U.S. pet owners spent $36 million last year on their furry friends. How many of them decorate their home with hair balls, carpet stains, and dirty walls?

Not many, since pet-friendly decorating is all the rage. “It’s all about choosing easy-to-clean, stain-resistant products that satisfy your pet’s needs,” says  Heather Thomson, design coordinator at Cedar Crest, an Erickson community in Pompton Plains, N.J.

Aside from helping hundreds of people decorate their homes at Cedar Crest, Thomson shares her own home with a yellow lab, a Holland Lop rabbit, and a fish. Read on for her tried and true tips on pet-friendly decorating.

Creative floor coverings
Cats and dogs grace the homes of most petowners. And since they spend most of their time on the floor, Thomson advises giving it your utmost attention.

“Carpeting traps hair, absorbs odor, and soaks up stains,” she says. Instead, cover hard-surface floors like hardwood or ceramic tile with a rug. “They are easier to keep nice, since you can remove them to deep clean.”

If you choose bare hardwood floors, beware of large dogs, she warns.

Their nails can scratch real wood, but faux wood products such as hardwood engineered flooring withstand the abuse.

Another product worth mentioning is the modular carpet tiles produced by companies like InterfaceFlor. Tiles adhere to the floor, making them easy to  install and easy and cheap to replace when Fido inevitably has an accident. “They’re great for anyone who really wants carpet but has a pet,” Thomson  says.

When choosing a floor color, try matching it to your pet’s fur. Shedded hair will be camouflaged more easily until the next time you have time to sweep or  vacuum.

Wonderful walls
That trick goes for walls as well. “If you have a colorful bird or fish, not only do  you have a decorating muse, but you can make him feel more at home too,” Thomson says.