Interior Decorating Trends

When planning to redesign your living space, it's not just about making it a comfortable place for yourself, your friends, and your family. The American Pet Products Association (APPA) touts that 63 percent of all U.S. households that own a pet are drastically incorporating interior designs that are pet-friendly. In fact, many interior designers ask the homeowner if one or more pets will also occupy the space before colors and fabrics are even considered. It appears that the pet-friendly interior design trend will be around for a long time. It used to be that people only thought about pet-proofing their living spaces to keep the area safe for their furry friends. Now, however, more and more animal lovers are choosing to incorporate fabrics that are pet friendly, as well as choosing building materials that are eco-friendly. If you want to be part of this pet-friendly design trend, while still maintaining an awesome-looking home that's practical, comfortable and makes you and your pet happy, here are four decorating concepts to consider. Designing your space with color Before you get ready to take the plunge with reds and turquoise as your fabric or wall color choices, perhaps you might want to match your furniture's fabric with the color of your pet's fur. By matching your dog's or cat's black fur with black fabric for the furniture, you'll conceal the animal's hair that tends to accumulate on your precious furnishings. Likewise, if you have a multi-colored cat or dog, you might wish to choose a patterned fabric that will blend in with the animal's coloring. If you have a white-haired critter, you probably don't want to choose a chocolate brown fabric for the sofa or chair.

Selecting the best flooring for humans and pets When creating the interior for your living space, you have many choices when it comes to flooring. You could choose tile, hardwoods, ceramic, synthetics, marble, stone, or carpeting. Selecting a floor covering when you own a pet can be quite tricky, so you'd do well to discuss your options with a knowledgeable interior designer. Definitely you will want something that's resistant to stains, bacteria, and odors. Remember, too, that pets can easily scratch and damage hardwood floors. If you're leaning toward carpeting, rug manufacturers have a vast selection of materials that are designed specifically for pets and their owners. Another option that we don't see as often, but is becoming quite popular in new home designs are concrete floors that are treated and stained to match the color scheme; a great pet-friendly alternative. Designing with clean lines and no clutter When designing the rooms for your pet-friendly home, you can streamline the look by eliminating small art objects, tiny picture frames, decorations, or candles that might get in the way of a dog's swishing tail, or a feline's fanciful steps. Accent pieces are best when kept to a minimum, and when you consider the activities of your family, along with your pet's playfulness, a clutter-free design that's well-thought out will prove to be another smart design decision for many years. Choosing fabrics for your furniture Rather than hiding your furniture's fabric under a slipcover to protect it from your pet's everyday activities, you might want to choose a sofa, sectional, or chairs that have a natural fiber that's easy to clean and doesn't show stains or retain odors. Another option that's inexpensive is to choose ultrasuede microfiber fabric that you can have treated with a product that will protect the fabric for a year or more before you would have to apply another application. In addition, you can consult with an interior designer, and ask him if he has pets and how he designed his own spaces at home.