Doggone Good Design!

I love it – dog furniture…we all know pets have their beds…and some are allowed on the furniture and others are not…but I was in a home today where the dogs rule – and yet they are so very well behaved that you would swear that they understand every word and inflection and even glance that is expressed to them. Their over-sized matching dog pillows are placed in the family room as though furniture. Each has his own place including the leather sofa. They have blankets and are so incredibly a part of this family that it is surreal.
There is no need for apologies by these loving pet owners as they care for their dogs and their “beds” (those large floor pillows) to the extent that they are color-coordinated and clean – very much inclusive features of this attractive interior design. Grouped with the furniture to make a complete conversation and TV viewing area, they all gather together in a most civilized fashion.
Why is it that we so often defer to the stereotypical image of such things as a dog bed? Some dated plaid or bland beige ultra-suede, tossed wherever…often a major focal point – but with absolutely no thoughtful consideration about the context. Select fabrics that are easy to clean, durable and also attractive! These features are NOT mutually exclusive! There are almost limitless fabrics to coordinate with any interior motif. With a zipper, they come off and should be selected so as to go into the washing machine – Voila! Why compromise on the appearance of your space with something as obtrusive and the dog’s furniture without coordinating it as you would any other piece in the design?
So bow to those bow wow parents of those recognized individual personalities that are called pets joining with them in including the beds and baskets, towers and toys in the total design of your doggone good designs – pet-inclusive interiors!!