Guest Blogger: How to Design your Interiors with Pets in Mind

Guest Blogger #536, Entry #1209, May 22, 2012

People have been known to welcome all kinds of pets into their homes and families, from commonly domesticated species like dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles, and rodents (just to name a few) to less likely companions like goats, monkeys, wolves, octopi, and even ocelots. But whatever member of the wild kingdom you choose to share your life with, you may have to take some steps to pet-proof your home in the process. Even domesticated species may still chew your furniture, mess on your floors, and wreak all kinds of havoc in your interior spaces, especially if you aren’t prepared for their particular needs. So here are just a few design tips that will help you to pet-proof your home whether you’re inviting Pongo and Perdy or Baloo and Shere Khan inside.

Is your home ready for the addition of pets?

Image via: Desire to Inspire

Assess your household decor

The first thing you need to consider is items of value. This could include furniture, carpets (or hardwood flooring), electronics, accessories (lamps, linens, and so on), heirlooms, and even items that hold purely sentimental value (photos, for example). The house itself could qualify. Did you ever see that episode of Hoarders where a couple of goats chewed right through a wall? This is, admittedly, an extreme situation that most homeowners will not experience, but when it comes to your design aesthetic, you need to consider that a pet in your home could do damage to anything within reach.

This is not to say that you can’t have nice things (locked away where your pet can’t get them) or that many pets cannot be trained to respect your furniture and accessories. But if you want to plan for a home that is pet-friendly, consider filling your interior spaces with materials that are durable enough to withstand the clawing of cats, gnawing of puppies, and the occasional accident. Furniture covers can help quite a bit, but if you want to ensure the least damage to flooring, consider stone or tile instead of wood or carpeting.

Pet health and safety

You also need to think about the health and safety of your pet, so one design tip that you will not be sorry you followed is installing door latches. We all keep items in the home that could be toxic to our pets, such as cleaning solvents, medications, makeup, trash bins, and all kinds of other unlikely items (like DVD packaging). You might be surprised what some animals will find appetizing. Even your pantry could pose a risk to your dog should he get into a box of chocolates, for example. So make sure that all doors and cupboards latch securely. And consider installing a dog or cat fence, baby gates, or even full enclosures to keep your pets safe while they are young and accident-prone (or to keep them out of dangerous areas).

Make your home inviting for your pets

Image via: Desire to Inspire

Make your home inviting

Finally, you should consider making your home inviting for your particular pet. Do you have a playful cat that delights in attacking guests? Siphon off some of his energy by adding catwalks (or carpeted shelves), cat trees, and a wide variety of toys. Do your parakeets perch on your television and dig their talons into the plastic? Create some wall art by adding a host of pegs and branches that he can hop around on instead. As for dogs, give them their own beds throughout the house if you want to keep them off the furniture. When you design your home with a pet-friendly flare, you’ll ensure that you and your animal companions can coexist in harmony.

For more Pet Ideas on Stagetecture, click here.