At Home With Dogs

I have dogs on the brain right now because we went a little crazy and adopted a 15-week old puppy to add to the pack (that’s three dogs and one kid, for those counting). She’s a total sweetheart and fitting right into the family but unsurprisingly, the addition has caused my interior-design-brain-rolodex to be constantly whirring through images and videos I’ve seen, places I’ve visited, things I’ve read and memories I have of lives lived with dogs. I almost wrote “good lives” there, but that would have been redundant. A life with dogs IS a good life.

So today’s email is devoted to sharing some of those dog-related design tidbits I have rattling around in my brain. And if you live with dogs, or have lived with dogs, I’d (we’d all) love to see some photos. Please share in the comments! Here’s our new baby, Winnie:

I grew up in a family with a lot of dogs. My extended family is large and close and almost everyone has at least one dog. Many people have two and over the years several have had three or more. My grandfather had pekingese; sometimes whole herds of them. I had two growing up, my cousins had one, my uncle had three… you get the picture.

When I think about living with dogs, I often think of this home. They have nine dogs, and I love the way they’re are just integrated into the home rather than having separate places. It’s their home, too and while that could be chaotic-feeling, instead it’s just lovely.

While I think it’s very chic to just have your dogs lounging about on furniture, I know that’s not for everyone. To that end, my favorite dog bed is here. Keep it simple with a their monogrammed name in a fun color on the denim fabric.

Here’s a fun Architectural Digest story about why designers love dogs so much, topped by this wonderful photo:

Designer Ken Fulk is one of my favorites to follow on Instagram, not just because of his glorious pack of dogs but… they definitely don’t hurt:

One important thing about having so many dogs is fur management. Lots of brushing of course, but there’s only so much you can do. Embracing it is a far better tactic in my opinion, and that means pattern. Oriental rugs, paisleys, ticking stripes… they all do wonders for hiding dog hair.

I’ve shared this book before, but it has loads of great photos of dogs on deliciously patterned upholstery. A total delight: At Home in the English Countryside: Designers and Their Dogs.

And finally, a few pieces of dog art (for sale!) that I quite like:

In non-dog news, a home design story I wrote for WSJ published last month. Check out this spectacular basement speakeasy that Nicole Fisher designed for a couple upstate NY.

I’ve been cooking a lot more this summer than I usually do, and have really enjoyed Restaurant Dropout, a Substack where Zoe Barrie shares a weekly menu, shopping lists and prep ideas. It’s super helpful if you like good food but can never decide what to make (hi!). Last night I had tofu in the fridge so I followed her recipe and whipped up a pretty solid tofu banh mi, if I do say so myself. I used fresh pickles from the garden cucumbers and cilantro that is going to bolt any second now. Then I took a deeply Millennial photo of it. Anyway, if you also spend way too much mental space trying to figure out what to eat during the week… Restaurant Dropout is for you.

Ok that’s it for now. Go get more dogs. They’re pack animals, just like us. :)