How to Design a Pet-Friendly Home: Creating a Purposeful and Warm Shared Space

Imagine you walk in to the pet-friendly haven of your dreams.

There’s a subtle neatness, with comfortable fabrics in natural and calming colors. The corners are filled with greenery.

Furniture and decorations transition naturally - even the dog and cat features. And the imperfections are graceful - every corner is lived in and cozy. Most of all, something about it just feels like home.

How do you feel?

Calm? With a little spark of inspiration? Maybe the idea elicits a sigh of relief?

This experience might feel out of reach for you and your home. It’s hard enough to find the right time and resources for interior design, let alone pet-specific expert advice. You might feel like your life could be better spent living with your furry best friend, rather than styling it. Even still, getting the clean, classic, and calming retreat of your dreams doesn’t have to remain a dream.

In this guide, we'll explore the art of designing a home that not only accommodates your beloved pets, but enhances your lives together. From pet-friendly home design principles to the important characteristics of a calming space, we'll dive into the 5 best qualities of an ideal shared environment, and how to use them to make a home where both you and your pet can thrive.

(If you’d rather save the time and energy with done-for-you services: send this to your preferred interior designer, and learn more about how you can get custom artwork of your cherished dog or cat at the bottom of this page.)

1. The Pet-Friendly Home:
Where style meets function.

Living life with a canine or feline family member doesn’t have to mean giving up your home’s comfort or charm. The best pet-friendly space strikes a thoughtful balance between style and functionality. And a well-balanced space is designed from the ground-up, starting with an under-appreciated, but key, feature: the floor.

When you are just starting to plan for your ideal space, select textures and color tones of flooring that blend seamlessly with your pet’s fur. This will help you find joy in your home and stay focused on the important things in the weeks between thorough cleanings.

Rustic, natural woods in a medium shade (whether on classic hardwood or a premium, water-resistant vinyl) blend well with a wide range of fur colors. Or, if you’re just deeply in love with a dark, rich wood flooring, choose a hand-scraped finish to create texture. Also plan to have them cleaned more often - your peace will be worth the time and expense.

If you prefer softer floors underfoot, wool and nylon fiber carpets create a convenient, non-slip, and stylish option. Stick to tightly woven or cut carpet styles, to prevent them from snagging on your pet’s nails.

2. Intentional Design Choices: Details with purpose.

It’s important to remember that perfection is not the goal when creating your pet-friendly home. Rather, the goal is having a place that facilitates enjoyment, comfort, and connection with your loved ones. Staying focused on the areas that have the most influence over your mood will make day-to-day life easier when other things gets a little out of place - like a jumble of chew toys in the corner, or that special souvenir of your pet’s puppyhood that’s just too precious to toss. A little intention in your decoration goes a long way.

For example, if you spend the majority of your time at home in your living room, prioritize that area in your design plans. Perhaps try adding a few antique books in cloudy blue shades to your mantel (safely out of your pup’s reach) for a soothing atmosphere. A fresh bouquet of garden flower stems on your coffee table can invigorate and cheer up the whole room, even when an episode of “zoomies” leaves your things in disarray - just make sure to stick to non-toxic floral varieties.

In addition to adding uplifting decorations to key spaces, choose pet essentials that can exist in harmony with your primary style influences. Focus on textures, colors, patterns, and materials that feel right to you so that your pet’s furniture blends seamlessly into the rest of your space. For instance, if you prefer classic, natural materials in most of your furniture and decorations, you might consider having a handcrafted wooden feeding station and a dog bed in sage green with a plush, but durable weave. Storage ottomans, handwoven baskets, or a designated wooden cabinet can help you subtly organize your pet’s toys, blankets, and accessories without sacrificing charm. Keep these in key areas of your home so that they can be part of your everyday rituals with your dog or cat.

Once the basics of your home are styled to your liking, the last few personal touches can make all the difference. Do you dream of a gorgeous, nostalgic gallery wall of your favorite adventures by your staircase, or a touching photo album made with fine, organic fibers on the coffee table? Maybe a sweet portrait of your dog in his puppyhood on your home office shelf? Include your pet in your family photographs so your home isn’t just beautiful - it’s also personal, genuine, and nurtures your continued bond with your best friend. Don’t be afraid to update your photographs, move things around, or play with frames, mat sizes, and placements to suit your space and needs over time - or you can save the stress, and work with a professional to have it all done for you.

3. Planning for Peace: Calm for you and your furbaby.

Playtime and walks aside, a calm home is a good home, as far as most pets are concerned. And, although calmness itself cannot be bought, you can certainly create a home that facilitates and encourages coziness.

Disjointed spaces, too-bright-lights, and a lack of comfortable spots to sit or lie down are common struggle for pets and their people. Design your home as a series of serene hideaways, cozy nooks, and calming corners to make sure every room supports both your and your pet’s ability to relax. Place dog beds, lots of cushions, and soft, fuzzy blankets across all the places that you and your pet spend time together to give him or her options for cuddling with you, seeking solitude, and varying levels of warmth or coolness depending on the day and season. When choosing a couch, chair, or loveseat that you plan to share with your furry family member, seek out furniture with soft upholstery fabrics that are easy to maintain, such as microfiber or leather.

Additionally, take note of the lights in your home, and the feelings they impart upon your day. In an ideal pet-friendly home, your rooms would have a mixture of floor, ceiling, and table lighting, with varying levels of warmth and brightness depending on the purpose of each individual space. Direct and focused lighting is best for activities that require concentration, like working in your home office, while lights with warm-toned shades are best for your bedroom or a reading nook. In the all-day, heavily lived-in rooms of your house, consider using lightbulbs that can change from cool-to-warm and bright-to-dim throughout the span of the day - or, better yet, according to your and your pet’s sleep schedule! Of course, natural sunshine is the most enjoyable light source in almost any room, and having lots of windows to the outdoors can be an exciting way to enjoy nature with your companion.

4. Bring the Outdoors In:
Pet-friendly Greenery and Gardens

Few things cultivate human wonder and tranquility as much as fresh, green plants and the rituals involved in caring for them. Whether you have a green thumb or no such luck, there are ways to include lovely stems and blooms in your home and create a refreshing atmosphere for you to enjoy.

First, and most notably - be mindful when selecting your varieties of plants. Always, always make sure to select cultivars that are pet-safe: non-toxic, non-irritating, and non-offensive to their senses. It is especially important to know your companion. If she is a connoisseur of a fresh garden “salad” with the stealth to match, stick to this rule. If, instead, your companion is not one for his greens, you may be able to get away with some lower-risk plant selections, especially grown in a hanging planter or on a table. If you’re on the lookout for a pleasant pet-friendly houseplant, visit this blog post for our favorites, written with your pet’s safety in mind.

If the routine of caring for a plant is not for you, or you are drawn to some of the less-safe species, you can utilize faux flower stems and potted plants in place of fresh greenery. Look for silk and hyperrealistic options, which look livelier than poor-quality plastic.

While greenery works wonders inside your home; naturally, for dog parents, the right design in your garden can enhance your lives, as well. When chosen and placed with care, planters and garden fixtures can create natural barriers and define areas meant for play and connection. Arrange your plants in groupings, place trellises, and define pathways to create a wandering, private garden. This will give you a space to enjoy your morning coffee, and give your pet endless enrichment (scatter treats throughout your pet-friendly garden for fun times galore!).

5. Meet Shared Needs:
Pet-Proofing Your Home

The last tip on this list is simple, but too easily forgotten. To design a pet-friendly home, you must make thoughtful design decisions in order to keep your family safe. For those of us wholly in the “pets are family” camp, that means considering them and their safety, too. Choose out-of-reach storage cabinets for hazardous substances, like cleaning supplies or kitchen goods (especially items containing chocolate, grapes or raisins, onion or garlic, xylitol, and caffeine). Pet-safe child locks and add another level of protection for your pet.

When decorating flat surfaces, plan for wagging tails, curious noses, and playful paws. Yes - this might mean moving objects back the exact length of your enthusiastic Labrador’s tail, or sticking to felt, wooden, and other durable decorations outside of high-up shelves and cabinets - But it pays dividends to move things out of harm’s way. In addition to keeping your loved ones safe and sound, managing unsafe materials or objects will save you from worry when you go out for a fur-“child”-free coffee date, or want to make a quick trip to the store.

In Conclusion…

As you start on your journey of designing your own pet-friendly home, remember that the key to enjoying a space is to center both style and comfort in your design plans. By selecting personal, pet-safe decor, built on a foundation of reliable, high-quality materials and craftsmanship, you will cultivate a space that is cozy and full of love, where you and your furry friend can thrive. And, when you follow the suggestions in this guide, you’ll be well on your way to enjoying your very own thoughtfully designed, pet-friendly home!

If you would like more help in bringing your vision to life… whether you are just starting to design your ideal, pet-friendly home or are adding the finishing touches to an almost-dream-space, Sweet Camellia Photography is here for you and your furry family member. At the heart of this business is bringing you peace, joy, and inspiration through fine, soul-stirring artwork of the best girl or boy in your life. The Sweet Camellia Photography approach is rooted in mindfulness, insight, and care. Each and every photograph is crafted with careful attention to detail, making artwork of not just images, but the emotions, connection, and stories behind them. If you’re searching for that last special something to complete your space, photographs of your bond and best moments together will provide you with the warmth and wholeheartedness it needs.

Get in touch today to see how we can create beautiful, wholehearted photographs of you and your one-of-a-kind furbaby.