Since embarking on my current career path, I’ve always stressed the importance of remembering our pets and their unique “quirks” when making decisions regarding interior design. There are a whole host of things for pet owners to consider, including, but not limited to claws, chewing, animals on the furniture, “accidents,” fiercely wagging tails. I want to focus on an issue near and dear to my heart: shedding.
Can you tell me what is wrong with this picture?
If you are thinking “nothing, he’s super cute!” well, you are sort of right. This is my dog, Harrison. A loveable, stubborn, noisy Beagle. He has had a somewhat difficult adjustment to our new house, but I think he’s finally beginning to understand that this is his new “den.” But I digress…
This is the problem…
Yuck! OK, don’t judge. I really hate vacuuming (it hurts my increasingly fragile back – “old age” problems), and I consider it a major achievement to vacuum even once during the weeks when the cleaning lady doesn’t come.
I inherited the stair runner, which is actually quite beautiful, from the previous homeowner who had great taste. They had a dog, too, but theirs shed gray and black hair. Harrison sheds copious amounts of white hair. Not a good match for black carpeting (or clothes, I should note)! Or our dark – but not nearly espresso-dark – stained hardwood floors. It’s really a bummer, and not something we’re going to fix right away, all at once. But as we buy new things or replace old ones, I am of course ever mindful of what will do the best job of hiding the fact that I’m a little delinquent when it comes to housework 🙂 (but seriously, to truly keep up with it would be about 1.5-2 hours per day just for the floors! Not realistic for most of us…).
Our new bedroom rug from Stark Carpet (pictured above) has been a very successful experiment in canine concealment. It is actually dark gray. However, it has a relatively small scale Chinois basketweave pattern that adds a lot of white – so much so that the dog hair just disappears.
Bottom line – floor coverings are expensive, and they are usually long-term decisions. When you have the opportunity to choose them, don’t forget about your dog(s) and/or cat(s). Patterns can do wonders, but the dominant ground color is the most critical element that will determine just how frequently you need to vacuum the house. I’m guessing at least most all of you busy moms and dads enjoy housework as much as I do, so choose wisely! Make sure that your pet’s hair blends into the background as much as possible.
If you would like help creating a beautiful and practical family-friendly home (that includes pets!), please contact me! Now booking for January!
