How to Make a Pet-Friendly Space that your Furry Friends Will Love

Anatole France wrote, “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened”. 

Those of us who’ve had pets will very likely agree. Dogs, cats, and other pets have brought immeasurable joy to us over the years, which is why they’re typically considered members of the family. 

This also means, like other members of the family, they should be considered when preparing a home. Most of them may not require their own rooms, but they do require certain things when it comes to matters such as decor. 

If you’re in search of advice on those very things, you’re in luck! Today, we’ll help you go over the basics of pet-friendly interior design trends. We’ve put all of our notes in easy-to-follow tips for establishing a space both you and your pet can inhabit happily.

Create a designated space for your pets

We said earlier that most pets won’t need rooms of their own. Despite that, pet-friendly interior design requires that they’re allocated spaces of their own as much as possible. 

This can seem difficult in some apartments where you’re already low on space to start with. But take it from those who’ve experienced it: this actually helps you better organise the space you have!

In addition, it provides an easy retreat option for pets when they need to rest or move out of the way when you’re busy (like when you’re cleaning). For dogs, you can often establish this with a crate or fenced area. For cats, it can be a cat tree or house.

Naturally, size the space you allocate to your pet will be based on your actual pet’s size. Note that in certain cases, you shouldn’t restrict your sizing to horizontal concerns. 

Cats like to climb and use perches, for instance, so you can actually think about spaces vertically too. Think of shelves they can use as beds, or scratchers for cats that can be mounted flat to a wall. Even if you have a pet-friendly sofa, it never hurts to provide a different target for their claws. Scratchers like the ones we mentioned let you do that without taking up floor space.

And of course, remember to choose spaces that your pet will actually like. Cats often like to look out windows, for example, so put your cat’s shelf by one. Meanwhile, dogs like to sleep in quiet corners where they can still be close to you.

Pro-tip: Consider multi-purpose pet furniture

This is one of our favourite design trends in pet-friendly interior design! You can now get things that serve more than one purpose, like a pet bed that also has a storage compartment. 

You just need to look around to find more design ideas like these. We’ve seen chairs with pet beds or hideaways at the bottom and bookshelves with guinea pig hutches. You might even come up with your own ideas for custom furniture makers to act on!

Consider your pet’s needs

We already touched on this in the previous tip, but it’s worth covering in more depth. Our pets have needs – they need their own beds, places to rest or eat, and so on. 

Fortunately, there’s so much variety in these now that you can often find a tonne of aesthetic options and variations on them! This affords you a chance to stay true to your visual preferences while also considering your pet’s needs. 

For example, look into finding pet beds that match the colours of your furnishings. Or try to use good-looking cat trees as points of interest in a space’s decor.

We’ve also seen people create things like pet stations that are built into other furnishings. For example, you can create a quiet sleeping nook complete with a pet bed for your dog at the bottom of a repurposed cabinet!

Pro-tip: Do at least one check for pet safety

A hallmark of pet friendly homes is that they’re pet-proofed. That’s why we recommend going over every place your pets can access, from living room to bedroom, and assessing safety. 

Are there small things they could possibly take in their mouths or swallow? Are there sharp edges or objects where they could cut themselves? 

Pet needs go beyond having certain things present. Sometimes, they’re also about having certain things locked away or absent.

Check your home to see. Make adjustments where necessary, such as securing cabinets and removing toxic plants. Without doing this, you’ll never pull off truly pet friendly house design

Don’t be afraid to get furnishings that both you and your pets can enjoy

One thing many pet owners are apprehensive about is over whether or not to purchase something that their pet could potentially “ruin”. The funny thing about this is that focusing too much on that can actually cause you to miss all the ways pets can also benefit from the item!

Rugs are the classic example. Most people don’t think of rugs as pet-friendly because they worry about pets urinating on rugs or tracking dirt onto them. But given properly trained and healthy pets, the odds of a cat or dog urinating on a rug are fairly low! Clean pets, particularly indoor ones, are also unlikely to track dirt – or, at least, aren’t more likely to do so than the humans of a household! 

As for scratching – a common concern if you’re a cat owner – it’s possible to minimise the odds of this leading to serious rug damage with the right rug type. You can also train a cat not to do it if you supply the pet with alternative scratching surfaces. The same goes for dogs and their chewing.

Besides, most pets tend to like rugs. They serve as warm, soft places to rest. Like us, most pets find rugs cosy and can come to associate them with comfort.

This particular example of pet-friendly interior decor offers a range of other benefits to the inhabitants of a home too. For instance, rugs can prevent pets’ nails from scratching your hardwood floors, or absorb the sound of pets’ nails and toys when they’re playing.

Pro-tip: Use a checklist or get expert help to find the right pet-friendly rug

There are so many factors to consider when choosing a pet-friendly rug. Being organised in your search can do a lot to simplify the task. 

Try making up a list of the items you need from your rug. Here are some suggestions: 

  • Low pile height to make cleaning easier
  • Colours that match shed pet hair from your furry friend, if possible
  • Non-slip back rug or enough heft to prevent the rug slipping

If you want to simplify this, you can also just ask an expert to help you. Try contacting The Rug Maker for ideas, whether for bespoke rugs or already-crafted ones.

Be smart about decor material and maintenance

Choosing colours, materials, and patterns intelligently in decor can save you a lot of trouble over time, especially in terms of maintenance. 

For example, if you have a dark-furred pet, getting dark-coloured furnishings is the way to go. It can help minimise the amount of pet fur you notice on your furniture every day!

As much as possible, you should choose items that are also easy to clean. Surfaces that can be wiped easily are great. Textiles and other items that can be washed are ideal. Stain-resistant and moisture-resistant objects such as wool rugs are fantastic. 

Make things easier for yourself by choosing items like these in your decor shopping. You’ll be glad you did in the long run!

Pro-tip: Don’t forget about walls and floors

Most people seem to just think about looking for easy-to-clean furniture. If you can afford it, you can also make things easier for yourself by selecting certain options for your walls and flooring.

For walls, consider wall paint that’s on the glossy side and easy to wipe or clean, for example. For flooring, try something resistant to the scratches pets’ nails can leave. Hardwood, tile, or even quality laminate or vinyl could work!

Get started by talking to us about getting a pet-friendly rug for your own home!

The ideas above should help you build a space that both you and your furry friend can be comfortable in. If you want to get started right now, though, why not reach out to us? We can lay the foundation for your pet-friendly interior decor by helping you find the perfect pet-friendly rug for your needs.

In fact, at The Rug Maker, we can even create a custom rug should you need it. Plus, we can help you figure out what exactly you require. We have a host of services available to homeowners like you here! To learn more, reach out to The Rug Maker today.