I love the furniture and colors in this house.

oohhhh what a cute dog!! I too love the color scheme you chose.

Hmm, I decorate more to camouflage the dog HAIR than to camouflage my dog!

Our little dog is black and white, like a cow (!) and he sheds a LOT. So, we tend to wear grey when we're lounging around the house and we keep a blanket on the sofa to protect it from hair accumulation. Now, when making design choices like the carpet, which gets a lot of traffic, we have to choose a neutral color that won't show either black or white. Boring perhaps, but he's adorable and worth it!

I've had a black cat for about 7 years, and when I decided it was time to get a puppy, I quickly realized, if I was going to have a halfway decent chance at a home that didn't look like a fur ball, I was going to have to buy a black dog as well. . .I found an adorable black lab, and now instead of many colors of animal hair to contend with, I just have black. And while I wish I could create a beautiful all white room, it's just not doable for us. I stick to leather because it's wipe-downable, and dark colored upholstery/rugs/bedding. Oh, and I wear a lot of black clothing. . :)

What a cute dog! What kind?

I don't know whether my cat is a blender or stand-outer -- I'm not sure if cats are really categorizable that way, since they like to hide sometimes, even if they want to be seen at others. She's pretty extroverted, so probably more the latter. But, she's a tabby, which means the fur is really multicolored, so I guess I'm doing ok without a monotone environment.

I think that's a Maltese. I have one who looks similar. I don't know that she cares one way or the other about blending in/standing out. Maltese don't shed much, so I don't have to camoflouge dog hair, but her paws are frequently dirty from the outdoors, so I would never do white. Nor would I ban her from the furniture. I like to have her snuggled up next to me when I read or whatch TV.

Oh my gosh, that last picture is adorable. And I love the fabric on that chair and the colors in general.

My dogs are beige and I have furniture that can handle a dose of beige dog hair.

Unfortunately, my living room area rug is black and beige. I just vacuum a lot.

Arlo is a doll!

We have a Russian Blue [dark, charcoal grey] cat...only after reading this article did I realise we've started to do the same thing. Recent purchase: dark, charcoal grey sofa...

Cute, the fur of a Bichon but the face of an Ewok!!

that rug looks awfully cozy to me, too.

Kyle, here...

Thanks for your comments!

To answer the question about Arlo's breed, he's a peke-a-poo. (Not a very dignified breed name ;-).

Also for those who mentioned liking the colors in my space you can see more of my place on the AT House Tours: Kyle's Jamaica Plain Gem (http://tinyurl.com/5garjr)

Thanks! Kyle

I have two dogs and I also work as a dog walker and pet sitter, and occasionally have dogs boarding in my home, so every single design decision I make keeps the dogs needs in mind. It's a two part concern, choosing items that are easy to clean, and choosing items that camouflage the hair and dirt.

I have a lot of throw blankets in my living room for draping over the couch and chairs, it's easier to throw a blanket in the washing machine than it is to clean a couch.

I love Flor tiles, you can just take up one of the tiles and clean it in the sink if there is an accident. Also, it's way cheaper to just replace one or two tiles than a whole rug.

P.S. I live in Jamaica Plain too.

That is a very cute dog. I usually prefer big dogs, but I have a secret fondness for little, white, fluffy apartment dogs.

I have a beautiful black cat with gold eyes. Hmm...my living room is decorated in red, black, and gold!

I think my cat does like to hide sometimes, because she likes to nap on a black ottoman. Of course I can't see her, just glowing eyes. Or else it's just because it's soft and round.

I can't believe I missed your house tour! Great colors, and Arlo is too cute.

He is ADORABLE!!

Love the dog!! I guess my problem is either too many pets (5 cats) or that they're aren't all the same breed/color. Hope I can remember this post when attrition brings a new furball into my life.

I LOVE that chair. Is that oilcloth as the fabric? It looks like an oilcloth pattern, but I wouldn't imagine sitting on something sticky and vinyl-y like oilcloth would be very comfortable. I must know more! :)

awww, the last pic makes me want to cuddle up right next to him.. now i miss my puppies!!

For some reason I have always had black and white animals (growing up:white cat, black dog, now: a black and white shi tzu), which would explain my fondness for grey... a nice blend of both!

And I thought it was just me!
Black cat, gray furniture, and black clothes. I never really planned it that way, it just felt natural.

I was on my way home from work one day when I saw a dog get hit by a car. She ran off, but I knew I couldn't go home without at least trying to find her. Two hours later, she was sitting in my front seat and we were on the way to the vet (no chip, no collar). I tried to find her owners, but no luck. We now enjoy a mutually obsessive love.

Everyone makes fun of me, though, saying that I wouldn't have picked her up if she hadn't matched my livingroom so well (completely not true, byt the way...).

This post has really given me something to think about! I adopted two little stray kittens last summer, one a white persian mix with colorpoint mutation (black head and tail) and white and orange tabby. Recently I bought a new couch in cream--a family member had given me a burgundy couch when I moved into my new place but it just wasn't my taste--and I was so excited because there wouldn't be visible cat hair all over my couch. Now I'm looking around my house and realizing that everything is kitty colored! If only I could get the chef/owner where I work to rethink her decision to have everyone wear all black....

I can't do it. Wished I could; my boy cat is grey and the two girls are calico. On the dark fabrics, all I see is white fur and of course on the lighter fabrics all I see is grey. I was getting ready for a funeral the other day wearing a black dress and before I left the house, I was covered with white cat hair. I can brush it off the front, heaven knows what I look like from the back!

My (three) dogs are all colors of the rainbow: black and tan, goldenish-blondish-whiteish and a cinnamony-red.

My house is drenched in color, too. I like the cheeky tone of this post, but I think it has more of a ring of truth than I'd like to admit!

CaseyB, you reaffirmed my faith in humanity.

Ha, thanks!!!