As anyone with a pet knows, for all the joy our beloved furry, hairy or even feathered companions can bring us, they're also prone to wreaking havoc on our houses. Thankfully, the team at Resene are pet people too, and have plenty of tips, tricks and essential products to ensure the happiest of shared households.
"I have a Burmese cat named Tori who is six years old and very mischievous!" says Resene colour expert Meryl Southey.
"She's an indoor cat so I'm able to keep her claws trimmed regularly to minimise any 'claw damage', but to keep surfaces clean I spot-clean my painted walls with Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner, which is quick and easy to use as you don’t have to rinse the surface and it is non-dulling.
"I have leather sofas so I cover these with trendy throws that I love to switch out, and I have metal legs so that she can't scratch them!"
VIP (Very Important Pet) areas
Resene colour consultant Jackie Nicholls says if you have high-traffic pet areas in your home, it's a clever idea to use harder-wearing waterborne enamel products such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen for walls.
"It's durable and easy to clean. You could also use Resene Lustacryl, which has a semi-gloss finish and is even tougher on the lower half of the wall," she says.
"Some pets have a habit of scratching a front door when they want to come inside, so our best recommendations would be Resene Enamacryl gloss or Resene Super Gloss, our toughest solventborne door paint," says Jackie.
Pets with a love of scratching will be forgiven (almost) if you sand back any scratched areas and rejuvenate them with fresh paint, while a painted or stained floor in a shade that nods to your pet's colouring will be hardwearing and easy to clean while also camouflaging any shedding between vacuuming.
Meryl's go-to product for doors and cabinetry when fur babies are involved is Resene Waterborne Lusta-Glo.
"It combines the toughness of an enamel with the low odour of a water-based paint. It does take longer to dry than a water-based paint and will need to cure for 30 days, so if your pet will do damage in that time then consider an enamel version – as soon as it dries it's cured and durable."
Totally floored
Meryl's advice for "pet people" in the market for new flooring or who are building is to "consider your flooring carefully – hard surface floors which are scratch resistant, such as laminate will stand the test of time and are easily cleaned.
"Rugs can be added for comfort and warmth, which are then easily removed to clean or replace. With soft flooring consider pet-friendly short piles and stain resistant fibres and invest in a pet fur vacuum for floors and curtains – or choose blinds and shutters in living areas, for a total pet-friendly environment.
"If you're renovating and want to paint or varnish your floor, ensure you use a clear topcoat that’s scratch-resistant and easily cleaned – investing in harder wearing topcoats for cabinetry and walls such as Resene Space Cote Low Sheen will ensure less stress in the long term," says Meryl.
If you want to paint or varnish a floor, Meryl recommends Resene Qristal ClearFloor 2K for the varnish and Walk-on Flooring and Paving Paint paint for colour.
"Qristal 2K is a two-component waterborne urethane which makes it durable to protect your timber floors and keep them looking at their best for longer. Walk-On paint is based on tough acrylic resins to give maximum abrasion resistance, in a single pack stain finish."
"Pre-existing marks or scratches can be cleaned with diluted Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner and there are various fillers that can be used depending on the substrate," Meryl advises.
Furry fun
Getting homes purr-fectly pet-ready doesn't have to be all about the practical either. Just as we often look to nature for colour inspiration, there are tangible benefits when colour sourcing from our little four-legged friends – whether it's for your walls or theirs (from outdoor shelters to crates, baskets and beds) – not least to supply a stylish camouflage for fur and dog hair.
Paying homage to your best friend's hues is easy with the Resene ColourMatch tool. Simply take a picture of your pal on a smartphone and upload it to find your pet's perfect match. You can also use the Resene colour palette generator to create a Corgie-worthy colour scheme or a perfect Persian palette.
Something to keep in mind with their small spaces is that pets have a heightened sense of smell, and if yours is particularly sensitive, consider using Resene Zylone Sheen Zero, a paint from the Sensitive Choice approved range with extremely low odour and no added VOCs.
Or for a more durable finish, especially for active pets that may be damp when they come in from exercise or playtime, look to Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom and Resene Lustacryl Kitchen & Bathroom with the added benefit of anti-bacterial silver and MoulDefender additive.
Article created in partnership with Resene.
