Make your house feel like home for your favorite furry friends.
Pets are much more than just animals – they’re family! Your house should feel comfortable and safe for everyone, which means our pets too. When remodeling or building pets are often the last thing homeowners are thinking about. Paying attention to the needs of your pet will allow your home to keep up with your daily routine.
Keep reading to learn what materials and design details you should be adding to your home to help make your fur baby safe and happy!
Paw Approved Materials
When selecting flooring and fabric materials for your home, keeping your pet in mind will make less work for you. You want materials that are easy to clean, maintain, and can keep up with the zoomies. (If you know you know)
Let’s start with flooring – this is the first item in any home to show the wear and tear of your furry friend. Therefore, I recommend avoiding carpet if possible. Carpet is not the best option for pet-owners because it holds on to hair, dirt, and bugs. You want flooring that is stain-resistant and germ-resistant. My top flooring materials are:
LUXURY VINYL PLANK (LVP)
Luxury Vinyl Plank is a great pet friendly material that is safe for your home and pocket. They have so many great styles and textured material that are at every price point. LVP is moisture resistant and beyond durable. As the owner of an 80+ lb. German Shepard Mix, LVP has held up to her digging spells, zoomies and chewing. I have even dropped pots on it and it didn’t make a dent. Talk about amazing! Cleaning is simple and easy – all you need is a vacuum and mop.
TILE
When it comes to tile, I recommend staying with ceramic or porcelain since they are a nonporous material. This means you do not have to seal it like natural stone requires. Pets bring in all sorts of dirt and the last thing you want is a dark stain on your floors. Tile can keep up with the heaviest of pups and is beyond durable. You just must keep in mind that tile doesn’t have any give to it so if you drop heavy objects, you can chip it. Cleaning is simple and easy – all you need is a vacuum and mop. My pro-tip is to get a high quality grout that can upkeep with a busy home.
HARDWOOD
Hardwood is a beautiful material, but when it comes to pets can be easily scratched and dented. Therefore, I only recommend using hardwood for homes with lightweight pups that are below 20 lbs. This will allow you to minimize any wear and tear that can occur over the years. You will want to make sure that your floor is finished with an adequate urethane finish that is easy to clean. Lastly, when it comes to hardwood it is not recommended to wet mop often since it can warp the wood and wear away the stain and coating on your floors. The rule of thumb, hardwood should be vacuumed as often as needed but only wet cleaned every 1-2 months.
Now when it comes to fabric you want to keep in mind the type of home you have. For example, Are you pets on the furniture kind of home? Being honest with yourself on the level of durability you need will eliminate so much stress and anxiety. Many homeowners with pups believe they shouldn’t invest in quality furniture because of the fear their pet will ruin it.
For pets who are allowed full access to your furniture, I highly recommend selecting Crypton Fabric which is a synthetic germ-, stain-, and water resistant material that can keep up with your furry friend and your kiddos. Those muddy paws don’t stand a chance on this stuff and the best part is that it is comfortable to the touch. Perfect for pup snuggles on the couch. This fabric is perfect for everything from furniture, pillows, etc. It can be ordered by select furniture companies or by an Interior Designer.
Thinking carefully about the fabric in your home will keep you from wanting to pull your own hair out. You want to avoid any fabrics that are magnets for your pet hair or are too delicate such as: velvet, velour, chenille, corduroy, or silk. Instead, you will want to opt for smoother textures like leather or synthetic fabric.
As a pet owner and mom, I cannot recommend making sure your high traffic areas are washable – that means sofa, rug, pillows..you name it! Choosing washable furniture coverings will make your furniture look brand new. I highly recommend Ruggable & LOVESAC, but to be honest so many brands and websites offer great washable options.
Ultimutt Design List for your Pet
When designing a home for you and your pet; you want to think about your daily routine. Pets eat, sleep, and relax in our homes but chances are your design decisions tend to focus more on the humans. Adding features to your home that put your furry companion at the forefront will make your daily routine and home function for everyone’s needs.
Pet-friendly Interior Design can accommodate your animals without compromising the aesthetic of your home with built-ins and special features that focus on their daily habits: feeding, napping, baths and more. Here are my favorite pup-friendly feature you need:
BUILT-IN FOOD BOWLS
Your pets food bowls are always in the kitchen, so why not make their deeding station an extension of your kitchen. You can add their bowls to your island end or pull them out from your cabinets.
HIDDEN DOG BED
Do you like to keep your dog(s) crated when you’re not home or asleep? Then, you need to consider making their crate a piece of furniture or even adding it to the design of your laundry or mudroom cabinets.
PAW-FECT FURNITURE
Upcycle your old furniture or custom make a beautiful furniture piece so that your pups can snooze with their favorite humans close by.
BATH TIME
One of my biggest selling points to my client is having a shower that works for humans and pups. You’ll want a standard shower with a small curb and hand shower that is on a slide bar low enough for you to grab as you need.
Making your home not just pet-friendly but pet-positive is the way of the future. Let us know what you think in the comments!
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