Choosing to rescue our dogs, Malcolm and Dolly, came about in an unexpected way. When we lost Sandy early last year, I couldn’t imagine ever having another dog. He was family and my ‘soul dog’. But a few months later, while talking to a friend, I said that I couldn’t replace him. She agreed that I never would, but there were so many dogs out there who needed a loving home. She was right of course.

So, that was it. I started looking, but found it difficult to find dogs available for adoption in the UK. Every time I applied, the dog had already been re-homed. Then one day, I stumbled upon a social media page featuring some gorgeous dogs and soon realised they were abroad.

Long story short, after many videos and conversations with the rescue people, we fell in love with Malcolm’s quirky traits. Two months later, he arrived from Italy alongside other dogs, all travelling to their new homes.

The Challenges Along the Way

Let’s just say the first few months were hard work. As far as we knew, Malcolm had never lived in a home before. He was most certainly a savvy street dog who had developed his own ways of finding food, as he had needed to do so, to survive.

He was also reactive at times, possibly because he had been manhandled on the streets, and was generally an anxious boy. On the other hand, he was very sensitive and gentle and we could see the core of him slowly emerging. He simply needed to feel settled and do things at his own pace.

We felt that he missed being around other dogs, so we did a mad thing and found another dog from abroad to come and live with us too. We called her Dolly. She had lived in one or two foster homes, but had a sad past. She was desperate to eat all the time and suffered from severe separation anxiety.

You might ask how we coped with two new dogs when we had no experience of this kind of situation. It wasn’t easy, and there were times when I genuinely thought we had made a mistake. But I didn’t want them to be let down again, so we stuck with it.

Even writing this makes me feel quite emotional. They are still works in progress at times, but they are absolutely beautiful characters who offer so much in return and make us laugh every day with their antics. They are also incredibly bright and can pick up new tricks in minutes. I often wonder how anyone could have treated them with such unkindness in their old lives.

We have learnt so much about ourselves while adapting to this new way of having dogs. I have always had rescue dogs, but this has definitely been different. I love it though.

So Why Am I Writing About Dogs as an Interior Designer ?

Animals really do have a way of grounding you. Do you know the feeling I mean ?

Because Malcolm and Dolly have needed extra nurturing, I have spent more time at home, both indoors and in the garden, doing simple things, more slowly, and I feel happier for it. It has reinforced for me how important these havens are to all of us.

To me, that is what biophilic design has always been about. It is not just about filling our homes with nice things, which is fun, of course, but recognising the fundamental importance of creating calm, inviting environments that connect us with nature and allow us to thrive.

And yes, living with two exuberant rescue dogs has also given me a much better understanding of how to design homes that stand up to real life. From choosing practical materials to protecting those favourite corners of a home, it has added another layer of practical experience that I can bring to designing homes for people with pets.

I am passionate about animal rescue, so if you occasionally spot two slightly bonkers dogs on my social media alongside interiors and gardens, I hope you’ll understand why.