How To Choose Pet Decor That Won't Cheapen The Look Of Your Home

Ask most pet lovers, and they'll tell you that Fido or their little Meow Meow is just as much a part of the family as their kids or grandparents are. Yet, even the most ardent pet lovers may hesitate to make their pets a part of the décor for fear that it will look cheap. However, choosing your pet décor shouldn't be any different than choosing other kinds of home accents. After all, your perfect gallery wall wouldn't be quite so perfect without your children's faces smiling out at you, right at eye level. Why should it be any different with a pet portrait or pet décor?

In fact, pet portraits are often the initial way that people introduce their pets into their décor, and it's a good place for you to start, too. A classic and refined example of this is a formal oil painting of your pet. Artists who do this kind of work treat the portraits with the same kind of seriousness that a human portrait artist would, and they charge accordingly — between $1,000 and $5,000, in many cases. Although, the price often depends on the size of the piece and the skill level of the artist. Due to the art materials and artist's skill required to do the work, pet portraits, particularly in oil, take on an air of fine art. A well-executed oil painting doesn't look cheap, which means it will enhance your décor.

However, not all pet portraits are as elaborate. A series of random paw prints on a white background could take its place over your sofa as a piece of abstract art. Silhouette cameos of your pet's head would look sweet mixed into a gallery, along with silhouettes of your kids' heads. These works of art look cheap either.

If you don't have enough room or the budget for a large portrait, try putting your pet on smaller accents around your home. There are myriad places where this works. Couch throw pillows, patchwork photo blankets, personalized dishes, or even casted paw prints come to mind. The trick to this is to follow the rules of interior design while incorporating images of your pets into those guidelines.

For example, let's say you're adding throw pillows to the couch. Your pillows don't have to match, but they do need something in common, like a shared color scheme. One way to do this is to have a portrait of your pet's head embroidered or printed on the pillow in one of the room's colors. If you've decorated in traditional colors, like brown, forest green, and yellow, and your dog is brown, you'll match your color scheme with a realistic dog portrait. Poppier décor styles allow you to change your pet's original color into something like blue but still retain its likeness. Doing that allows you to put your pet's image on something and still match the décor.

Another option you have is to create signature heirloom pieces, like dishes, with your pet's likeness on them. Embossed paw prints are another. These are one-of-a-kind pieces that become a part of your family heirloom displays. These you can display on a gallery wall, sit on the fireplace mantel, or put into a display hutch. The pieces look special because of how personalized they are.

For people who love specific activities, like nature photography or horseback riding, it makes sense to have a room, like a bedroom or den, dedicated to this pursuit. These rooms are also for relaxing and boast the trappings of this, too. As such, chic bar cabinets, mini refrigerators, and casual dinnerware are also often features of these hobby rooms to allow for the full enjoyment of the hobby. It's into these environments that you'll slip your pet décor.

For example, if you own a horse, then a portrait of your horse belongs in your hobby-themed bedroom, right alongside other equestrian trappings, like saddles, spurs, and cowboy hats. If you're a hunter who hunts with your dog, you'll swap out the horse painting for a portrait of the two of you in your hunting-themed den. 

The pet décor elements in these rooms go beyond portraits. For example, in a themed den and home bar, pet-themed accents like bar napkins, matchbooks, and bar glasses with prints of your pet on display would work well. A hand-painted wooden foot or step stool with your dog or cat's face on it is another way to incorporate a personalized piece into the display. In other words, since your pet plays such a big role in your enjoyment of your hobby, and this room is dedicated to that hobby, it only makes sense to put your pet's likeness in the décor.