Six Pet-Perfect Decor Ideas

Pets are our clients’ family members, so it’s important to make them feel at home, too! Here are six tail-wagging ways to keep them in mind with your design.

1. Luxury Pet Bed.
Splurge a bit on the pet bed, and go for a design that fits right into the decor. Frontgate has a great line of luxury pet beds – like this plush faux fur rug pet bed.

2. Use stain-resistant fabrics.
Forget silk, chintz or the pet-hair magnet known as velvet. Discover the joys of Crypton, a nearly indestructible, synthetic fabric that’s resistant to stains, smells, bacteria and muddy paws.

William Wegman, the artist known for his Weimaraner photos, has designed a line of Crypton fabrics aimed at pet-obsessed style mavens that includes sturdy suedes and twills with names like Polka Dog and Material Dog. It’s available in upholstery shops, from many furniture manufacturers and interior designers; you can find it online at www.cryptonfabric.com.

Leather is also a good choice, easy to clean and durable. Most grades of leather will suffer only scratches from Fido or Fluffy’s claws. Then there’s Ultrasuede, a machine-washable microfiber that feels as smooth and seductive as real suede.

3. Choose washable bedding fabrics.
If a dog or cat sleeps with the client, there will be accidents. To protect the mattress from the inevitable by covering it with a thick pad. Use cotton bedsheets, preferably in a medium color or a pattern that can hide the pet hair and stains between washings. For bedspreads, duvet covers work well because you can take them off and wash them regularly. Delicate-looking matelasse coverlets are surprisingly durable; their tight quilting resists pet toenail snags and repeated washings.

4. Skip the Carpet.
Carpet absorbs odors, traps pet hair and soaks up inevitable pet-related stains like a sponge. But if the client must have carpet, choose a low pile. It’s easier to clean if there’s an accident. Avoid continuous loop carpet because a pet toenail can unravel it by catching a single woven loop.

Keep in mind — while bare floors are the way to go, bare doesn’t have to be boring. Painted concrete is lovely and durable, as are terrazzo and brick. Hardwood floors are simple to mop or vacuum and add a warm glow to a room, but keep in mind that large dogs can scratch wood.

The best floor is ceramic tile, because it’s easy to clean and resistant to any stain an animal can dish out. Tile is nail-proof, it makes a room look sleek and elegant, and it gives furry animals a cool place to nap during hot weather. Porous materials like marble or other natural stones aren’t as pet-proof as other hard surfaces, since acids present in pet spit-up can stain them, even if they’re sealed.

5. Set up an animal mud room near an entry.
When establish the layout of a client’s house, think about their lifestyle. If their dog goes outside, make sure he can come back in through an area that’s impervious. From doggie doors to putting porcelain tile on the walls and floor of the breakfast room, which opens onto the backyard. Or a banquette upholstered in stain-resistant fabric and equipped with under-the-seat storage for leashes and food. Or think about installing built-in shelves on the walls where the client can keep towels used to wipe the dirt off the dogs when they come inside from the yard… just a few ideas to use design to make life easier for your clients!

6. Match colors to the pet’s fur.
Pet hair is inevitable, but contrasting colors can make it even more obvious. So, opt for matching colors to the pet’s fur to camouflage it a bit more.

Here are some other pet-related decor ideas we think you and your four legged friends will love! Click on the images below to see where you can get or how you can make them!