Clutches for Less

Posts Tagged ‘Pet-Friendly’

For those homes with a pet like a cat or a dog, not every interior decorating idea is going to work. This is similar to those households with kids: You need to think about your pets when you decorate your home. Fortunately, these days those in search of pet-friendly décor have plenty of options.

Pet-Friendly Flooring Ideas
Even with the most well-trained animals, things like mud tracks and bathroom accidents are bound to happen. This is why it may be smart to go with a low-maintenance flooring option in your home.

For people who have pets, one of the worst flooring options is carpet. Animal hair and dander tend to stay in the carpet for a long time, as they are very difficult to remove. Likewise, mud, urine, and other pet stains are also harder to remov e from carpet than other flooring options.

If you’re looking for pet-friendly flooring options, it’s best to go with hardwood floors, laminate flooring, or ceramic tile. These types of floors are easy to clean and durable, so they can endure more traffic from pets.

Just be sure that any hardwood floors are finished to protect them from your pet’s nails. Otherwise, just be sure to trim those nails on a regular basis. You might also want to add some area rugs to these types of floors that can be easily cleaned in the washer and dryer.

Pet-Friendly Home Fabrics
Another huge décor consideration for homes with pets is what type of fabric to use. This is especially important for those households with a dog or a cat or even another pet like a bird or lizard who gets on the furniture.

If pet hair is a factor, you want to be sure to choose a fabric that’s easy to clean. If pet hair really presents a problem for you, then you might want to choose fabrics whose color is close to the hair of your pet so that you’re not cleaning the couches every day. If you already have a black-haired dog or cat in your home, a white or tan couch might not be such a good idea.

You also want to consider how easy the fabric will be to clean. Microfibers tend to be much easier to clean than other fabrics. Woven fabrics that have texture will actually trap pet hair and can also be harder to remove stains from.

If you decide to get new furniture, you might also consider putting a stain guard on your furniture. Then stains can easily be lifted off by following the manufacturer’s directions.

If you have a pet in your home, everything about the décor is going to be influenced in one way or another. Flower arrangements that you would normally put on a wooden coffee table or oak end table, for example, need to be placed somewhere that your pet can’t get into. So when it comes to pet-friendly decorating, you need to not only consider the larger items, such as flooring and fabrics, but also the smaller details, like flowers and candle placement.