Pets are beloved members of our families, bringing joy, companionship, and- much like children – a touch of chaos. For those of us with cats or dogs, creating a stylish, functional, and pet-friendly living space requires consideration and some compromise, you can’t be too precious, but there are plenty of steps that can maintain the design aesthetic alongside your furry friend.

There are three approaches and it’s often a mix that provides the right balance.

• Adapting what you have- making do and making it suitable.
• Buying wisely once you have a pet.
• Building or buying specifically for them.

Now tweak, for example – unplug the lamp with tempting wire whilst your puppy is teething, or move the plant from the low table to a shelf and replace it with something that won’t attract your furry friend. I have a client with two beautiful Bengal cats that by their nature tend to love to be up high, one loves sitting on the cooker hood and the other doesn’t ever climb up high. Another client has a cat who was told once not to go on the kitchen worktop and never has since. The type of pet, breed and temperament all make a difference and it’s worth waiting to see their character. What you are willing to accept them doing and what you want to train them not to is personal too.

Something like a pen for a puppy is never a strong design look, but it helps sanity and can save furniture when you just can’t watch them, so it might be a compromise worth making for a short while.

Not everything has to be perfect for the day you bring them home- you’ll learn together.

As your pet becomes an established part of the family, there are plenty of smart choices or adaptations that can be made. Continue to avoid things that could easily topple and make sure furniture can withstand the weight and activity of your pets. With cats, don’t decorate with expensive and breakable accessories or ornaments and with dogs, feel free- but keep them out of reach!

Pet-Friendly Fabrics

An important consideration when designing a pet-friendly home is the choice of fabrics and the biggest of these is sofas. Look for materials that are durable, stain-resistant, and easy to clean. Short pile is best, and I would also consider pattern or a fleck, which is more forgiving than a solid colour. There are plenty of comfortable and cosy options suitable for pets that are designed to resist snagging and many different choices for the overall look, including ones that feel like velvet or leather. Some people are happy with real leather, as a practical, durable option. While it may scratch, it’s easy to clean and doesn’t trap pet hair. Over time, minor scratches can add to the leather’s character.

Sofas and chairs can come with removable covers that can be washed, allowing you to keep your furniture looking fresh. Ikea, Darlings of Chelsea and sofa.com are just a few retailers that sell removable covers.

Help your animal feel at home, have an area in every room for them and minimise the impact of malting and other wear and tear with a cosy, attractive blanket or bed. Make sure they are also durable and washable, but also don’t forget how you would usually pick things for your home- choose things that match or complement your room. Make a considered choice on the colour, pattern and texture. Places like Lords and Labradors have some great pet blankets, but equally it’s worth looking in Homesense and on Amazon. Like any other time that you are creating a room scheme, give thought to the overall aesthetic.

Cushions are a very important aspect to add texture, pattern and interest to your room schemes. The same principles apply, washable, removeable covers are a good idea and pattern will add interest and help with the longevity.

Colour match your décor to your pets- that sounds crazy but give it consideration. By this I mean, for example, yellow velvet curtains that your black cat loves to brush against are going to be impractical and will frustrate you before long. So, consider the colour of your pet’s fur and how that will play out in your home before you invest in a new furniture. If you do have a black cat, where can elements of black help and be brought into your scheme? A black flecked rug for example will fare better than a plain cream one.

Paint

Paint is simple, you want hard wearing and wipeable. Brands name their finishes slightly differently, but most likely for the walls you want an intelligent emulsion. There are higher sheen options that are very hardwearing, such as an acrylic eggshell that could be used in high traffic areas or a utility or boot room. The descriptions from individual paint companies will make it clear of the best option for you.

Stylish and Functional Flooring

Flooring is another critical aspect of pet-friendly design. It needs to withstand scratches, muddy paws, spills, and the occasional accident.

Hard Flooring

Hard surface flooring is without a doubt easier.

Consider these options:

• Hardwood: While elegant, it’s prone to scratches. Opt for harder woods like oak or consider a distressed or more natural finish that can mask scratches.
• Laminate: Durable and scratch-resistant, laminate flooring is less popular these days, but is a practical choice that mimics the look of wood.
• Luxury Vinyl Tiles Vinyl: LVT comes in a variety of styles and is both waterproof and scratch resistant. You can go for realistic looking wood, tiles or concrete effects and these are very resilient and easy to maintain and when your pet hares in from the garden with muddy paws, it’s easy to wipe.
• Tiles: Ceramic, limestone or porcelain tiles are extremely durable, resistant to moisture and easy to clean, though they can be cold and slippery.

Having discussed interior design and pets with Hanne Grice (excellent Pet Behaviourist, Trainer and Animal Sciences Lecturer), it is important to know that she has experienced quite a few behavioural problems in pets that stem from the home environment, for example their anxiety can be heightened by having slippery floors, especially in older or arthritic animals, who may feel anxious if they can’t grip the floor. So, whilst easy to maintain floors are often more desirable for us humans, we do need to again consider our own pets and how you can always make your environment the best for both you and them. Consider if you can change or lessen the impact of your choices, in this instance adding rugs, or considering carpet instead.

Carpet

There are many durable and practical options. A heavy wool percentage makes it harder wearing but ask when purchasing as there are different yarn options and if you speak to the retailer about your needs, you’ll get the best advice for your situation. The location of the carpet is important and whether your pet malts or scratches. Loop piles can cause a problem with pets that scratch, and the loops can make it harder to keep clean, so I would advise against them. You’re never going to ideally place a light carpet where your pet first enters the home with mucky paws, for example, but it might be fine in the living room. Stain resistant and even bleach cleanable are good options.

Rugs

Rugs are always an important addition to improve the aesthetic of a home. It will again depend on the location, but they are an easier option than carpet in terms of maintenance. This is another area where pattern or a fleck (be it bold or subtle) can be your friend and there are lots of washable rug options available, look at places like Ruggable, Rugvista, Weaver Green and Benuta. Like with carpet, you will want to consider the pile, a loop is attractive to chew or scratch and trickier to clean, and a looser, open weave is more prone to snagging. A flatweave is less cosy, but more practical.