Designers who live with fur and drool
Some tricks, and advice, about maintaining a stylish home with pets
WASHINGTON— Sharing your home with a dog or cat has many joys and also disappointments: among them, scratched floors, chewed sofas and table legs, and soiled rugs.
Designer and author Susanna Salk believes it is possible to live stylishly and practically with pets. So she asked 22 designers just how they did that.
Salk’s book, At Home With Dogs and Their Designers, is full of cute canines and helpful ideas. For instance, a Yorkie lounging on an ikat sofa (print fabrics are more forgiving than solids); a sheepdog-terrier mix napping on a colourful washable throw and a pair of Cavalier King Charles spaniels who are served their meals in blue and white porcelain bowls (why not?). Tastemakers including Jonathan Adler and Carolyne Roehm pose in the book’s photos with their pets.
Salk recently answered a few questions with her ideas for protecting rugs and furniture while making dogs and cats feel welcome: What’s the easiest way to clean dog drool?
Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Peony Multi-Surface Everyday Cleaner has a nice fresh scent. I live for the cloth wipes from Trader Joe’s (Trader Joe’s Super Amazing Reusable Kitchen Cloth). I either wet them slightly first or use them to wipe up after I’ve sprayed. Then I throw them in the wash. We just got a new leather couch and plan to allow our dog up on it. What can I do to keep the wear even and prevent real damage?
I would consider getting a nice faux fur throw — a pretty white or grey one perhaps? — and putting it on it to protect any real damage. The dog will get used to lying on it, instead of the leather, very quickly. I just got a sofa set in a blackand-white weave, and my dog is black. How much effort should I put into keeping her off the couch?
You have to decide if you are going to allow her to go on it, or not. Every time she tries to jump on it, you say a firm “no” and make her get down. Be consistent. She will stay away soon enough and understand that’s not her area. If you’d like her to join you there, put a throw down that’s cosy. What type of rug will stand up to cat scratching and furball vomit?
I like soft-pile rugs with a bold design and colour that hide stains and hair easily between cleanings. I also really recommend Oriental-style rugs. They are so durable. My cats tend to lie on my good sofa — and guests sometimes spill on it. Where can I get an attractive throw to put on top of it? I like suzanis, or something tribal or colourful.
Try Etsy for vintage suzanis. I find them there a lot. Pottery Barn has great faux fur throws, as do West Elm and Z Gallerie. My cat has scratched and marked every piece of custom upholstery in our home. Are there fabrics, sprays or other tactics that work to keep the cat away from the furniture?
I feel your pain. My cat just scratched up a brand-new rug within hours. Try to invest less in precious materials moving forward: wood or metal legs for sofas, and velvets that are tough.