Home Properties : 5 Tips for Pet Friendly Decor

6/3/2016

Do you have an animal companion at home? You're far from alone, but how do you make your apartment decor pet friendly? Here are five ideas to consider:

1. Match Your Color Scheme to Your Furry Friend
Decorate your place based on your pet's coloring to better conceal pet hair. For example, avoid white comforters if your pet sports black hair. If you have a yellow-haired pet, buy a couch in a similar color. You can still be creative in decorating your home, although you may need to express yourself more through accent pieces rather than your furniture.

2. Choose Certain Types of Fabric
Leather, faux leather, and some synthetic fabrics are pretty resilient when it comes to handling dirt, smells, and stains. Favor these fabrics over velvet, silk, and other non-pet friendly options. Some pet owners also purchase fabric they can easily wash to get rid of smells and pet hair.

3. Use Attractive Pet Toys
Do you want a rawhide bone to be the first thing you and your guests see or smell when entering your apartment? Probably not. Attractive toys make a huge difference. If you have a cat, certain towers and gym trees look downright elegant and fashionable. You might also purchase window or wall shelves for your feline pals, but be sure the colors match your overall aesthetic. As for dogs, rubber toys such as the Kong work best. Avoid toys that create messes, like a stuffed toy your dog could tear apart.

4. Store Your Pet's Toys and Items
Instead of relying on a worn, 10-year-old basket to hold your pet's toys, how about keeping the playthings in a creative container? PetSmart and Ballard Designs have some ideas specifically geared toward pets, but any kind of storage will work. You could even re-purpose your nightstand into a pet bed!

5. Decorate Smart for the Holidays
From toxic plants to lit candles that are easy to knock off a table, decorating for the holidays when you have pets can be tricky. Avoid potpourri, glue, adhesives, pine needles, poinsettias, and other plants that might be toxic to animals. Anchor Christmas trees firmly and bypass the tinsel. Put these glittery ball decorations higher up on the tree, where your dog or cat can't get to them.
Coordinating your decor with your personal preferences and the needs of your pet can be loads of fun. Brush and bathe your pet often, and you're in good shape!