Styling with mans best friend
Pets.
Most of us have them.
Some of us are thinking about getting them.
But how do you keep your place looking stylish when they are around?
If you know anything about me, you know that I am a massive animal lover! I have four beautiful fur babies that make my world a better place so I thought I’d share what I have learned so far…
- Invest in your other best friend…. a really good vacuum cleaner. What I need is a vacuum that is quick and easy to move around and that actually picks up pet hair. I have a Dyson, however I am sure that there are other brands out there with similar features and the pet specific tools. There is nothing more stylish in the world then having a clean slate.
Here are some of my favourite products:
https://shop.dyson.com.au/dc65-animal-206273-01
https://shop.dyson.com.au/accessories/groom-tool-921000-01
https://shop.dyson.com.au/vacuum-cleaners/handstick/dyson-v11-absolute-268734-01
2. Plan it…When building a new home don’t be afraid to include your dog in your plans. In the same way you give your lifestyle or children the same consideration.
For example:
* When building my house, I added pocket doors to both hallways so I could shut off areas, allowing me to control which spaces my dogs have access to.
*When looking at my house plan I realised that there was an opportunity to increase the length of my bedroom to add an external door giving me access to the patio. I also had to think about the type of door I would need to allow for a pet door. This dog door would allow my fur babies to go in and out as needed. Now I must admit this is purely for my own comfort, so I don’t have to get up at 3am to take them to the toilet!
Here’s a great idea I found for somewhere you might put your doggy door other than in your bedroom:
* I also made sure we considered the extra storage space needed to store all the dog treats, toys, leashes and so on. We chose a walk-in linen closet in our laundry for this.
* If you have a lot of cash to splash then you might even think of adding built-ins to your home. To incorporate where your dog eats and sleeps.
Example below:
3. Match It…When people purchase pet products, they often don’t think through how the colour of the product may affect the look of their home. While the bright pink dog bed may look super cute in the store, if your home interior consists of colours that conflict with the new bed, your interior can lose impact. It then becomes a mish mash of colours and can look disorganised, or you may inadvertently make the dog bed the stand out item in the room. Where possible buy products that match your interior colour, fabric or style.
Example below of all my matching dog decor:
4. Think outside the box….Dog bed’s do not have to be just what the pet store sells you.
All my dogs love nothing more than chilling in a bean bag or on a floor cushion. At first glance you may not even notice that I have dogs.
So, if you don’t love the idea of pet accessories all over your house.
Try and get creative with your purchases:
5. Using your dog as inspiration….Allow your dog to influence the style in your home. It can be as simple as a cute outdoor mat with animal prints to simple statues on your bookshelf. Or you can go as big as getting a piece of art of your fur baby. Here are some of my favourite pieces below:
6. Don’t be afraid of white…..When thinking about a white interior, the thought is that you can’t have one when you have children or pets. In fact I find white really easy to look after. It’s like how Indian restaurants risk having white tablecloths. They know, and I know, that we have bleach on our side. Put a little bleach in each wash or on the spot itself and watch it disappear. Stores such as Ikea even have couches that come with removable, washable covers. You can also buy spares just in case. This will help keep your couch white and clean all year around. h
https://www.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/products/S19129215/
https://www.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/products/20317734/#/40321754
7.Get lots of throws….Protect the couch with throws. I like to keep multiple throws, some for decorative effect and some for my pets. That way I can always remove the throw and put it in the wash once it gets dirty. Picking a pattern throw also helps cover up any marks or dog hair. If you have an ottoman or couch with storage it will make storing all these soft furnishings that much easier.
And some final words on styling with your pets in mind:
Consider your pets safety!
I don’t like to think about it much but sadly I had a horrible incident when one of my dogs was puppy. Despite securing her in a room, she managed to open the door to the living area. I found her dangling by her leg stuck in a blind cord. It was easily the worst night of my life. Thankfully we all just got a fright and there has been no lasting damage to her leg. However, it did open my eyes to things that I had never thought about before in relation to pets. We need to pet proof our homes to make sure it is safe for them.
For example swapping out some types of real indoor plants for artificial ones, hiding cords, using playpens when they are puppies, etc.
Here some great items below to help protect your furry friend:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/d-line-2m-micro-white-adhesive-cable-cover_p4430322
https://www.bunnings.com.au/windoware-curtain-accessory-clear-plastic-cleat-2-pack_p1288845
https://www.kmart.com.au/product/artificial-fiddle-leaf-plant/2363804
https://www.kmart.com.au/product/8-panel-pet-enclosure/1574879
https://www.kmart.com.au/product/full-hd-wi-fi-pan–tilt-indoor-camera/2622810
https://www.bigw.com.au/product/brilliant-basics-car-harness-attachment-black/p/673203/
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