HOME DESIGN
Stop, In the Name of Love A FEW MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN DECORATING A PET-FRIENDLY HOME By Janice F. Booth
We’re all spending a bit more time indoors than we may wish right now. Unless you’re an avid skier, February finds most of sitting by the fireplace, looking through travel brochures or staring at the scratches on the side table and the wine stain on the armchair. But wait! Who’s this bounding across the room with a tug rope in her mouth or a lolling tongue ready to plaster a big kiss on your knee? Or, maybe your quiet feline has just curled up beside you on the couch. Is he purring loud enough to lift you out of your February doldrums? He’s trying pretty hard to get your attention, isn’t he? So, perhaps you can harness your pent up energy and your pets’ love, and set yourself a worthwhile task, freshening up your home décor with your pets in mind. And, while you’re at 118
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it, maybe you can make a few changes around the house that will make your dog, cat, gerbil, or parakeet a bit happier and more comfortable too. I’m confident you know your tastes well enough to select new slipcovers for the tired armchair, and a fresh color to paint the den. Maybe you’re deciding to replace the drapes with some lighter, fresher window treatment. Great! Before you start ordering fabric and measuring floor area, let me make some cautionary decorating suggestions that might save you and your fourlegged and feathered friends disappointment or frustration. Architect Heather Lewis of Animal Arts Design Studio, Boulder, Colorado, points out, “Americans are radically changing in terms of how we understand the pet’s overall well-being. [Americans are]
also concerned about their animal’s emotional well-being.” Facts seem to bear out Lewis’s assertion. In 2018, Americans spent over $16 billion on pet items, beyond food and veterinary care. If you live with a pet, you know the housekeeping issues associated with furry and feathered housemates; shedding, scratches, drool, active indoor exercise, odors, and, not to be overlooked – curiosity. These are often part of our pets’ natures, qualities we love and hate in equal measure. So fellow pet owners, if you are concerned about your emotional well-being as well as Charlie the lab, or Bella the cat’s emotional well-being, here are five cautions to keep in mind when decorating or redecorating your pet-friendly home:
