the dog hair factor

I don't know if I've ever mentioned it here, but I love interior design. It's a huge passion of mine, and if I had a chance to do it all over again, I'd say "forget political science... let's get an interior design degree!"

Anyway, the reason for my digression here is to confess that my design choices in my own home are primarily dictacted by two things: 1) Do I like the way it looks and 2) is it dog-friendly?

So when I look at a photo like the one above, the conversation with myself goes something like this:

"Ooh, I love this bathroom. So pretty! I love the way they've hung the deep green velvet drapes outside the door. And the rug is such an unexpected choice for a bathroom, but it really adds interest to the room. Oh, but it's probably an antique. I could just see my face the first time one of the dogs tracked mud on it. And can you imagine the scratches their nails would make on that floor? And those velvet drapes - you might as well just hang a sign on them that says 'Dog Hair Magnet.'"

But here's the thing... I love my dogs WAY more than pretty velvet drapes, white floors and fancy rugs. So I stick with what works (i.e. washeable, wipeable, nothing too fancy), because at the end of the day, an expensive sofa isn't going to greet me at the door with a wagging tail and an open heart.