Sharing Your Home with Pets

Fido is part of the family, but sometimes he doesn’t quite know how to obey the family rules, and sometimes just doesn’t fit in the human-sized furniture. You’ve gone to great effort to design your home just the way you want it, but that doggy-bed in the middle of the floor somehow detracts from what you had in mind. Here are some delightful design ideas for making life at home with your four-legged friends more fun and less hassle.

Give a leg up

• If your pet is small or getting a little older, add a step with style by using antique step stools or vintage children's chairs next to sofas and beds.
• Cover a pet step with matching upholstery fabric or carpeting to blend in with your design.

Protect your place

• Buy extra fabric when you order furniture to have made into cushion covers. That way, your pup can enjoy sitting on the sofa next to you, but when Aunt Millie comes for a visit, you can slip off the covers to show off your divine divan. Just send them out to the dry-cleaner's for a spruce up before you put them back on.
• Little nails can scratch hardwood, so keep your pet’s nails trimmed, and place throw rugs in locations your little fur-ball uses frequently.
• If your dog or cat scratches at the door, add plexiglass to the bottoms of your door panel with removable strips. Usable inside and out, the clear plastic covers allow your design to show through but keeps those doors protected.
• Purchase pet beds that match the carpet to give design continuity.

Pack potential

Minding multiple pets quickly gets out of hand, so create an organizing space with hooks for leashes and outdoor gear. Keep toys at hand in a basket or bin. Set a water-proof mat or boot tray under food bowls for easy cleanup and make sure pet dishes work in the dishwasher for simple sanitation.

Store in style

Rather than keeping large unsightly bags of pet food, store it in more stylish containers such as adorable trash bins with lids, or inside a decorative hamper, basket, or crate.

If your pet prefers a crate at home, check out some of the stylish wood/metal combinations or pet crate/side table furniture so that your pet’s home blends right in with yours.