Does your dog deserve a designer recliner?
The mattress in the plush grey upholstered frame is pleasingly firm, the headboard luxuriously high. At the foot is a screen, perfectly positioned for Netflix consumption in bed.
But this bed isn’t for me — it’s for my labrador, herbie — who might look faintly ridiculous sprawled on his own duvet but, if nothing else, will have garnered Gwyneth Paltrow’s approval.
last week the actress-turned-wellness guru — a devoted dog-mum to a Maltese — included a £313 dog bed on her infamous Goop Christmas gift guide.
Interior designer Anne haimes, founder of Anne haimes Interiors, says spending more time at home with our pets during the pandemic increased our ‘love and appreciation’ for them.
‘Pets are prioritised in bedrooms,’ she says. ‘Custom dog beds, complete with a frame, mattress and beddings are popular. We’ve even helped to create bespoke miniature versions of the owner’s bed to ensure a continuation of their boudoir theme.’
herbie, however, is used to a humbler abode — his sleep station has a lumpy cushion and lopsided edges. So which dog bed will get his paw of approval?
PUP VISION FOR PAMPERED POOCHES
Pup-Vision Upholstered TV Bed (£515, time4sleep.co.uk)
Why would any self-respecting pup put up with a humdrum cushion when they can sleep on a miniature human bed?
That’s the thinking behind this dinky dog TV bed, whose manufacturer has designed a king- sized human equivalent, for owners who want to match.
When I tell my husband I’m making the dog’s bed, he looks at me as though I’m mad, but when the duvet and two poochsized pillows are on, herbie happily plonks himself down on it, looking for all the world as though quality cotton bedding were his birthright.
At 80cm long, the bed, marketed as ‘perfect for the pooch that loves a night of #PetflixandChill’ is spacious enough for him to stretch out on, without any danger of pesky humans hogging his space.
There’s a hidden compartment that has a twist-up clamp for owners to insert their iPad. I put on DogTV, of course (a subscription-based channel for dogs) and herbie refuses to budge, looking more content than I’ve ever seen him.
A DOG CRATE THAT DOUBLES AS A TABLE
Wooden Dog Crate With Floor Tray (£266.99, wayfair.co.uk)
For those who can afford it, and have space, custom-made dog beds with built-in drawers or which sit under kitchen counters are very fashionable. With neither the savings nor stomach to install a new kitchen, this dog crate with a classy wood frame that doubles as a table offers a more affordable alternative.
It arrives flat- packed and takes an hour to assemble. There are entrance gates on both the 97.5cm front and 59cm side, for easier access, as well as a tray that slides under the bottom to protect the carpet.
Unlike the crates we bought when herbie was tiny, it blends in with our decor — once I have accessorised it with plants, you wouldn’t know it was there.
Not that herbie is necessarily sold — although this is designed for bigger dogs, he hasn’t slept in a crate since a puppy and doesn’t stay in it for long.
Better for trendy owners of young dogs, or dogs who like to feel enclosed at night.
CUSTOMISED FOAM FOR COMFORT
Memory Foam Bolster Dog Bed (from £70.90, omlet.co.uk)
GOOD for older dogs or those who suffer from aches or joint problems, not to mention owners who don’t want to sacrifice style for care, this bed comes with a memory foam mattress that moulds to your dog to give them support as they sleep.
There’s a choice of 15 fabrics, so you can match it to your home decor, and the option of adding seven styles of feet, including wood, rails and brass, for a luxury look. The machinewashable cover zips on and off, a matching blanket is available and it comes in three sizes.
A BED TO BLEND WITH YOUR SOFA
Cecil Large Dog Bed in Oxford Blue brushed linen cotton (£285, sofa.com)
CONVENTIONAL sofa firms are cashing in with designs that match their couches for humans. For stylish snoozing, sofa.com allows you to match your dog’s bed to your seating, offering the same choice of fabric and colours for canines as they do their owners.
The handmade bed takes four to six weeks to arrive, comes in two sizes, with a choice of oak or mahogany legs, and a removable cover that apparently ‘stands up to muddy paws and sharp claws’.
Next up, perhaps, a pup’s coffee table?
CALMING COCOON FOR NERVOUS PETS
Anxiety Relieving Pet Bed (from £33, mrfluffyfriend.com)
THIS is a bed that is made of faux fur to mimic that of a puppy’s mother, which reportedly reduces loneliness and nervous tension.
This machine-washable style is billed as an anti-anxiety bed by its manufacturer, likening it to ‘sleeping on a big fluffy cloud’. It also has raised edges to gently support their neck and spine.
It may look more like a dog’s bed than some of its fancier rivals, but it sounds like something we humans could benefit from, too.