Decorating and Design Tips for Dog Lovers
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As dog lovers, we know how important our four-legged friends are to our lives. They bring us joy, comfort, and plenty of love. But when it comes to decorating and designing our homes, sometimes it can be a challenge to find a balance between creating a stylish space and accommodating our canine companions.
Meet Caesar. Caesar is our 9-year-old, 90-pound hound dog. He is full of love, with a personality as big as he is.
Caesar is a good dog, but has some stubborn tendencies that have remained over the years despite our efforts to train him otherwise. He is also a very large dog, and that means a few things.
For instance, he is notorious for leaving large wet nose marks across the bottom half of the windows and leaving puddles of water on the floor as he laps up a refreshing drink of water.
He has been known to occasionally stamp the floor with large muddy paw prints as he trots back in the house from outside and will inevitably leave a heavy dusting of fur wherever he lays, which does occasionally include the sofa and all the throw pillows—every. single. one.
The reality is that as much as we adore our pets, there’s no denying they can be tough on our homes at times—from shedding and slobber to scratched floors and muddy paws.
In this post, I’m sharing a few simple tips I use to create a more dog-friendly home without sacrificing function or form.
Create a Cozy Pet Area Your Dog Can Call His Own.
Just like humans, dogs need their own space too. Consider creating a designated spot in your home for your dog, like a cozy corner with their bed and toys. This not only helps give them a sense of comfort and belonging but is also a great way to keep things a bit more organized (and help keep them off the furniture).
It may seem like a small thing, but if your dog is anything like mine, it matters. When Caesar was a puppy, I always kept his bed nearby. Wherever we were, that’s where his spot would be. But over time, I started leaving his bed in the bedroom. The issue? When I’d leave for work and close the bedroom door, he no longer had a place to go.
Day after day, I’d come home to find him curled up on the living room sofa.
For us, we don’t really mind having pets on the furniture in our home, but it can definitely be irritating when you’re about to sit down and realize the throw pillows are all covered in fur and your favorite spot has become their favorite spot too.
Eventually, I realized that the problem was that his bed wasn’t accessible. Once I started bringing it back in to the main living area during the day, he naturally went back to using it.
Sometimes, creating a pet-friendly home is just about making the right things easy and available.
Dog Beds Used In Our Home And Loved By Our Dogs ↓
→ My key takeaway: make sure your dog has an accessible, comfortable spot in the main living area. When their space feels like part of the home, they’re less likely to take over yours.
Choose Pet-Friendly Flooring That’s Durable and Easy to Maintain.
When we replaced the flooring in our home about a year and a half ago, choosing something pet-friendly that also fit in our budget at the time was a top priority.
I’m always a fan of hardwood, but for our small starter home, luxury vinyl made the most sense.
Luxury vinyl is also one of the most pet-friendly flooring options you can get because it’s waterproof, scratch resistant, easy to clean, and holds up beautifully to paws, spills, and everyday life.
Since putting the flooring in we continue to be reminded of its durability.
Caesar loves to do zoomies when we get home from work. He runs circles around our living room, dodging chairs and end tables as he races by at full speed. This floor has consistently resisted his large nails, and has even resisted damage from the occasional terracotta vase that he accidentally knocks over.
While luxury vinyl flooring is often considered one of the best all-around pet-friendly options, if you are looking for a more elevated look, engineered hardwood and tile can also be great options.
Porcelain or ceramic tile is especially pet-friendly because it’s durable, waterproof, and resistant to stains. Still, from a livability standpoint, it’s not the most comfortable or inviting choice for a main living space.
But if you’re like me and love the warmth and character of real wood, engineered hardwood can be a great, pet-friendly option (even if it’s not completely pet-proof). It can scratch more easily, but many types can be refinished if the veneer is thick enough. And, while it’s not waterproof, it is more water resistant that solid hardwood.
No matter what type of flooring you choose, adding rugs in high-traffic areas and in your favorite lounging areas can help protect your floors and make things a little cozier for your pet.
→ My key takeaway: Choose flooring that fits your lifestyle. It’s all about finding the right balance between durability, maintenance, and the look you love. Luxury vinyl is an excellent pet-friendly choice, but tile and engineered hardwood can work well too.
Use Durable, Easy to Clean Fabrics on Sofas and Pillows.
When it comes to pet-friendly upholstery and pillows, durability and easy maintenance make all the difference.
Fabrics like cotton and linen blends are my go-to choices these days because they’re easy to wash, durable, and don’t hold onto pet hair.
I learned this lesson the hard way a few years ago after I splurged on some beautiful woven pillows from a designer home brand. Within just a few days, they were coated in fur and far too delicate to clean easily.
Don’t get me wrong, woven and textured fabrics definitely have their place classic and elevated design—especially in antiques or higher-end textiles—but they do require a little extra care. Because of that, I introduce them into my home thoughtfully and with intention.
In the end, it’s about balance. We use more delicate pieces in areas that don’t get much wear and stick with practical, dog-friendly fabrics in the spots our family—including Caesar—uses most.
→ My key takeaway: Choose fabrics that fit real life. Save the delicate ones for low-use areas and go washable where it counts.
Incorporate Furniture That’s Both Stylish and Pet-Approved.
Choosing pet-friendly fabrics is a great place to start, but it’s also important to think about the furniture itself. For me, there are really two things to consider here: the durability of the materials and the scale of your furniture in relation to your pet’s size and energy level.
Let’s talk about fabrics first. While keeping your pet off the furniture ultimately comes down to training (and I fully understand that), we didn’t prioritize this when Caesar was younger, because having our pets on the furniture with us is just part of our lifestyle and how we interact with our furry friends. But again, it can be frustrating to constantly have furniture covered in fur and pets jumping up and down on the sofa, especially when you are hosting and entertaining guests.
At one point, I tried placing sheets of aluminum foil on the sofa cushions to try to deter Caesar from getting on them . To be fair, it worked, especially when his dog bed was near so he had an alternative, more desirable place to snuggle up. However, in the long-term, this simply isn’t practical or pretty. It’s also important to mention that while Caesar has never had an issue with the foil, if you have a more curious pup that tends to chew on random objects, you definitely wouldn’t want to leave foil laying around.
Ultimately, instead of trying to fight him getting on the furniture, I focused more on choosing furniture that can handle it.
In the spaces your pet loves most, you can opt for darker colors that are more forgiving, or if that soft white sofa is your thing (I get it, I want one too one day!), then opt for durable, easy-to-clean fabrics like cotton blends, performance materials, or even washable covers. These are practical alternatives that still feel stylish.
The second consideration is about scale and sturdiness. Your furniture should make sense for the size and activity level of your dog.
If you have a large, or high-energy dog, delicate furniture with skinny legs or dainty silhouettes is probably not the best fit, especially in high traffic areas.
Caesar has mellowed out a bit with age, but he very much still loves to play and do his zoomies. While he doesn’t frequently bump into furniture, it does occasionally happen, and when it does I am grateful to have furniture that can handle a little unintentional roughhousing.
Additionally, one simple trick that has saved many of my tabletop pieces, especially my heavier antique pottery, is using a small piece of this heavy duty double-sided tape. I simply cut a small piece of tape and place it on the bottom of my vases that sit on our smaller end tables. It helps to hold the piece in place when the table is slightly bumped, which if I’m being honest, happens most often due to my error, and not Caesar’s, in particular when I am running the vacuum. This is the same tape that I use on the lower back corner of my art to help keep it hanging straight on the wall in high-traffic areas, so it’s a great tool to have in your toolkit for quick fixes.
→ My key takeaway: Choose furniture that fits your pet and your lifestyle. Durable fabrics, sturdy pieces, and a few smart tricks can go a long way in keeping things stylish and stress-free.
Incorporate Dog-Inspired Accents Into Your Decor.
Whenever I am out antiquing, I always find myself drawn to anything related to dogs. From charming old statues and small figurines to artwork and tapestries, I am constantly finding myself collecting dog-inspired pieces for my home and the shop.
Infusing your home with personal touches that reflect the people (and pets) who live there is what makes a space feel meaningful and beautiful. For fellow dog lovers, incorporating classic decor that features dogs is a charming way to celebrate our pets while keeping your home stylish and intentional.
→ My key takeaway: If you love dogs, let it show! Adding a few classic, pet-inspired pieces to your decor can make your home feel more personal and playful.
Shop Our Dog-Inspired Antique And Vintage Pieces ↓
A beautiful home and a dog friendly one can absolutely coexist. The key is choosing pieces that make life easier and more enjoyable for both you and your dog, without losing the charm and comfort you love. With a little intention, you can create a home that feels warm, welcoming, and comfortable for everyone—including your dogs.
Shop All Our Favorite Dog Essentials ↓
From classic collars and ID tags to beds and everyday basics, these are the pieces that bring comfort, function, and a little extra joy to life with our pups.
MORE FOR DOG LOVERS →
Hi, I’m Casey, founder of Refuge Interiors, where I combine my lifelong love of decorating and design with a passion for sourcing vintage and antique treasures to create classic, collected interiors that feel warm, inviting, and beautifully lived in.
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