How to Let Your House Go to the Dogs: Dog-Themed Decor

Design experts recommend that when you decorate your home, you fill it with things that you love. What if what you love most is your dog, and dogs in general? You don’t have to turn your house into a kennel to show your love. Here are some ideas about how to artfully incorporate a dog-themed motif into your home using art, crafts, and home accessories that will immerse you in dog-related decor.

Hang It

Maybe you have family portraits, paintings of your kids, or oils of long-ago ancestors framed on your walls. It’s only fair to add a portrait of your canine family member.

• Think about how glorious an oil painting of your dog would look next to all the family pictures. This artist works from a photograph of your dog to create a unique 8” x 10” oil-on-canvas portrait.
• If you’re fond of watercolors, you can have that, too. Submit a photo of your dog, and get a watercolor painting or art print of your dog on unstretched canvas.

You can also celebrate your dog’s breed with everything from witty typography to a fine art giclee print. Need something just right for your cottage-chic house or farmhouse? A vintage-type sign — with a dog theme of course — will fit right in. Go rustic and witty, nostalgic or breed-specific.

Frame It

In these days of digital images, it’s nice to have an actual print photograph of your dog in pride of place. Of course, it’ll need a dog-themed frame! Etsy has dozens of choices in virtually any style. If you have lots of dogs or lots of photos of one dog, consider creating a gallery wall of photos, using the same style and color of frame for each photograph.

Display It

Some people just seem to be magnets for collectibles, and you may have all sorts of dog-related figurines or other treasures. Rather than space them arbitrarily around the house, consider creating a vignette on a mantle or tabletop. Groupings can even tell a story and will have more impact when placed together.

Put It to Use

Except for champion minimalists, most people’s homes have lots of useful everyday objects: bookends, planters, paper-towel holders, clocks, coat hooks, etc. Any (or all) of these can doggify your decor. For instance, these witty bookends will add a canine touch to your bookshelves.

A handy set of key, coat, hat, or towel hooks can go almost anywhere. Group them by a door or use one for a hand towel in the guest bathroom. There are probably lots of other places you’ll find to use them, too.
This handmade, cast-iron hook will fit into your country decor. Or add some color anywhere with rubber hooks. You can buy them in a pack of multiple colors or all one color.

Cozy Up to It

Every home needs some warm snuggly spots to nap, lounge, and hang with friends and family. It’s also an opportunity to add blankets, afghans, and pillows that celebrate your love of dogs.

• Play favorites by adding some breed-specific pillows to your sofa. These lively, dog-breed pillows are comfy, washable, and can even be used outdoors.
• If you’re handy, add your own artistry by stitching a dog design onto an open-weave cushion. Knitters can create a breed-specific cushion cover using a downloadable pattern.
• A few strategically placed throws or blankets provide the opportunity for spontaneous napping and can warm up a cold night.And it’s another opportunity for some dog decor. Snuggle up with a fleece and sherpa blanket embroidered with your favorite dog breed. If you’re going for rustic or shabby chic, try a handmade quilt with a dog motif.
• The living area isn’t the only place you can liven up with a dog motif. Warm up the bed with flannel dog-themed sheets.
• This duvet cover would be striking in a black-and-white bedroom and comes ready-made with muddy paw prints.

Cook and Dine With It

Cooking and entertaining hold so many possibilities for canine-inspired decorating, from kitchen tools to wine glasses.

• Scenic coasters displaying your favorite breed are like miniature pieces of art.
• Your favorite breed can help make everyday kitchen tasks — such as chopping veggies or rolling out dough — more fun, if you use a breed-specific cutting board.
• Every kitchen needs a clock. Besides, it gives you another chance for some dog decor. Go whimsical or rustic, and it will always be dog time.
• Dog-themed wine glasses will look great on a kitchen shelf and even better filled with wine.

Take It All the Way

Still not enough? Surround yourself with dogs! If there’s a designated dog room in your house or a mudroom or guest bath, dog wallpaper will definitely make a statement. A dog portraitist designed this black-and-white wallpaper, and it will enhance styles from retro to contemporary. If paste-free application is more in your skill set, you might like “Dog’s Life” wallpaper that looks like pen-and-ink drawings.

There are so many ways to incorporate your love of dogs into your decor, whether subtly with a few well- placed objects and artwork or exuberantly with dog-themed motifs everywhere. Browsing antique stores and rummage sales will take on a new purpose; a blank wall becomes a canvas, limited only by your imagination; and you’ll become surprisingly focused when hunting down the next great find. It’s all part of surrounding yourself with a celebration of man’s (and woman’s) best friend.

Find more incredible dog-themed products on the AKC Shop.