Photos of the family pups feature prominently in my décor. One framed image shows Spot wrapped in a towel, post-bath, held tightly by my nephew lest he escape and rub himself dry on the sofa. In another, Dolly gleefully rolls in a bed of stinky seaweed on the beach. My favorite photo: a sweet one of Spot and Dolly after Dolly finally accepted Spot wasn’t just a guest who had overstayed his welcome, but a permanent member of the Mitchell household.
Despite using these photos as art, I never branched out into other pet-centric décor. Much of it falls into the kitsch category — and not in a good way. Then my favorite cousins sent me matching Spot and Dolly pillows for my birthday. I love them.
Now I spend more time than I should window-shopping online for other similarly cool products. Here are five recent finds in the throw pillow category (they aren’t all Boston Terrier-themed, I promise):
1. Pottery Barn
Screen-printed on cotton/linen, this collection includes Basset Hound, Boston Terrier, and Norwich Terrier pillow covers with the option to add your pup’s name as a monogram, which my cousins did for me.
There was a Golden Labrador cover, too, but it has long since sold out. The remaining breeds cost just $19.99, with the exception of the Basset, which must grace a lumbar pillow, of course, for $24.99. The store also carries two embroidered Bulldog pillows, one graphic in design, the other vintage.
2. Crypton
The eco-friendly super-fabric makers teamed up with artist William Wegman for these pillows, which feature the classic Weimaraner silhouette, naturally, in a variety of designs and colors.
My favorite pillow of those offered, the Petalonia (above), uses the shape to create decorative patterns, leading to a lovely surprise once you discover the dogs within. It costs $60, with other pillows in the collection ranging from $40 to $70.
3. Naughty Dog on Etsy
Diane Watson’s shop features one-of-a-kind illustrations and pillows, which focus mainly on dogs. Her graceful artistry captures the spirit of a breed — Italian Greyhound, Saluki, Dalmatian, and Boston Terrier, just to name a few featured — through a mix of embroidery, calico appliqués, and vintage and linen fabrics.
I just love this Bloodhound pillow, which has an envelope closure and a half-calico half-velvet back, making it easily flippable if you have one of these dogs in your home and need to hide a bit of slobber from guests. This pillow costs $40, but Watson has others ranging in price from $10 to $65, depending on the size and complexity of the creation. She even takes requests if you would like your dog to sit as the subject.
4. Gifts.com
These pillow covers also offer personalization in the dog featured and the accompanying phrase. Choose from breeds such as Airedale, Bichon Frise, Chihuahua, Husky, Pug, and Yorkie.
Provide your own wording to run underneath the silhouette or use one of many shown on the website. I would opt for “Snores loudly in his sleep” for Spot and “Loves to burrow under the covers” for Dolly if buying for my bed. And, finally, choose among red, gray, ivory, blue and green as the background color. These cotton pillow covers run from $49.95 to $59.95, depending on the size.
5. Peking Handicraft
A Bulldog rocks the mic, a Pug plays guitar, and a Beagle sits at the drums in these hooked-wool pillows, but my favorite is the DJ Boston Terrier.
You can find these pillows at several online retailers, but the best price I saw was $48 from PoshTots.com.
All of the above would make an excellent addition to just about any home décor. Though, if your dogs are anything like mine, these lovely pillows will end up hidden beneath their curled-up bodies no matter where you throw them.
