Pet-Friendly Modern Industrial Design Guide
This is the first post in our series of Pet-Friendly Design Guides. Today we are focusing on Pet-Friendly Modern Industrial, which is an excellent option for people who live with (multiple) pets. It’s hard to notice claw scratches on distressed wood and repurposed factory materials. Many of the elements like metal furniture and concrete floors typical with this style are sturdy and almost indestructible when up against regular pet activity. If anything, we should make sure our pets are safe around the heavy furniture and slippery flooring.
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The Basics of Modern Industrial Design
Credit: Ionut Vlad Unsplash 
Credit: Anna Suliavan Unsplash 
Credit: Andrea Davis Unsplash
Modern Industrial Design came from the renovation of old factories into living spaces. Materials that were once hidden behind dry-wall like pipes and rafters are now exposed as authentic elements of the space. It gave birth to the phrase exposed brick, turning the real estate market on its ear in the nineties.
There is a mix of salvaged materials and modern furnishings. Industrial Modern also brought us the open concept, lofts with high ceilings, large windows with dark panes, exposed rafters, and the beloved sliding factory door.
Side Rant: The sliding factory door (or the farmhouse sliding door) is not a great replacement for bathroom closures. This seems to be trending in home and hotel renovations when there isn’t room for the full door clearance, but for the sake of everyone’s relationships please find another solution. It’s cool as a closet door, but not so much with the bathroom. Now back to creating Pet-Friendly Modern Industrial spaces
Honestly, Modern Industrial can be a little on the cold side, and it probably doesn’t make sense to make-over your whole house in concrete and factory materials just because it is pet-friendly. We live in a historic home, and sometimes the ornate moldings can be a little overwhelming. We use some modern industrial pieces to provide a little contrast and balance it out.
Check out some of these stylish modern industrial pet-friendly ideas.
Pet-friendly Modern Industrial Design Elements
Color Palate
Modern Industrial has a mostly neutral color palette using blacks, whites, and layering of grays. Bright snaps of color are found in pieces of furniture or as an element of the artwork. Create the look with raw materials like this cardboard Infinity Cat scratchers. I was floored that it got thousands of great reviews. We have these old boring flat boxes that are getting a little ratty and this will be our next upgrade. I love the modern shape and apparently so do thousands of other people and cats.
This DIY concrete feeding station from Handmade Modern is another way to incorporate modern raw materials for a pet-friendly purpose. If you use the suggested vinyl plank option, you can pull this off without using a saw. It’s pretty simple and super slick. (The video is straightforward but it’s sponsored by Square Space, which I have nothing to with, so just ignore that.)
Furniture
Modern Industrial Furniture is made from salvaged materials like factory carts, machine parts, and metal tables mixed with modern elements like sleek appliances and leather sectionals. Materials like cast iron and pipes are common.
The sturdy frame of this elevated bed gives it an industrial feel and it is chew proof for all those chompers out there. Mort loves his elevated dog bed. It keeps him cool in the summer.
For humans, distressed leather couches are a great pet-friendly option. Make sure the type of leather is durable enough to handle the stress of paws. Not all leather couches are created equal.
Another option is to just get your pet their own sofa. This pet sofa by the Novogratz is hip and affordable…especially if it reduces the wear on your non-pet sofa. We were thinking of getting one for our home office.
Let’s not leave the cats out. Cat trees and condos are a great way to bring in modern designs. For the mod cat, check out this sleek cat tree and condo.
Lighting
Pendant lights and sconces are focal points in industrial-chic lighting which is also a great option for homes with pets. Lamps can easily be knocked down and wall cords can be chew hazards. Continuing with the theme of exposed materials, pendants feature Edison bulbs and industrial materials. When we renovated our house it was the height of brushed nickel fandom. I would love to switch some of the lights out for copper and bronze accents like this Vintage Industrial Sconce.
and this stunning Antique brass pendant.
Accessories
Accessories and Art are another way to repurpose industrial items. They can be identifying pieces that connect to the origin of the space. Old factory signage like this Vintage WC sign would be perfectly placed above a Kitty Litter Box.
And these vintage hooks would be a great option for your DIY Dog Walking Station.
Textiles
Textiles are minimal. Mostly using repurposed materials. I highlighted this Modern Mud cloth bed in the Boho-Chic round-up but this would fit into Modern Industrial as well.
Fluffy throws are not the go-to for Industrial Chic, but as the style evolves, they are being used to add warmth and texture. Plus, our pets love them. Remember our new friend Bohdi from the post Should I get a dog? He recommended this Best friends by Sheri Dog Bed.
We got one for Scout, and she is love with it. Unfortunately, our cat Lottie is also in love with it, so Scout can only sleep on it when Lottie is outside. We have been documenting the drama on Instagram. Follow along to see if Lottie finally shares the bed.
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