Most families, today, cannot imagine living without their pets, they are the most cherished member of the family. Though pets bring us immense happiness and add a sense of tranquillity to our days, you don’t want them to take over your interiors while also wanting them to live their best life. Designing a pet-friendly yet stylish and aesthetic home is tricky, but there is nothing impossible with Design Story! Here are a few areas you need to focus on to get this space right!
Free-flowing layout
All pets have their natural movements, and a free-flowing layout ensures they can enjoy the space just as much. Furniture strategically placed and a clutter-free space ensure unrestricted movement, allowing their movement to be comfortable. This is crucial for them to play and relax without difficulties.
Private space
Pets, like any other member of the family, enjoy time to themselves. Designing their spaces well will make them live their best life, and that’s the absolute least a pet-parent can do. Corners of the house that are usually underutilised, like space below the staircase, can make for a good pet house. Keeping them within view also helps to keep an eye on them while them having time alone, too. Dedicated wash areas, meal areas in the kitchen can be elegantly used to cohesively uplift the overall aesthetics.
Flooring
Hardwood floors are the most preferred option to enhance the visual look of a space. However, they aren’t suitable for homes with pets as they aren’t scratch- and water-resistant. Ceramic tiles, on the other hand, are stain-resistant, scratch- and water-resistant, making them the most durable pick for pet-friendly homes. There is a large variety of options to choose from for these, making it suitable for all spaces, including living rooms and kitchens.
Less and heavy décor items
Placing heavier and fewer décor pieces throughout the house keeps pets from dropping and breaking them while playing. Metal and stone accents are alternative material options for décor instead of glass and ceramic, giving the pet uninterrupted playtime and the parent breakage-free styling. Restricting the number of décor items is a game-changer.
Fabrics
For spaces shared with pets, the choice of fabric is really important. Their durability and stain resistance will keep you at bay, rather than having to worry about paw marks on the fabrics. Choose easy-to-clean fabrics like microfiber and micro-suede to cover your main pieces. With the growing percentage of families living with pets, the variability of such fabrics has drastically increased, too.
Toxic plants
Poisoning incidents in pets from plants are far from uncommon. Many plants are not safe for pets, and even the well-trained ones, at times, could sample a houseplant. For pet-friendly and tropical, lush interiors, plants like spider plant, bamboo, Chinese money plant, money tree, rattlesnake plant, and baby rubber plant are most suited. Aloe vera, baby’s breath, and daffodils are a few of the most common unsafe options.
Pets are the life of a household. They give love unconditionally and don’t judge you by your achievements or flaws. The least we can do for them is give them a space that feels like home. Happy pet-parenting!