Living In A Designer Dog House

July 31, 2017 4 Comments

My house went to the dogs a long time ago, but now it seems like this has become a popular trend in home decor. Designing a home around your pets is a trend here to stay. Dogs and cats have come to be just another one of the kids and it makes sense to build a home with that in mind making everyday chores and upkeep that much easier while still keeping your home stylish. 

There are many ways now to have a house full of pets and not have to sacrifice your home decor. Cut outs in walls for dog beds and secret hideaways make keeping crates a thing of the past. Mud rooms can be designed to hold pet accessories and with walk in showers for easy bathing and less mess in the house. Rugs are made now to absorb more water for wet and muddy paws that can used in mud rooms or by the back door and can just be thrown in the washer for easy cleaning. Decorate with cute dog prints and decor. Treats can be out on the counter displayed in cute canisters and jars or even buckets. 

The biggest changes over the years have been in flooring. I have always loved hard wood floors, but hard wood floors are a lot of upkeep and worry when you own big dogs. Several years ago I pulled up all the carpet and put down tile made to look like wood.  This tile is much more popular today and comes in many different shades in the shape of wooden planks. I would never consider having a real hard wood floor again after having tile. There is never a worry about it being scratched even when moving furniture. Remember to seal your grout to avoid any absorption of pet stains or odors.  This makes life much simpler if you are training a new puppy or have an old dog.  There is also tile now on the market made to look like stone, but unlike stone it won't absorb urine or stains.  With a hard floor surface, cleaning is a breeze with kids or dogs with a quick once over with the Swiffer on a daily basis. Just remember with tiled floors dogs still need a comfy place to sleep. Have a few dogs beds tucked away in corners and carpet remnants and rugs for the kids. Even the dog beds now come in great colors and patterns.

Flat paints are now on the market that are much more pet and kid friendly and easy to wipe down which only used to be something we could find in paint with a glossy finish. Fabrics with a Nanotex finish are stain resistant and waterproof and leather is always a good choice even when having cats.  Leather has a smooth surface and doesn't have a weave for their claws to sink into as easily. Leather is great for dog hair....it doesn't stick! Don't get me wrong you can still have holes poked into the leather, but keeping a throw across the top of the sofa will also help. There are also couch and chair covers made now to protect furniture from claws sold by companies like Orvis.

Always keep a scratching post for your cats so they have somewhere to scratch. In my experience the larger the better, the smaller ones have never worked for me. Cat trees can be hidden in dens or behind a room divider. Train your cats as kittens, when possible, where they can sharpen their claws and use a squirt bottle as a deterrent when needed. Many people think you have to declaw a cat to have nice furniture (Declawing is actually the equivalent to removing the first bony digit of each of your fingers). Cats can be taught just like dogs and I have had great success having leather sofas and my cats together. Once they grow out of the teaching phase you won't even need to keep a squirt bottle. Someone once told me having two kittens at once will save your furniture and they were so right. They take it out on each other instead of your furniture and they are so fun to watch.

With these great tips you should be living in style with your furry friends. 

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