If you’re a doggy parent, your four-legged bundle of joy is a member of the family. So, it makes sense that you factor this into the equation, for practical reasons, when it comes to any decorating or designing projects at your house, condo, or apartment.
Of course, it would be silly to ask your dog whether or not it would prefer blinds over drapes — or vice versa. But the fact that you have a dog or any other pet should factor into how you go about renovating or decorating either your whole house or perhaps just a room or two.
These are just a few ideas if you’re ready for some pet-friendly decoration and design projects to beautify your home. Whether you’ve got a Shih Tzu, Labrador Retriever, Alaskan Malamute, or some other type of dog breed, you can take home the nicest place on earth for everyone in your family…including your dog. With that said, what follows is a look at ideas for pet-friendly decoration and design, so that your next project takes into account the needs of everyone in your family.
Hard Surface Floors Beat Carpets
If you want to update your flooring, you’d probably be better off with hard surface floors than with carpets or rugs. The reason? Even if your dog is usually good about doing its business outdoors, it will occasionally have an “accident” inside of your home. It’s definitely easier to clean up such a mess from hardwood or laminate than from a lush, plush rug. And if your dog sheds its fur, you’ll have more work on your hands to keep the carpet or rug clean than to keep hard surface floors clean. As well, you can actually increase the resale value of your home if you, for instance, install hardwood floors. One study by USA Today that employs information from the National Association of Realtors finds that 54% of home buyers are open to paying more for a house that has hardwood floors. So, pet-friendly flooring can pay dividends.
Beware of Expensive Breakables
Unless you have a section of your home that is generally off limits to your pet, you should think long and hard about decorating with expensive breakables or one-of-a-kind family heirlooms. Whether it’s running around while playing with its squishy toy, wagging its tail with reckless abandon, or reacting suddenly and unpredictably when startled, your dog can easily have the sort of mishap that lays waste to your expensive vase or other fragile valuables. So, it’s best to consider these sorts of things when doing pet-friendly decorating and designing. If you have expensive and opulent tastes, from you can hang paintings on the wall and put expensive crystal glasses inside of a china cabinet where they will be out of the way of your pet.
Semi-Gloss Wall Paint
If it makes sense to update your home with a splash of paint, resist the urge to use flat-finish paint — even if your local home improvement or hardware store has it on sale. The reason for the caution is that it’ll take a herculean effort to clean it off if your dog’s paws leave smudges. A better option is semi-gloss paint that can be wiped down when you notice dirt or smudges.
Create Area for Your Pet Near Point of Entry
After your dog comes in from its morning or evening walk, it’s a good idea to have an area where you can clean it off if before it can track its dirt back into the house. So, for instance, maybe you might set up such an area near the back door. In such a case, you might opt to tile that area, include a section for your pet’s jacket, towels, doggie bags, or doggie boots.
Author: Uma Campbell
