As much fun as living with four-legged family members can be, designing a stylish home suitable for dogs or cats can be difficult. Not only can animals cause damage to furniture and upholstery, but some basic pet supplies, such as drinking bowls and dog food, are often a feast for the eyes and don’t fit in with the rest of the décor at all. Fortunately, with a little planning and the right items, you can design a space that’s both durable and stylish. You’ll need:
- furniture that is dual-purpose,
- built-in drawers,
- functional fabrics.
Make the most of every piece
If you don’t have the ability to hide an important piece of pet furniture, find a way to make it more multifunctional and make it easily become part of the room. Need to put a dog crate in the hallway? Turn it into a storage space for keys and bags. Materials are also important. If you choose a crate design that has a flat top, you can easily store smaller items there. It is also ideal to match everything with the other furniture, even if you have to repaint the crate.
Smart storage for the essentials
If you have more than one pet, you probably have a number of food and water bowls at home. But it doesn’t have to be that way. To avoid overcrowding your visible space, you can rely on built-in features. If you’re just remodeling your kitchen, you have a unique opportunity to incorporate a drawer into a low level. You can place cat and dog food bowls there, as they only need this bowl once a day, and you can keep the drawer tucked away during the day.
Practical surfaces are essential
Let’s face it. Pets can be disastrous for upholstery. For this reason, you should invest in easy-to-clean, pet-friendly performance fabrics like microfiber. High-performance fabrics ensure that you won’t have to worry about dirty paws or messes from your dog or cat staining your furniture. You can also choose leather that is stain, fade and scratch resistant.