Your golden retriever has claimed the couch. Again.
And let’s be honest, at this point you have stopped fighting it. But that doesn’t mean you want dog hair baked into your sofa cushions or muddy paw prints on your throw pillows – the ones you just styled for that Pinterest shot.
This happened to me last winter when my aunt’s lab mix destroyed her living room. Every cute blanket was ruined and every corner of the couch was his.
Here’s the thing though: dog beds made from furniture is a great idea. This means that you can repurpose a dresser or old end table. Maybe it’s a suitcase turned into a cozy little nook that your dog can use as his own little spot.
Make your living room a little more comfortable by swapping out one tired furniture piece for a bed your pup will actually use so you can continue to keep your living room photo-ready.
These 10 ideas are exactly where to start.
#1: The Sectional Sofa Nook Your Dog Already Claims as Hers
Who wouldn’t love to walk into their living room and see a pretty golden retriever curled up on the couch? Well I guess if you have a set-up like this, you can’t be too mad, right?
All of the new energy from this room is giving me warm, airy, Pinterest-dream vibes. A cream performance fabric sectional, soft, natural light from the floor to ceiling windows and a fiddle leaf fig in the corner. Of course my dog took it over.
The star here is the cream bouclé or tight-weave fabric sectional which you can hide light fur under but wipes clean easily. I laid a linen throw pillow (18×18) and a rust-colored velvet cushion on top, for warmth contrast. The gallery wall consists of a few light oak frames with a bunch of abstract botanical prints.
Tuck a washable cotton dog blanket of the same cream or ivory color under the cover where your dog lays to protect the cushion and make your sofa still look intentional.
I like tight weaves on the sofa fabric — something microfiber or performance linen blends will do, since they tend to repel moisture and you won’t have to reupholster because the cats have torn it up with their claws.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @cozey
#2: The Teal Crate Bed That Makes Your Living Room Look Like a Pinterest Board
I’m tracking mud on the floor, flopping down on your couch and taking over the whole cushion. Sound familiar?
I’ve never known a dog to be so happy. Or so confined. A turquoise-painted wooden crate holds the linen-upholstered bolster bed. The engraved name plate on the front is what makes people stop in their tracks and ask where I got it.
I started with a shallow wooden crate. The crate was 12 inches deep x 24 inches wide. The crate is sanded, painted with a teal chalk paint and wood-burning tool or laser engraved with my dog’s name and paw prints. I added a linen bolster pet bed to the crate to raise the sides and make it more cozy for my dog.
One thing I like about chalk paint is that it ages well and distresses so the bed will actually look better with age.
Cut a small notch on the front panel of the bed so your dog can step in without jumping. This protects your dog’s joints and makes the bed accessible as your dog gets older.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @blankcanvasbypotter
#3: The Reclaimed Wood Platform Bed That Makes Your Dog Feel Like Royalty
And your golden flops on the couch and takes up every inch and looks at you like she deserves more space, girl, I know.
Set up the bed so it has full bedroom energy, but for your dog! A reclaimed barn wood platform bed with a dusty rose velvet cushion will be the envy of Pinterest. Prop it up against a white wall with a blush pink bolster pillow on top.
The frame is made from horizontal planks of old brown reclaimed wood, any musty smell is avoided because it has four square block feet on the bottom so air can circulate under it. The cushion is a thick foam insert wrapped in washed linen-blend fabric in a muted mauve. The art piece above the cushion is a layered textile wall hanging in warm pinks and terracotta tones that ties the corner together.
To create this look, start with a reclaimed wood bed frame kit (or go DIY with 1.5-inch barn wood planks), then pair it with an orthopedic foam dog mattress in a neutral blush shade. Having the raised bed frame will keep your pooch’s joints cooler and it will allow for better airflow, which means you won’t have to endure those 3am paw taps.
Size your pillow to only leave about 2 inches of wood frame showing on all sides.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @avocado.green
#4: The Bentwood Bowl Bed Your Dog Will Refuse to Leave
Your dog is already staring at the couch cushions like they’re hers, but she deserves to be sitting somewhere that looks a little more intentional in your living room.
This bed is made out of a bentwood veneer shell. The shell is bent into either an upright bowl, or a tilted pod, depending on the version of the bed. The walnut-finish wood wraps around a gray felt or faux sheepskin cushion inside, and sits clean against an industrial concrete wall backdrop. This bed looks like something you’d find at a design boutique, not a pet store.
You will need a piece of thin bendable plywood or a pre made wood veneer drum (snare drum shells will work great for this), a round cushion cut to fit, we used either gray linen or sheepskin fabric and for the tilted version you will need a drum with an opening so she can peek out and a curved base support to tilt it on.
I have a little girl that is a golden and I was wondering if it is alright to have a 12-14 inch diameter hoop because she is a small dog or should I make a 24 inch diameter hoop so that she doesn’t get pretzel shaped?
“I especially like having my own bedroom because it keeps me cocooned inside a curved wall which blocks out the drafts and reduces the noise which I hate when I’m trying to get to sleep.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @p.roduct
#5: The Sherpa Blanket Sofa Setup That Makes Your Dog Feel Like Royalty
I laughed at this because my golden does this and I have just resigned myself to living with it.
What a cozy look! My living room feels like a cozy minimalist living room with this sage green velvet sofa layered with a cream sherpa blanket as my dog’s zone. With the neutral tones, I feel like my room isn’t a complete mess! Not to mention, our little dachshund loves lounging on it!
To get this look you will need a velvet sofa in sage, stone, or warm grey because the texture hides the fur. A great way to add some softness and warmth to the sofa is a quilted sherpa blanket. I found this one with a leather tag detail that I love. Lastly, a great way to keep the room grounded is with black-and-white framed art and maybe something a little more geometric.
Keep this in mind: What I love most about this sherpa blanket is that it protects the fabric on my sofa. It gives my dog a spot to lay down on. And it peels off, machine wash cold, air dry, without wrecking the look.
tuck the edges under a little so it wont move when the dog circles three times before lying down.. we both know they always do.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @drews_dogwear
#6: The “Curl Up By The Fireplace” Dog Bed Setup That Looks Like It Belongs in a Magazine
The golden plops down right in the middle of the living room and instead of cringing, I just smile. It’s the energy this setup gives.
This room has that warm, neutral, Pinterest-board-perfect vibe. From the white painted brick fireplace to the dark hardwood floors to the vintage style area rug and fiddle leaf fig in a woven seagrass basket. And right in the middle? A flat orthopedic dog mat in greige linen fabric, as if it belonged there all along.
If you want to recreate this look at home, you will need a memory foam pet mat in a neutral linen or canvas cover. The cover needs to be at least 28″x40″ wide to cover a golden retriever, and you will need to place the mat over a vintage-distressed area rug to anchor it and keep it from floating.
If you have your dog bed between the fireplace and a plant, she has a cozy spot to lay, warmth, and a view too. Plus your room still looks nice (intentional).
Wash the cover once a week. Even if you have a golden retriever and the fabric is greige, you will not be able to see the dog hair.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @ourlewislife
#7: The Rustic Farmhouse Dog Bed Nook (With a DIY Wood Frame)
Of all the pinners I’ve seen on Pinterest, the most likely to do this “cozy cabin meets Pinterest dream corner” thing is your golden. She’d claim that as her throne in five seconds.
Surrounding the tree are a rustic wood frame built from 2×4 pine lumber, shaped into a silhouette of a house with an A-frame roof, topped with a Vibrant Life oval bolster dog bed in light gray with navy blue piping, a black metal lantern with a flameless candle hanging from the peak, and a small “you had me at WOOF” letter board sign mounted on the light blue-painted wall behind it. On the left, a black and white ceramic dog bowl sits just outside the frame. The whitewashed wood floor completes the rustic theme.
I lightly sanded the pine frame before staining it with a medium walnut wood stain to give it a weathered farmhouse look. Since the frame is not fully enclosed, it is less intimidating for a dog who dislikes a crate. I think having open sides to the bed, with a soft bed inside and a warm glow from the lantern inside would be more inviting than the couch! Maybe!
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @joyinbecoming
#8: The Raised Platform Bed That Keeps the Peace Between Two Very Different Dogs
You’ve got one of those dogs that loves the middle of the living room floor, and you find yourself stepping over her every five minutes? Well, this bench/love seat fixes that problem, and it looks good doing it.
this room is the cozy but put-together mood with gold and brown drapes, cream tile floors, a dark espresso wood platform bed, and a thick cream-upholstered cushion on top of the bed. the raised frame gives the dogs a place to sleep that actually feels like their own, but doesn’t look like a pet house.
To re-create this look, you will need a low-profile wooden platform frame (e.g. a coffee table height) in a dark walnut or espresso stain. Cover the frame with a removable, washable cushion in a natural linen or canvas material in a cream or beige color. Check out some more inspiration for a Pinterest-worthy look below with 11 Stylish Wooden Dog Beds Your Pup Will Love.
An easy win is sanding the edges of the frame smooth before applying the finish. Raised beds mean that paws and bellies will brush up against the frame frequently, and splinters are no fun for anyone.
The solid wood frame allows for the weight of the cushion to be distributed evenly so the cushion will not bunch up and the dog will be more likely to use it instead of your couch.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @furryliving.in
#9: The Fluffy Blanket Trick That Makes Your Sofa a Dog Bed (Without Ruining It)
I mean this golden tonado is literally just melting into the shaggy caramel throw blanket being thrown over the back of the gray linen sectional and you can barely tell which is the dog and which is the blanket.
If your dog likes to nap on your sofa, a long-pile faux fur throw (in a warm caramel or golden beige — something close to your dog’s coat color) would be a nice addition. Lay it over one corner of your sectional, tucking the throw into the cushion seams to keep it from sliding around. Your dog has his own cozy spot and your sofa stays protected underneath.
The color-matching is the real secret weapon here. If you match the blanket to your dog’s fur, shedding will be invisible! Color-matched throws will trap hair, protect the fabric, and blend into your decor.
Add a second faux fur pillow to make it more sunken-in bed like. The dogs immediately gravitated to it.
Wash the throw once a week on a gentle cold cycle (faux fur seems to mat up with dog’s oils and dander).
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @jessicabmathie
#10: The Rope Weave Daybed Your Dog Will Claim Before You Do
Picture this: your golden retriever has already taken the good outdoor sofa and you’re left standing there with your iced coffee and you’re like ‘seriously?’
This outdoor daybed is giving off full boho-garden energy – dark rope weaving wrapped around a powder-coated aluminum frame in a soft white, and topped with a cute pink outdoor cushion that is making the whole look like a Pinterest board came to life! Your dog will lose her mind!
The rope weave back and sides of the slipcover are open to create ventilation. The breathability of the fabric means less chance of overheating, keeping your pup cooler on a warm day. To go with the slipcover, we’d pair it with the washable cushion cover in sunbrella fabric to protect dog hair and muddy paws from getting on your furniture.
Real talk: Pretend that the pink cushion is a waterproof outdoor insert, underneath the cover. There is a rope base so air can go through the bottom, so the cushion dries fast after a rainy afternoon.
If you are looking for outdoor dog furniture, then you are probably in the market for something with shade, airflow, and a good wipe-clean cushion. Check out these 7 Cozy DIY Dog Beds for Large Dogs for something similar to this kind of set-up.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @thegardenroomofficial
The One Measurement Mistake That’ll Cost You (And How to Skip It)
Most people measure the length of their dog and call it a day. This is the biggest pitfall I see and it results in a bed that looks amazing but your golden dog refuses to use.
For those who have a dog, you may want to measure them in their preferred “sleeping position” (because golden retrievers sprawl)… For example, my cousin’s dog slept like a starfish on her couch. She made this wonderful upcycled loveseat bed, and the dog hung off of every edge.
The best kept pro secret: add 10-12 inches to the full sprawl of your dog when picking out your piece of furniture. This extra space is why they pick your dog bed over your sofa.
Also, upholstered furniture will hold onto odors much faster than you would expect. Before upholstering, strip off all of the original fabric and material. Otherwise, the musty smell from the thrift store will permeate everything you lay on top of it.
Good news: Once you’ve nailed down the sizing, the design possibilities are endless. If you’re looking for some more structure with your build, these 7 Creative DIY Dog Cage Furniture Ideas are a must-see.
Your Dog-Proof Home Starts Right Now
Don’t feel like you have to tackle every single room in your home over the weekend. Just pick one piece to get started. For me, it was the couch my dog likes to lay on every night. It’s not the most inviting thing to sit on.
Once you see how good a stylish, washable cover looks, you’ll want one on all of your sofas. But you can have a Pinterest worthy home that’s also golden retriever approved.
If you are looking for some inspiration to build some dog kennel furniture designs that actually look intentional that actually looks good, you can go to dog kennel furniture designs to see some great ones.
So tell me which room is your pup currently winning? 🐾
Amr Mohsen is a software engineer who traded his keyboard for a leash — at least on weekends. His love for dogs inspired him to share what he learns as a dog owner and enthusiast, bringing a detail-oriented, research-driven perspective to every article he writes. If it’s about dogs, he’s probably already looked it up twice.
