Are you a pet lover or a pet parent? Are you the kind that can’t live without the love, companionship, and comfort of four-legged friends? Then you are at the right place. With the love and care of our friends comes the need for potential interior design changes. We want our friend to have everything it needs as well as maintain our décor, lifestyle, and aesthetic.
Simple tweaks here and there can help us furnish our home safe for all living there, including our beloved pets. So, here are some tips for designing a pet-friendly home while maintaining your home’s design and décor.
Flooring
Selecting the best suitable flooring is a crucial step in designing a pet-friendly home and making your house welcoming for your companion. Many factors play an essential role, such as maintenance, effect on our four-legged friend’s limbs, traction, and wear and tear of the flooring. Here are some selections with their features that you can go for while choosing the flooring:
- Hardwood – Easy to clean and vacuum, but if not cleaned in time, it can sustain stains and is likely to get scratched by a pet’s claws and paws. Pick hardwood types like mahogany, oak, or walnut as they do not damage easily.
- Concrete – Easy to clean; doesn’t absorb urine; hence, no stains or odours; scratch-resistant; anti-slip; doesn’t conceal fleas, mites, fur flakes of skin.
- Laminate – Easier to clean with looks of hardwood, low maintenance, and water resilient, but it is not anti-slippery, which can harm your loyal companion in the long term.
- Vinyl – Best option as per affordability; good for pet’s joints as it provides excellent grip, sound-absorbent, which is a relief from the sound of nails striking the floor, but the biggest drawback is that it is not resistant to water and becomes dull with time.
- Ceramic Tiles – Easy to clean and maintain; hard surface; stain-resistant, but it doesn’t provide much traction for animal walking.
- Carpet Tiles – Very pet-friendly; the impression of the carpet but with low maintenance; scratches and scuff marks free; can be easily moved here and there and can be replaced effortlessly.
- Stone Tiles – Easy to clean; durable; stain, scratch, scuff marks, and water-resistant; the only issue is that these can be hard and affect a pet’s limbs and make it harder to sleep on them.
- Rugs – Sturdy and durable; low maintenance; easy to vacuum and clean; can be stain-proof; the main idea is selecting the most suitable option, such as wool or hand-knotted rugs with cut piles instead of loop piles.
- Carpets – Scuff marks and scratch resilient; anti-slip; noise-muffling; but this all depends on quality, such as choosing heavy rated carpets and cut pile, making it easier to clean and avoid any mishaps with your friend and can withstand wear and tear or heavy traffic. Choose carpet’s color according to the fur neither too dark nor too light.
Wall Finish
Walls are also something pets like to play around and therefore are bound to get dirty and scuff marks. For designing a pet-friendly home, it is essential to know what is the best way to keep things safe for your friends and at the same time make them look good.
- It would be best to use colorful, washable, semi-gloss, satin, or eggshell finish paint in places where the dog or cat spends its most time. It is easiest to wipe down.
- Avoid using wallpapers or use them at places where your companion seldom visits, which will save your wall from scratches or jabs.
Upholstery
Upholstered furniture can make your life easier where pets are concerned with proper settings.
- You can go for stain-resistant, washable, water/spill resilient, durable fabric.
- While choosing the color, keep in mind your pet’s fur and select something matching it to help conceal pet-hair.
- Use sofa cover or slipcovered furniture to avoid excessive damage from claws and paws, and they can be tossed to wash when dirty.
- Avoid using fabrics that are delicate like silk or velvet; they can be easily ruined.
- You can opt for high-quality leather, suede, synthetic fabric, or outdoor used material as they are easy to clean and durable.
Although these are durable, they are not damage-free, so keep in mind to trim your companion’s nails and fur short and neat.
These few tips for designing a pet-friendly home can help design your dream home, which is safe for every living being, including your four-legged loving companion. So go for it and be a great pet parent.
For more suggestions or help, check us out at – This is how you nail the farmhouse style of interior for your house – (shhoonya.com)
or at Instagram – shhoonyadesign.
Be Safe! Enjoy and have fun with your loving companion!