Written by Sophie Clemson

When designing your home, it should be all about your family, and of course, that means your furry friends too! Your pets are an important part of your home, and we wouldn't be without them, but before you know it, your sofa can become a scratching post and your rug can be covered in mucky paw prints. After years of designing for families with pets and having two dogs and three cats within The Living House team, we know what is going to stand the test of time. We’ve even chosen dog beds for our customers' homes to make sure they paired pawfectly (sorry, I couldn't resist) with the colour scheme, and we've designed a living room that needed to work for a house rabbit! 

We’re sharing with you our 10 top tips so that you can have a beautiful family home that works for you and your pets.

1. Pet friendly fabrics 

2. Flooring for pets 

3. Pet proof rugs 

4. Keep your home accessories out of tails reach 

5. Pet friendly plants

6. Pet toy storage 

7. Incorporate your pets into the decor 

8. Scrubbable paint 

9. Blankets for your pets

10. How to hide your cats litter tray  

Pet friendly fabrics 

When choosing your sofa, we recommend going for a stain resistant fabric, which can also be known as aquaclean. This will prevent you from being too precious and worrying every time your dog jumps up on the sofa or when your cat is having a snooze after being out in the garden all day (because as much as we try to prevent them from the sofa, let's face it, their cuteness persuades us). If you have cats, you’ll know that they like to think that the sofa is their scratching post, which is why you want to avoid any open weave fabrics because they will easily pull. We suggest going for a fabric with a tight weave to keep your sofa looking its best. The Lounge Co. has a range of pet friendly sofa fabrics, as does Snug. We would say to avoid leather with dogs and cats due to their claws, unless you have a vintage and aged style sofa or armchair. 

Have a chat with us and find out how we can help you. Book a discovery call with us today!

Flooring for pets 

If you’ve already been through the puppy or kitten stage and had wipeable, easy-to-clean flooring, then you’ll have been very thankful for it. If you’re thinking of getting a furry friend to join the family, you may want to consider your flooring choice now, because you’ll thank your future self! LVT flooring, also known as luxury vinyl tiles, is perfect for homes with pets. They are usually scratch-resistant and have a fantastic guarantee, but most of all, they are quick and easy to clean when you have a path of mucky paw prints all over your floors. If LVT is out of your budget, opt for another wood style flooring or tile, but be wary of any high gloss tiles because they will show everything!! 

Upstairs, you most likely have carpet, whether that's in your bedroom or home office. Our pets (mainly dogs) love to be by our side at all times, so it's just as practical to have hard wearing flooring upstairs. Our tip is to avoid looped carpets because if your pets have any accidents, they are harder to clean. Polypropylene carpets will be your best bet because they are durable and much easier to remove stains from.

Pet proof rugs 

A rug can complete a room and bring it together, just because you have pets doesn’t mean your room needs to be rugless (now that would be very sad). This is where washable rugs are your answer. When any muddy paw prints appear or accidents happen, you can simply pop the rug in your washing machine - it couldn’t be easier! One of our all time favourite washable rug brands is Ruggable because their designs are beautiful and they have so much variety. Another option for a rug in your home that is easy to maintain and pet friendly are indoor outdoor rugs, these particularly work well in open plan kitchens where you may have doors leading to the garden. You can just hose them down outside, and they're like new.

Keep your home accessories out of tails reach 

If you love styling your home with decorative accessories, you most likely want to avoid any breakages, which are known to occasionally occur when you have energetic pets, especially when they are in the puppy and kitten phase. We recommend keeping your most precious accessories and table lamps out of reach of any wagging tails that can easily swipe your beautiful home decor pieces on the floor in a flash. Place your most favourite accessories somewhere higher up, such as shelving, this works well if you have children too! 

Pet friendly plants

Is a room really complete without a plant? We can’t resist adding a plant to every design scheme. A plant brings a room to life, adding greenery and a fresh touch. With this being said, it's important that your plants aren’t going to harm your animals, and it's now easier than ever to choose pet friendly plants from brands like Patch Plants and Beards & Daisies, you no longer have to research yourself!

Pet toy storage 

Our pets come with lots of their own stuff, with endless amounts of toys being one of them. Before you know it, you have a mountain of pet toys with nowhere to keep them. Much like a play area for your children's toys, if you have a dedicated place to store and tidy them away, it will make your room look and feel more organised. Just because it's storage for pets' toys doesn’t mean it can’t be stylish either, you could choose a woven or patterned canvas basket for storage. Etsy has very cute personalised storage baskets, or for an affordable option, explore Dunelms cotton rope baskets. It’s not just toys you can stylishly store, but your pet treats too. Pick up some glass storage jars or tins to store their treats, this works especially well if you have a dedicated pet area, such as a utility room. 

Incorporate your pets into the decor 

Your pets are a huge part of your family home, so why not dedicate an area to them? We recently designed an apartment in Scotland for our customer, who had three house cats who needed somewhere to play. We found some interesting cat wall shelving from Etsy, which meant the cats had somewhere to chill out and play, but it also incorporated well into the design scheme. It also meant the cats would hopefully not be using all the beautiful new furniture as a scratching post, as they had something new and exciting of their own.  

Scrubbable paint 

Scrubbable and washable paint is the best option when you have pets, as it's easy to maintain and keeps your walls looking smart. When you’re coming in from those muddy walks with your dog or when your cat comes in from a rainy day and decides to walk right next to the wall, you’ll be pleased you opted for paint you can scrub down! 

Blankets for your pets

Even if you buy your pets the most comfortable bed ever, they'll prefer anywhere else, such as your favourite armchair or your bed, to lie down. Make sure you have a supply of throws and blankets to cover their favourite area of choice. Even if you have stain resistant fabric sofas, this can help to avoid animal hair on your furniture. Like with pet toy storage, have some baskets to neatly store the blankets.

Do you struggle to visualise how your room could look? We can help you, click here.

How to hide your cats litter tray 

If you have a house cat, or maybe your cat is still using their litter tray, you may have wondered how you can hide away their litter tray but still keep it in a place they can easily access. Well, now your cat's litter tray can cleverly be disguised as part of the furniture. There are plenty of designs out there to blend in with your decor, from low cabinets to sideboards. We recommend taking a look at Wayfair and B&Q. 

If you’re wanting to make changes to your family home, take a look at our affordable online interior design packages to give you all the help you need. Whether you’re considering a full redesign or a refresh, we can take the stress away, and give you the confidence to move forward. Our online interior design packages are a flat fee and we can work to any budget large or small, saving you money along the way and ensuring you get the results you want and expect!

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