We love our dogs, sure, but we love our homes, too and we don’t want to live in a kennel. There is a common assumption that a stylish home and pets are incompatible, but isn’t there a way to make both people and canines happy? How do dog lovers reconcile decorating and maintaining their homes with ensuring it’s also welcoming to their four-legged friends?
1. Hardwood or laminate flooring ideal
Dog owners really do need to think about the interiors of their homes. Certain factors can make maintaining and cleaning a house really difficult when you have a dog; carpets, for example, collect dog hairs and dirt from muddy paws, absorb stains and are so much harder to clean than hardwood or laminate flooring. In addition, they can trap in unpleasant odors and create problems for guests or family members with allergies to animal hair.
In addition, hardwood flooring is a much more contemporary look for your home, and — if you feel like a little texture on the floor — small rugs are much easier to clean and far cheaper to replace than wall-to-wall carpeting.
2. Sofa and armchair upholstery
Floor aside, living room furniture also collects hair. Thickly upholstered fabric sofas, couches, and armchairs are the worst offenders. You might consider buying removable covers that can be machine washed or stain-resistant fabrics like new nano-coating. You could also opt for leather furniture for the living room, which is an ideal solution for dog owners. Leather sofas are easier to clean and vacuum to get rid of pet hair and are extremely hard wearing. Think about matching the color to your pet’s fur, which is not only practical, it will also help hide the hair — plus, it’s also a fun way to find inspiration for your home decor decisions.
3. Your dog is a member of the family
In addition to thinking about how you can make your home easier to clean and maintain, you should also consider how you could make your home better for your pet. After all, your canine pal is a part of the family and should be considered as such as you make design and decorating plans. For example, if you don’t want your dog to ruin your expensive sofa by sleeping on it, instead, get it an armchair or bed of his own. Similarly, if you don’t want your dog’s muddy paw prints around the entire house, make a space for paw cleaning in the entrance or even a “mudroom.” Finally, apply common sense — just as parents with toddlers do — and keep valuables, breakables, and art pieces higher on walls and shelving, where excitable mutts and frantically wagging tails can’t knock them over.
Dog lovers are just as much proud homeowners as those without pets, so welcome your canine into a warm and stylish home that’s easy to clean and maintain and has space for all family members — four- as well as two-legged.
