Calling All Home Design Enthusiast – Pet Home Design Ideas From Interior Decorators
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Calling All Home Design Enthusiast – Pet Home Design Ideas From Interior Decorators
“And when those dog owners also happen to be interior designers, you can bet their four-legged family members live seriously stylish lives.”
—One Kings Lane
Written by: Purrsilla
This article is dedicated to every interior designer and decorator with a passion for pets, embracing life with both animals and people in their designs. Pet-friendly furniture, materials, and décor are more abundant than ever, making it easy to create beautiful, functional spaces for pet-loving homes. Whether you design professionally or are ready to channel your inner interior designer, I hope this article inspires you with stylish, pet-friendly décor ideas to incorporate into every project you take on.
Creating a pet-friendly home is all about incorporating subtle, thoughtful touches that enhance the space without overwhelming it. A custom pet portrait, a decorative pillow featuring your favorite breed, or a small sculpture can add personality while maintaining a cohesive design. Well-placed accents create a welcoming atmosphere, while pet-friendly fabrics, flooring, and décor ensure both style and function. When decorating, focus on blending colors, scale, and textures rather than trying to match everything perfectly. If you’re working with a theme, start with a focal point—perhaps a striking pet-inspired artwork, a chic pet wallpaper, or a unique set of pet-themed pillows—and build around it, allowing the space to feel natural and inviting.
“Follow your heart to create interiors that don’t worry about the ‘rules’, but are deeply personal to you.”
― Susanna Sulk, design author, stylist, and media personality
Principles of Pet-Friendly Home Design
Designing a pet-friendly home requires a thoughtful approach that balances style, function, and comfort for both pets and people. The main principles of interior design—balance, harmony, rhythm, proportion, scale, emphasis, contrast, and details—can be adapted to create beautiful, practical spaces that accommodate furry family members.
How These Principles Apply to Pet Homes:
- Scale and Proportion: Ensure pet furniture, beds, and accessories fit seamlessly into your space without overpowering the design. Choose pet items that complement your existing décor in size and style, even pet toys.
- Balance: Distribute pet-themed elements evenly throughout the home, such as a fabulous piece of pet art, stylish pet pillows, or a pet space like built-in feeding station, to create a sense of harmony.
- Contrast: Use different textures and materials to define pet-friendly zones, such as soft, durable rugs for lounging areas and sleek, easy-to-clean surfaces for grooming stations.
- Emphasis: An important decor aspect of every space, a focal point in your pet home in the form of a custom pet photo, a luxurious washable pet blanket, or an accent wall with pet-themed wallpaper. The space is often designed around this focal point.
- Details: Good design is in the details with thoughtful elements like personalized pet name signs, stylish food and water bowls, or decorative hooks to hold leashes, coats and dog walking bags that can be on display in plain sight.
- Rhythm: Create flow in your home by repeating patterns, colors, or textures that blend pet-friendly elements with the overall aesthetic.
- Harmony: Use coordinating colors and materials to ensure that pet-friendly furniture and décor feel like a natural part of your home.
- Unity: Maintain a cohesive theme throughout the home, whether it’s modern farmhouse, industrial, or minimalist, while integrating pet-friendly elements seamlessly.
By applying these principles, you can design a pet-friendly home that is stylish, comfortable, and functional—where both you and your pets can enjoy a beautiful and well-balanced living space. Scroll to explore more Pet Interior Design Inspiration.
Purrsilla is a trend-savvy Persian cat with a sharp wit and a flair for fashion and home decor. Known for her sassy, no-nonsense writing style, she captivates readers with her blend of practical tips and creative insights. Whether she’s dishing out the latest trends or offering stylish home decor advice, Purrsilla’s articles are always engaging and full of personality.
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Find Your Inspiration
Great Design Starts With Inspiration
Great design for both pets and people starts with inspiration drawn from nature, travel, art, and everyday life. The textures of the outdoors, the elegance of global architecture, and the comfort of personal experiences all shape spaces that are both stylish and functional. Designers blend timeless influences with modern trends, using thoughtful materials, lighting, and décor to create homes that feel inviting for every member of the family—including pets. By embracing creativity and considering lifestyle needs, you can design a harmonious home where beauty and practicality coexist effortlessly.
Find a design style and design that inspires you. “At Home with Dogs and Their Designers” by Susanna Salk offers an intimate look into the lives of 21 renowned interior designers, showcasing how they seamlessly blend high-style interiors with pet-friendly living. Through a series of personal anecdotes and vibrant photographs, the book explores the unique relationships these designers have with their canine companions and the creative solutions they’ve implemented to accommodate their pets without compromising on aesthetics. Each chapter delves into the designer’s home, highlighting tailored spaces, custom furnishings, and practical tips for integrating pet needs into sophisticated design. This work serves as both an inspiration and a guide for pet owners seeking to harmonize elegance and functionality in their living spaces.
Start The Design With A Strong Foundation
Rugs create a strong foundation for both pet and people spaces, adding warmth, texture, and style. Opt for larger rugs to define entire areas or layer throw rugs to introduce color and design in key spots. When selecting rugs for a pet-friendly home, prioritize washable, non-slip, and durable materials that can withstand daily wear while maintaining comfort for both you and your pets. Consider stain-resistant fabrics and low-pile options that are easy to clean, ensuring your space remains both stylish and functional.
Ruggable designs stylish, machine-washable rugs that are perfect for pet-friendly homes. Their innovative two-piece system features a removable, stain-resistant cover and a non-slip pad, making it easy to clean up pet messes while maintaining a beautiful home. Committed to both function and design, Ruggable ensures that pet owners don’t have to sacrifice style for practicality. Their rugs provide a durable, comfortable foundation for pets and people alike, creating a space that is both inviting and easy to maintain.
Adding Textiles Are Important
Add textiles in the form of bedding, blankets, or a fabric sofa, providing cozy places for pets and people to relax. Natural textiles are easy to clean, tend to gather fur less, and stay cool in summer and warm in the winter. You can spray a non-toxic Fabric Protectant or use a Natural Deterrent Spray to keep pets off the sofa or chair, but make sure to have adequate cozy blankets, pet bedding, or rugs for pets to snuggle, nap, and rest. Explore pet-themed fabrics to create unique DIY projects from throw pillows to recovering a piece of furniture. Choose textiles that are the same or similar color to pet fur to help minimize shedding in view, letting the quote ‘pet hair, don’t care!’ really ring true. Simply camoflauge it.
Make Cohesive Design Choices
So often pet supplies, furniture and even toys are made spur of the moment, at your local mass retailer, or made with out thought, causing you to end up with a mix match of pet supplies that can often take over. Try an interior design apparoach that calls for balance, scale, and style. If you start with a plan, choosing pet supplies that match your home decor style and color, while meeting your pet’s needs you will embrace them in your home. It is important to focus on your pet’s need first, but when given the right design choices the space comes together. Use our FETCH button to look for more great pet supplies to fit your design.
Divide Things Up
Creating a pet-safe space doesn’t mean sacrificing style. This curated collection of pet gates, screens, and dividers offers both functionality and designer appeal, ensuring your home stays beautiful while keeping pets secure. From sleek acrylic pet gates that blend seamlessly into modern interiors to folding wood dividers, wrought iron barriers, and stylish playpens, there’s a perfect solution for every space. Whether you’re setting boundaries for a playful pup, protecting furniture, or creating a cozy retreat for your pet, these thoughtfully designed pieces add elegance and practicality to your home. Explore the options and find the perfect pet-friendly addition that complements your décor while enhancing safety and convenience. Screens are a great way to create a pet space, hide pet gear, or block doorways.
Secure Pet-Friendly Furniture and Cozy Seating
When it comes to flooring and furniture, opt for materials that can withstand the occasional pet mishap or playful scratch. Metal, glass, and stone are great choices and will deter pet love. When choosing wood, go for rustic, weathered, or distressed wood with personality, that can take a little play. Choose comfortable seating for people, that are not as welcoming for pets and provide pets a cozy spot nearby. Incorporate pet specific furniture pieces that become part of the space.
Add Subtle Touches of Pet-Themed Decor and Accessories
When selecting blankets, pillows, and rugs, opt for durable, washable options that don’t sacrifice style. Explore stylish pet-friendly products that complement your home. As an animal lover, it’s natural to want to express your passion, but subtle, well-curated touches can have the biggest impact. Incorporate a beautiful piece of animal-inspired art, place a sophisticated dog statue on your front porch, or add a chic cat-themed coffee table book filled with inspiring stories. Art often serves as the focal point of a room, making it a great foundation to build your space around. The key is less is more and choosing pieces that speak to you to create spaces that represent you and the things you love.
Incorporate Pet-Friendly Plants Or Faux Plants To Bring Spaces To Life
Greenery is a trendy home decor accent, but should be carefully chosen when pets have access to them. Do you homework to find out if your plant is safe for pets, some plants are not only unsafe, but poisonous to pets. Spider plants, Boston farms, and money trees are great options, and don’t forget catnip for kitties who enjoy it.
Don’t sacrifice great design and style, just do it differently. Choose a faux version of your favorite plants and flowers to get the look and stay pet-safe. For pet homes with pets who love to knock things down, consider an tacky tape to hold plants and arrangements in place.
Include Functional Decor Elements
Incorporate décor accents into your home that are both stylish and functional, seamlessly blending with your overall design while catering to your pet-friendly lifestyle. A well-placed doormat can help clean muddy paws before they enter your home, while decorative hooks provide a convenient spot for hats, leashes, and pet accessories. Stylish canisters not only keep treats and pet food fresh but also add a charming touch to your kitchen or entryway. These thoughtful design elements go beyond aesthetics—they enhance daily life by keeping your space organized, practical, and inviting for both you and your pets.
Make Decor Choices That Also Add Function!
Cleverly Control The Clutter
Designers integrate storage options into home spaces to make everyday living easier to manage. They know it can get overwhelming when pet and people stuff is everywhere, so hide it. Pick up a few buckets, wicker baskets, or an old trunk. They make it easy to toss pet stuff in, put the lid on and no one knows. When it is time to play, turn the basket on its side and it becomes a treasure hunt for pets to find what is hidden inside. There are great pet toy bins and baskets, but most designers prefer a stylish storage option that blends into the space. Herre are a few examples that will inspire your creativity from modern to funky.
Hide Clutter In Plain Site!
We hope these interior design-inspired tips will inspire you to create beautiful, functional spaces that work seamlessly for both pets and people. Thoughtful choices can make everyday living easier, from selecting textiles in colors that blend with pet fur to incorporating large storage baskets for pet toys, blankets, and leashes. Mixing and matching décor elements rather than relying too heavily on a single collection keeps your space feeling fresh and timeless, especially in nurseries, bedrooms, and bathrooms. With a balance of practicality and style, you can design a cohesive and welcoming home that reflects your personality while catering to the needs of your furry companions.
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