While I respect people who train their dogs not to jump up on the sofa, snuggling on the couch with our pups can sometimes be the best part of the day. It’s easier to keep up the cuddling now that there are all these new pet-friendly fabrics on the market. I have secretly always wanted a dramatic blue velvet sofa as the centerpiece to our living room, but velvet is notorious for not being a pup-friendly fabric. Thanks to a microfiber version, I am able to have the best of both worlds.
Velvet-Textured Microfiber for the Win
Two years ago, we bought a blue sectional in velvet-textured microfiber, and it has stood up to the wear and tear of our cat and three large dogs. It’s a synthetic velvet so it doesn’t have the traditional crushed velvet look, but it’s a silky and shiny deep blue and I love it. It’s easy to maintain, and since the fabric doesn’t have loops, we avoid them catching their claws on it. If dirt or some doggie drool gets on the couch, we can quickly clean it up with a wet cloth.
Emily Henderson did a great round-up of pet-friendly velvet couches if you are ready to start shopping.
Sofa Covers Can Be Exhausting
Before we scored our dreamy velvet couch we used to manage the dog hair with a removable sofa cover. When we had guests over, we would remove the covers, wash them, and put it back before our guests arrived. After a few washes, the cover started to shrink, and it was even harder to get it back on the couch. It was an exhausting cycle that made me a little hesitant to invite people over.
Weighted Down with Dumpy Dog Blankets
We then graduated to a system of throwing whatever old blanket we had over the couch and just removing them when a guest came over. It was a lot less work, but most of the time, we were living with these dumpy dog blankets on the couch. It’s kind of like when your grandmother would put a plastic cover on the sofa but in this case less effective for actually protecting the furniture.
Coordinating Throws and Blankets
Even with the new fancy-pants pet-friendly velvet, keeping the couch free of dog hair requires a little strategy. I found that the hair comes off easily with a light vacuuming, but our dogs shed a lot! Now that we had this beautiful velvet couch I was determined to enjoy the sight of it daily. It’s much easier to use strategically placed blankets and pillows. We bought some inexpensive and washable options that coordinated with the sofa. The throws are thick to create a serious layer of protection. We got two sets, which makes it easier to swap out. It’s fun to create new looks and a great way to extend the life of our couch.
We have a few blankets that are not washable. They are for human use only and have been strategically placed to avoid any K-9 confusion.
I love the way the room looks now. It’s functional and easy to clean. It also confirms you can have luxury without giving up the snuggles.
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