Designing a Pet Friendly Home
68% of US households own a pet. A pet brings so much life to your home; however, they can be messy from shedding fur, toys, and cages. People have designed ways to hide these downfalls and create a pet friendly and stylish home. We have compiled some of our favorites in the slideshow below.
Our friends at FloorCo also have some great advice about picking the right floor to hold up to your pets. Check out this excerpt from their newsletter below.
“While time is definitely going to be sacrificed for your pet, your dream home does not have to be. Having pets doesn’t automatically mean you can’t have nice flooring. Selecting flooring which is durable, scratch resistant, water resistant, stain resistant, and easy to clean will be imperative to keep your house up to a high standard. The good news is there are lots of options for your flooring needs.
Here are some of the best floor types for homes with pets!
Bamboo
While many hardwood floor types are not great for pets as they are prone to stains and scratches, bamboo is the exception, as it is the hardest type of wood. It is stain resistant, meaning that any accident your pet has will not permanently affect your floors. It is also very environmentally friendly, making it a great choice for people with or without pets.
Stone and Tile
These types of floors are very durable, and therefore will hold up well with wear and tear associated with pets. Also, neither of these floors scratch easily, meaning you will not have to worry every time you forget to trim your pet’s nails! Spills and accidents will be easy to clean on these floors, which is crucial for having pets. The only downside associated with stone and tile flooring is that they tend to be cold and hard, therefore you could consider radiant heating or area rugs to keep you and your pets comfortable.
Vinyl
Having a pet doesn’t mean you should break the bank on your flooring. A cheaper but still viable option is vinyl. This type of flooring can mimic other types of flooring, while being much more affordable and pet-friendly. Vinyl is scratch resistant, stain resistant and it is extremely easy to clean. Also, vinyl flooring can be very quiet, meaning you won’t hear footsteps or your pet’s nails hitting the floor. This means that it is soft to walk on compared to other floor types, which will be better in the long run for you and your pet. Lastly, vinyl promotes low levels of allergens, so in case you are allergic to your pet, your floor will not make it any worse!
Overall, what floor type you get can largely depend on your pet. If your furry friends are well trained and groomed, then some of the factors listed above will not be as important of a feature in your flooring. Trust your judgment and trust your pet, as long you’ve trained them!”
— FloorCo
