If you have a dog the likelihood is you love him/her lots and spoil them rotten…or is that just us? Opie pretty much has free rein of the house and we have never stopped him sitting on the furniture or sleeping on the bed. This has meant we have needed to be quite careful about the type of furniture we have in our house as we would like our furniture and our home to last a while and still look great the majority of the time. Here are a few tips from one dog owner to another on how to keep your home pet friendly and looking great even when your furry friend rules the roost.
Leather Sofas and Chairs – Due to the style of our house the back door opens straight into our living room so he regularly bounds in with muddy paws and traipses mud and water everywhere! This has meant we have had to invest income pet friendly leather sofas as they are wipe clean and more durable than fabric ones. So consider a good quality leather sofa like this Hardy Sofa or this Cambridge Chair when shopping for pet friendly furniture. Chose a classic style and colour, as quality leather will last you for years to come so you will want something you will be happy to keep for many years and something that will easily go with the changing decor of your home.
Door Mats and Rugs – Whether you have carpets or wooden floors like us having door mats and rugs is a great way to save your flooring from getting damaged over time. We have found that a thicker rug is much comfier under the feet and surprisingly easier to clean. Plus if you pick one with a speckle type pattern or something like this Sketch Rug then it can hide a multitude of marks easily, they seem to become less obvious. But we opted for a more simple door mat for the back door, something that was washable so it would last longer and one that wasnt made of bristles as these often shed and would just end up making more work for us.
Blankets and Throws – Even if you opt for a wipe clean, strong leather sofa it is still a good idea to use throws or blankets to help lessen any wear and tear on the sofa fabric. We don’t cover the sofas but we have throws on hand for Opie to curl up in and sleep on to save him scratching the leather to much (when they do that walking round in circles thing to try and get comfy!) Plus who doesn’t love to catch up on a comfy sofa with a warm blanket. Leather can be quite a cold fabric so a furry throw can be just the answer to add some softness and comfort to your living room. And of course they can easily be popped in the wash if your furry friends muddy feet get on them. We always get ours from TKMaxx and Home Sense
Do you have any other tips for keeping your home pet friendly and looking great with a furry friend in tow? I’d love to hear them!
