Are you looking to revamp your home to be more pet-friendly? Need a second opinion? Feel free to contact us to get started on your interior design plan!
