Can our love of pets and our desire for a beautiful home co-exist? The short answer? Absolutely yes! That’s what I do every day by creating functional and beautiful spaces with attention to every family member, including our furries.
Most of my clients share my passion for animals, and whether they have a dog or a cat (or two or three) or they are vegan or both, animal welfare is a popular topic of conversation during our initial consultation.
When we approach a project, we take into consideration every being, (furry or human), who will be using the space. How will it be used? How often? Can we even wash that?
Having been an animal lover all my life, my design focus is always on easy-care, gorgeous, and cruelty-free spaces whether my clients have pets or not. Don’t think it’s possible to be fabulous and fur-baby-friendly?
From Bella’s furballs to Bailey’s accident’s, I’ve got you covered.
Let’s start with my client’s dining room. Nancy came to me with the desire to completely gut her dining room and start from scratch. She wanted elements that were classic and some unique items as well. The end result is a room with style and longevity of both function and design. Nancy uses her room often as hers is “the party house” and she wanted low maintenance, worry-free room where she and her guests can relax and enjoy themselves all evening without worrying about spewing red wine through their noses from laughing so hard.
What a minute. ARE THOSE WHITE CHAIRS? IS THIS DESIGNER NUTS? Hold on. Before you start yelling at me- this fabric sure looks and feels like the most buttery-soft white Italian leather but it’s completely manmade. No animals were harmed in the making of these chairs. Not only that, it’s stain-proof! Sharpie comes out. ‘Did she say, Sharpie?’ Yes, you heard me. I swear! If you’ve never heard of Brisa you are about to get acquainted. Brisa is the most amazing faux leather out there today. It is sturdy, soft, and almost any stain comes out with a tiny bit of rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball. I’ve tested it. The manufacturer has tested it. Wine, butter, chocolate, tomato sauce- you name it- can be wiped off with a sponge or a paper towel. I have ordered tons of custom dining and kitchen chairs using Brisa and every client is super-thrilled!
The second super cool product in my client’s same dining room is the rug. It is a recycled vinyl (love that!) mat. The vinyl is waterproof and washable! So, eat, drink, laugh and spill away! There are hundreds of colors and designs to choose from, sizes options galore, and I can ship these super amazing rugs anywhere across the country. I have one in the foyer by my front door, a second in the living room, and a third in the family room. Puppy made a mess? Wipe it up and your wood floor underneath is still in perfect shape because vinyl is impervious and liquids can’t soak through. Amazing! Instead of wool which is difficult to clean and can support the harming of sheep during the shearing process, why not go with an eco-friendly, recycled vinyl?
I learned this last trick I’m about to share the hard way. Animals’ nails- especially cats’ claws- can be super-unforgiving. If you have a spot where dogs or cats love to sit like this window seat pictured in the living room below, don’t fight it. Go with the flow. There is virtually no fabric that can withstand four pets climbing all over one spot multiple times per day for years without it looking like a family of raccoons live here, but I found one! I’ll let you know my secret if you scroll down.
For this tough-to-solve problem, I chose a luxury vinyl by Kravet that has an embossed ostrich detail- it looks like little tiny holes. It’s perfect! Two cats and two dogs have been jumping on and getting their nails stuck in this fabric for 5 years and guess what? You can’t tell! There are holes in it already. BRILLIANT! It looks like a beautiful, natural leather but it’s manmade and very importantly, no ostriches were harmed in the process.
I have tons more tricks up my sleeve and I’m famous for giving out my top design secrets to my clients. Starting a worry-free project and need some help? Give me a shout. I work all over the United States and even offer remote design packages. I also offer discounts on products with every package purchased and a portion of your purchase is donated to Help Mrs. Claus. Give me a call to discuss your project’s needs and let’s get designing!
