The finest design for dogs 

On the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex, cottages available to rent for a bucolic break now come furnished with dog beds. Yet these are not simply piles of amorphous matting, but beautiful custom bunks built into the kitchen cabinetry, painted to match the pale green woodwork. It’s no surprise when you realise that the estate hosts an annual festival called Goodwoof, celebrating all things canine. Ever since its famed Kennels were built in 1787 to house the 3rd Duke of Richmond’s prized foxhounds, Goodwood has given a great deal of thought to the comfort of its canine chums. And now doggy design countrywide seems to be getting an upgrade, too. 

“When you think about it, it’s strange that people will go to great lengths designing a beautiful living space and then drop in a cheap polyester dog bed that looks like a soggy tea bag,” says Nick Lambert, co-founder of the Red Dog Company. Fed up with spending a fortune on beds that quickly wore out, he joined forces with fellow dog-lover Chris Dumas to try and fix the problem. 

“First and foremost came the dog’s comfort,” says Lambert. “My wife, Ali, who’s a vet, was equally frustrated: she felt that most beds didn’t offer sufficient joint support, especially as our dogs got older. But we also care deeply about materials, durability and how the product looks in a home.” The collection is sustainably made using fine British materials and featuring orthopaedic mattresses. 

For lovers of Euro-chic, Hermès has smoothly transitioned from equine design to a canine collection, offering Patapouf nests in butter-soft leather and, its latest line, dog mats with a durable quilted base and sheepskin rim. For extra flamboyance, Versace has a padded I ♡ Baroque dog bed featuring the familiar curlicued Allover motif.

And if a playful Scandi aesthetic is more in tune with your interiors scheme, there are colourful graphic beds from the team at Hay in Denmark, instead. 

This new era doesn’t begin and end with the dog bed, though. Kennels and feeders are also coming under the scrutiny of dog-friendly architects and designers. Goodwood leads the way with its annual Barkitecture competition, which has seen big names including Norman Foster and Richard Rogers applying Vitruvian thinking to the physical and mental wellbeing of dogs. 

The 2025 competition winner was the Snowdon Dog House, a teepee structure by David Snowdon, Matthew Rice and Scott Simpson. It combines handwoven willow by sculptor Emma Stothard with weatherproof organic cotton by British Millerain and a bed made with fabric by Sanderson.

For London’s WOW!house 2025 at the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, Sims Hilditch incorporated an exclusive doggy space into its standout Courtyard Room, including a canine shower, pantry and luxe corner bed (personally approved by Astrid the fox terrier). In Croatia, meanwhile, Zagreb-based Biting Edge has been winning plaudits for its deeply considered doggy designs. “We noticed that everyday dog-related routines – like feeding, storage and organising gear – often lacked thoughtful, functional solutions that truly work within a modern home,” says Ivana Petruša, one of the co-founders. 

She has created a feeder, crafted from local wood, that comes in natural, white or blue tones, and incorporates sealed storage for kibble, grooves at varying heights for two bowl-holders, and a rail for a doggy-dedicated towel. “Our solutions are designed in-depth to preserve food quality, meet high health and safety standards, and solve real daily problems,” she says. “All this is packed into a piece that’s not an aesthetic intruder in the home but that blends seamlessly, because it’s made for an equal family member.” 

Dogs might not care about aesthetics, but owners certainly do. And they’re welcoming the arrival of canine comforts that satisfy the sensibilities of every member of the household.