My youngest son’s first word was ooh ohh which was his way of saying dog as he was trying to imitate their barking. He then proceeded to ask for a dog nearly every month for the next 16 years until his dream came true. Well, kinda true – he had gotten specific over the years and had been requesting a husky, german shepherd, or any other dog you can think of that is near the 100-pound mark. What he got was a goofy French bulldog named Odin (aka Turkey Leg) who was born on December 12, 2018, and has since taken over our lives.
If you have a dog, I expect you can relate. What I did not expect was how my love for interior design would be influenced by my love for my four-legged fur baby. Slowly, my collection of French bulldog home décor items grew. My collection has continued to grow over the past 1.5 years, and I have been delighted and surprised at the range of items available.
A big part of making your house a home happens by making it personal. Incorporating your four-legged kid into your design is a great way to do this. The focus here is primarily on fun, non-functional items as Odin prefers the hooman beds and couches. A few tips for adding dog décor:
- Spread the items throughout your house rather than having a dog shrine;
- Add different types; i.e. art and a sculpture;
- Include some items that are very personalized; i.e. include dog picture (coasters) or name (ornament);
Here are some great items that you might want to adopt for your home that are available for many breeds.
1. Artwork
The custom watercolor image of Odin was painted by a very talented artist in Russia that I found on Etsy. She really captured his expression and it makes me smile every time I see it hanging over the powder room toilet. My oldest son suggested that we hang it just above the toilet so it looked like he was peeking over the toilet which would make sense since Odin really has no concept of personal space.
Custom artwork is a bit on the spendy side, though soooo worth it if you can splurge, so I have included some other generic options for you to consider as well that are more budget-friendly but still adorable.
2. Sculptures
This first sculpture is created with Jecka which are somewhat similar to legos except that you have a tiny screw for each piece that you connect. On the plus side, it is very durable and worth the work – especially when 90% of the Frenchie shown above was done by my youngest son and in-laws. This company has nearly every breed and it is a fun way to get your kids (pre-teen or teens) involved. Many color and size options are available. The wireframe is on my Christmas list.
3. Christmas
There are so many fun, dog-centric items that you can incorporate into your holiday decor. Each year everyone in our family gets a new personal ornament and this year Odin is getting the wood one below!
4. Memorial
If your sweet four-legged has crossed the rainbow bridge, you may want to consider one of these keepsake items to preserve their memory until you are reunited.
5. Functional
Blankets, coaster, leash holder, address stamps, and masks are functional items that I use nearly daily. You will need to do a search on your breed and blanket to find custom options there. It really makes it much more fun to send off bills when I get to use my Frenchie address stamp.
Do you have any dog décor in your house currently? Any favorites above that you are thinking about adding?