Decorating Your Home with Pet-Friendly Furniture
Approximately 90.5 million families own pets in the US, with dogs topping the list (followed by cats, freshwater fish, birds, small animals, reptiles, horses, and saltwater fish). Of this long and varied list, dogs and cats are usually the greatest concern when it comes to home interiors, because they spend most (or considerable) time indoors. If you are engaging in a home renovation, or you are moving into a new home, what strategies should you take to ensure your furniture is pet-friendly?
Standing on Solid Ground
Begin your decorative journey by choosing a pet-friendly floor. Your home’s flooring can be vulnerable both to urine stains and scratches. Top choices in terms of durability and ease of cleaning include ceramic tile, luxury vinyl, laminate, and coated solid hardwood. If you are more into carpet-covered flooring, choose cut pile carpets like saxony and twist, as natural wool carpets show up stains to a greater degree.
Comfortable Couches are Key
Most people enjoy sharing their couch with their cat or dog. Indeed, few things can be quite as de-stressing as spending a little time with your pet at the end of a long working day. Acing your couch choice when you have pets is easy. For optimal durability, it’s got to be microfiber. This fabric is highly stain-resistant and tightly woven. Moreover, its color remains true throughout its lifetime. Another strong fabric is cotton, which can be dyed in a myriad of hues. Choose upholstery with a high thread count, but be aware that this isn’t the toughest choice if you have a cat that loves to scratch or a puppy that chews. Vegan leather is another great idea, as it doesn’t pick up fur and can be easily vacuumed. If you have kittens that can’t resist scratching, consider using a canvas slipcover until they are a little older. Make sure your cats have scratch posts and toys, so they have many surfaces to ‘attack’ other than the sofa.
Beautiful Pet Beds
If you’ve checked out the latest pet beds by brands like IKEA, William Walker, or Jax & Bones, then you know that modern beds come in an array of styles—so much so that they can add a designer feel to your living room. Choose rattan, raised, and/or solid wood-framed beds. For cats, innovative styles include WoolyCatCaves’ ‘drop beds’(which look like strange, futuristic pods with long upright ‘tails’ and which come in cool hues like cream, taupe, grey, and dark gray); MohoWood’s gorgeous hammock beds; and MYZOO’s spaceship-like ‘bubble beds’.
Outdoor Furniture Choices
If you have a patio or backyard, then you and your pets probably enjoy relaxing and enjoying games and snacks outdoors. For your outdoor chill-out area, select chairs and sofas made from durable materials like resin (which can be sprayed down with a hose), metal, and rattan. Choose seat cushions and pillows with removable covers you can machine-wash frequently. Keep your cushions looking stylish by replacing padding so that the fluffiness factor remains high.
For millions of people worldwide, few things are quite as meaningful as time spent at home with their pets. To rest at ease alongside your furry friends, install sturdy flooring, pick tough fabrics like microfiber, and invest in designer beds. Choose tough materials and washable coverings for your outdoor area, and keep it hygienic by washing fabrics frequently.
