Picking Pet - Friendly Fabrics

When deciding on what fabric to use, you really need to be realistic about your pet’s behaviour. When upholstering furniture, think about whether your pets are allowed on the furniture or not. What do they get up to when you’re not there? For your made to measure curtains + blinds, decide whether they are in an area where the animals spend a lot of time, for example the living room vs the guest bedroom.

Curtain length and blind style are also key factors to consider, as well as how accessible they are to your animals. For higher windows that will have blinds, like in the kitchen or bathroom, there are no issues, just make sure all cords are safely tied up. Long curtains behind a couch or bed may end up being a fun obstacle course for your cat. Equally, curtains pooling in front of a big, sunny window may become your dog’s favourite snooze spot, happily drooling all over your beautiful curtains.

For the best pet friendly fabrics, the general rule is to choose something with a tight weave. A tight weave fabric is durable, doesn’t trap pet hair and spills will form droplets so that you have more time to get them mopped up. Have a look at our tight weave fabrics like our beautiful Cotton Weave , Flax or Revive

While a darker, patterned fabric will hide more snags and stains than lighter colours, take time to think about what will suit your home and pet best. Try to match the colours with your pet’s hair, which could be difficult if you have a black and white dog! Have a look at our stunning range of colours here

There are certain fabrics that just shouldn’t be used in a pet-friendly home. Generally, velvet, silk, tweed and chenille should be avoided.

Velvet is like a magnet for pet hair, stains easily and doesn’t hold up well against your furry friend’s sharp claws. We recommend only using velvet fabric for your curtains if they are sure to be away from jumping claws and staining possibilities.

Silk snags, rips and stains very easily.

Tweed is easy to clean stain-wise but it’s a real pain to remove pet hair, which gets stuck in the weave.
The pile used in chenille is made up of tiny loops, which once they have become undone cannot be repaired. An absolute nightmare around animals, particularly cats.

If you’re still unsure about what fabrics or colours to use, book a free video consultation here or contact us here