Living with pets can bring its fair share of challenges, especially when it comes to maintaining your interior style. Yet a home can still feel refined, practical and welcoming with furniture designed for daily life. Pet-friendly furniture is defined by durable materials, easy-clean surfaces, removable covers and thoughtful features that better handle fur, claws and everyday wear. 

The key is balancing the designs you love with the realities of living with pets. In this article, we explore how to choose suitable fabrics and finishes, protect your furniture and simplify cleaning and maintenance, so you can create a contemporary home that feels beautiful to live in. 

1. What is the best sofa fabric for pets? 
2. How do you choose pet-friendly materials and finishes? 
3. How do you protect furniture from scratching and chewing? 
4. How do you clean pet-friendly furniture? 
5. How do you create a stylish home that works for pets? 

Leather 

Leather is a natural choice for a pet-friendly sofa. Fur does not cling to the surface in the same way it can with other materials and muddy pawprints on the surface can be wiped clean, making it easier to care for day to day.  

Leather is also a naturally durable material, and light scratches can often be gently buffed over time. With age, leather develops a patina, offering a practical finish that still feels elevated. 

Explore: Origin, Prestige, TrueTouch and Roma leathers  

Fabric 

For fabrics, For fabrics, tightly woven and low pile finishes like performance velvet, chenille and cotton-polyester blends are often better suited to homes with pets.  

These fabrics are less likely to trap hair, help resist snagging and are generally easier to maintain. In a busy family home, easy-care fabric quickly becomes just as important as colour or texture. 

Explore: Leura, Everleigh, Whiteley, Tempest and Richmond fabrics.  

The Jasper Sofa in Whiteley Silkstone..

Scratching often shows up differently depending on the pet. Dogs may scratch furniture while playing or trying to capture your attention, while cats are more likely to focus on a particular area or object and repeatedly scratch there. A scratching post, especially one paired with catnip or a pheromone spray, can help redirect their attention towards a more suitable surface. 

A few simple tips to help protect your furniture: 

• Keep chew toys and scratching posts within easy reach 
• Redirect pets early, before habits become established 
• Use pet-safe deterrent sprays on targeted areas 
• Choose furniture with replaceable covers where possible 

Our Fabric Care and Leather Care Kits are specially formulated for King Living sofas and materials, helping to maintain the appearance and quality of your furniture through daily wear.  

A few simple tips to stay on top of care:

If your style is modern or minimalist 

Modern minimalist interiors work well with pets when the space feels calm, functional and easy to maintain. Focus on simple silhouettes, practical materials and storage that keeps everyday pet essentials out of sight.

• Choose low-profile furniture with simple silhouettes 
• Use washable or easy-care rugs in tonal shades 
• Store pet toys in a woven basket or lidded box 
• Keep pet bedding in a colour that blends with the room 

In homes shared with pets, beauty is often found in the lived-in details: a cat stretched out in a favourite place in the sun, a dog claiming a well-loved corner of the sofa, or a chicken making its way in through the open garden door. When furniture is designed for daily life, style and practicality can sit comfortably side by side.