I was really pleased to get an article on home decorating when living with a dog (or dogs)! MetroWestDog is on the cutting edge of dog trends and we want you to be a part of it.
As a dog walker, I got to see the insides of a number of homes. From my perspective there are four types of doggie decorating –
- The entire house that has a dog (or pet) theme is not unusual. There are dog pictures and posters and stuffed toy dogs and dog patterned blankets, tablecloths, towels, dog cards and dog knick-knacks everywhere you look – you get the idea. This household will do just about anything for their furkids.
- One room is devoted to a dog theme – like my home office – controlled chaos.
- Dog stuff all over the house is the most popular – a throw cover on the chair or sofa, dog toys scattered on the rug, several dog beds throughout the house and generally a few photos.
- The hairless, bed-less, toy-less “I thought you had a dog?” house.
Here are some “decorating” tips that I’ve used, and a bunch that I found on the net. Feel free to add your hints and tips via the comment section of the blog. We’d love to hear from you!
My tips:
- Bathroom rugs with the rubber on the bottom used as scatter rugs on the hardwood floor. They don’t slide and help protect the floor. They’re washable, too.
- Leather furniture.
- Bound carpet remnants (as opposed to wall-to-wall carpeting) or just cheap rugs. When it gets too dirty or smelly throw it out and get another one.
- Carpeting on the stairs. It helps the dogs go up and down faster and curbs wipe outs.
From the net:
- In my house I had to ‘happy tail’ proof EVERYTHING! I added decorative shelving, 3’ above the floor level, to place “tchotskes”, movies, books, candles and other breakable objects. Pet-proofing is an important part of decorating!
- I am an interior designer and hate the old saying “if you have kids or dogs, you can’t have nice stuff”. This is so untrue. When I purchase furniture, rugs, or décor my dogs are one of the biggest factors in decision-making. I bring home fabric samples to see how dog hair attracts/blends/shows on a particular color and if I can’t get a fabric already coated with a crypton or protective covering I spray my furniture myself with a furniture protectant that helps deter stains.
- Use leftover upholstery to make dog beds. All of the fabrics then coordinate to create a uniform look and the upholstery is much more durable than the original dog bed fabric.
- Patterns help hide the hair. Carpet color has a lot to do with what will show and what will not.
- Hair is not as noticeable on Berber.
- Carpeting and furniture in the same color range as my dog.
- Flor (www.FLOR.com) carpeting (20×20-inch carpet squares) cleans up easily and when one, or a few squares get soiled just pull them up and wash them or replace them with new. A lot cheaper than a new rug.
- Remove carpet and put in cork, laminate tile and wood flooring.
- Hardwood floors got ruined from scratches but the Pergo still looks great!
- Cover hardwood with a laminate floating floor – no damage to the hardwood that way.
- Cover high traffic areas (including hardwoods) with washable throw rugs. When they wear out you just throw them away and go shopping for new ones.
- Get a large remnant rug that has the edges bound. You can get them professionally cleaned or just toss them and start over with a fresh one.
- Leather cleans very easily and I cover it with blankets so my dogs can lay on it with me. I kept my old couch just for them exclusively.
- I put a large sheet over the couch and chair (where the dogs love to cuddle with us) to protect it from everyday use. When we have company I just fold up the sheet and stow it under the couch.
- The Crypton Super Fabrics (www.cryptonfabric.com), while very expensive, is worth every cent. I did find hair gets attracted to it just like any other fabric, but it wipes clean with no problems when there is a mess.
- Stain-resistant fabrics like Sunbrella Fabrics (www.sunbrella.com) or Waverly’s Sun-N-Shade collection (www.Waverly.com) is easy to care for and is durable.
- Micro-fiber furniture is fantastic. It doesn’t matter what you get on it, it will wipe clean with a wet sponge! Plus it’s very comfortable. It feels like suede.
- Pottery Barn furniture covered in their Everyday suede – even though hair gets attracted to it. Every few weeks just unzip the cushion covers and throw them in the wash.
- Place a sheet or throw over the bedspread during the daytime. Easier to wash than the bedspread.
- Dyson (www.Dyson.com) sweeper works well on the carpets, furniture and hard surfaces. Hair just disappears.
- The Dyson (purple, pet model) is worth its weight in gold. The attachments and spot treatments that come with the pet model are also very useful.
- Bissell (www.Bissell.com) heating rug cleaner, and their pet stain removing products. Add a little white vinegar to the water, and not only do you wipe out the stains, mud, stuck fur, dog drool and food leftovers on the floor, but the vinegar cuts the smell of wet dog.
- A misting room air freshener. It helps minimize odors.
- A room air cleaner works wonders.
- We have Sherwin-Williams (www.sherwin-williams.com) Duration paint on every surface she might drool on or rub against.
- Check out your local yard sales…you can find some great bargains and nice stuff and that if it gets ruined – it’s no biggie.
Tags: berber, bissell, carpeting, cheap, crypton, decor, decorating tips, dog decorating, dyson, flooring, FLOR, furniture, hardwood floors, home decorating, interior design, interior designer, laminate, leather, micro-fiber, pergo, pet stains, pottery barn, rugs, sherwin-williams, stains, sunbrella, tile, waverly
