Pet Centric Design

Good design should work for every member of the family—so let’s not leave our furry friends out of interior design conversations! We’ve got a handful of design ideas from pet-friendly fabrics to custom framing tips that’ll not only celebrate your pets, but will make the whole family’s life a little easier.

1. Pet Rooms

The kids get their own room, so why shouldn’t your furry family member? A safe and quiet space really does help to keep these loved ones calm and out of trouble. When family visits or you host friends for weekend parties, pets can become quite anxious. Since not everyone has an unused room, though, providing your cat or dog their own space might seem like lofty thinking.

However, that doesn’t mean one of your rooms can’t serve your pet well and remain available for other uses. If you don’t have a spare room, try designing a guest room around your pet. Spare bedrooms offer plenty of space for your pup to rest and relax or your cat to curl up in the sun for her alone time. Add-in some custom-framed animal artwork above the bed and an adorable kitty-themed duvet cover and you’re well on your way to creating a style your guests (and pet!) are sure to love.

2. Pet-Friendly Fabrics

Everyone’s lives have less stress when messes are easily cleaned up. Our pups and kitties have accidents from time to time, so there’s no reason not to pet-proof your furniture when the time comes to choose a new sofa or chair. There are lots of furniture dealers out there that offer a multitude of reliable, easy-to-clean fabrics. Leather and synthetic upholsteries withstand most stains, snags and dirt—plus they can even hold up to your cat’s claws!

As for the rest of the living room, if you have a hardwood or tile floor, clean-up is most likely already super easy! However, if you’re worried about odors, try switching out those traditional area rugs for an “outdoor” rug. These mildew-resistant textiles are often low-pile and help deter unsavory smells—plus with tons of design options, they can be a great way to liven up a space.

3. Pet Decor

Beyond making functional choices for your pets, don’t forget to celebrate who they are! As we’ve discussed in a previous blog post (Gallery Walls Made Easy), gallery walls are one of the absolute best ways to showcase things you love. There’s no better place to add in some of those cute snapshots with your furry friend. Scroll through your camera roll and bring us your favorites—our FastFrame designers can help you choose some awesome frames that will look great with the rest of your custom framed gallery wall.

If you have a cat, you know they’re rather curious animals. You might consider adding in a couple visually interesting paintings to capture their attention. Peel-and-stick wall decals are also a great option to fill in the bottom of a gallery wall in a hallway. We’re thinking cat silhouettes, paw prints, fish, and maybe birds—all at cat level!

4. Pet Portraits

If you’d like to go beyond having framed photos of your pet around, make a more creative statement with pet portrait art! With just a photo of your dog or your cat artists can create paintings for you to custom frame. There’s no better way to show how much of a part of your family your pet really is.

There are lots of options out there for nearly any budget and it’s a great way to support a local artist. There are even websites that allow you to turn a photo into what looks like a painting if you’re looking for a more reasonable option.

Now that you’ve got a plan on how to make your pet feel special, it might be time to focus on the kids. Check out our blog post 6 Tips for Framing Kids Art for some tips on choosing kid’s artwork for your gallery wall.