I’m a firm believer in that a house is not a home without a pet. At university I snook in hamsters that I had to surreptitiously hide from Landlords and University inspectors. But pets and interior obsessions do seem at odds, do Stylish interiors and pets really mix? The reality is if you are like me and love your feathered, furry or scaly friend no love of design would trump that, so the solution is obvious you need to adapt your interiors to your pet.
London is swimming with specialty boutiques and businesses that offer a range of products for even the most upmarket of pets. Seldon Scott director of Scott’s of London told me that “No longer are people accepting of a smelly dog bed that’s lost its shape after a few weeks and gets thrown in the cupboard when friends pop by!” Scott’s of London designer pet beds available at luxuroriouspetbeds.co.uk are miniature sofas that provide a lifelong, warm, comfortable retreat for a cat or dog, whilst providing a piece of furniture to be proud of in the home. Choosing pet products that suit your design aesthetic while providing for your pets needs is possible you just need to know where to look.
One of the best decisions you can make when designing your interior is selecting for Hardy upholstery. If you have read my previous post you will already know my feelings on wool; but all the positive qualities of this durable fabric goes doubly so if you have pets. Easily crushed and creased velvet is a no go when you have a muddy spaniel springing all over your sofa. Wool is a far better alternative as you can maintain the softness with the added benefit of being durable and cleanable. Large items such as sofas and rugs are really put through their paces with pets so really consider staining and cleaning when making these purchases. Accessories, and how much you spend on them, should also be a consideration when paring pets and interior design. Your accessories need to match your pets needs; for example white dry clean only high end accessories probably won’t pair well with a shedding ageing rescue cat that has a tendency to shred the furnishings.
Another big factor to take into consideration with pets is cleanliness, animals no matter how often they are pampered can,I admit, smell and there is few things more ghastly than walking into someone’s home and being greeted by pungent wafts of wet dog or overflowing litter tray. So even if you have no interest in your interiors presentation please keep your pets clean, for your guests sanity and your pets well being. Dogs should be bathed once a week to once a month minimum depending on their breed ( as too frequent washing can damage your dogs skin) and bedding should be freshened with pet friendly deodorizer weekly. Train your pup from around 7 weeks, if possible, to enjoy water.
' I have a lot of dogs, so I take the same fabric that’s on the sofa and make a blanket that covers almost its entire length. This way my dogs can lounge on the sofa, andijust take it off when i have guests '
Carolyne Roehm
My final tip as cynical as it sound is you need to consider your lifestyle when choosing your pet. If you like in a one bed studio in Central London working in the city out of the house all day you can’t leave a working breed dog indoors and then blame them when they tear your home apart. If you’re in the rat race maybe a hamster or small rodent would be better for your lifestyle, even these can be accommodated into a beautiful interior with the right products.
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