An aim of ours at Wild One is to freshen up the often kitschy pet space with design-forward, functional pet essentials that modern pet parents can feel good about displaying in their homes. To learn more about the intersection of interior design and pet parenthood, we sat down with Maitri—the colorful home enthusiast, dog mom to Ari, and creator behind @honeyidressedthepug.
Image Source: @honeyidressedthepug
Wild One: Tell us about Ari! How did you two meet?
Maitri: I was telling my friends that I wanted a pug and one of them sent me a post about a pug that just had puppies. When I went to see them, the biggest, naughtiest pup in the litter wouldn’t leave my feet—so you could say that Ari chose me! He’s my first dog, so it's a very special bond.
WO: Does Ari have any special talents?
M: He’s very good at high fives!
WO: When did you start getting interested in interior design? Was it difficult to translate your unique sense of style into your living space?
M: I moved into my first apartment solo (with Ari) a couple of years ago when I separated from a ten-year marriage. It was the first time that I had my own space, so I did whatever I wanted—I painted my walls pink, added girly things all over, and my followers started loving my space. I ended up being shortlisted and featured in Apartment Therapy’s Small/Cool Contest, and I found myself getting more interested in interiors. This year, I’m actually working on my first project as an interior decorator, helping a client with her home in LA. Since my background is in fashion design and costume styling, interior design felt like a natural extension of it!
WO: Does Ari impact the way that you design your space?
M: I definitely keep Ari in mind while designing my space, in terms of the safety aspect and cleanliness. For example, I prefer rounded-edged furniture as opposed to hard edges (sometimes when it's cold we play fetch at home, so I need to be mindful of that), the height of my bed frame is low so Ari can jump on and off easily, and I use lighter color upholstery so Ari’s light fur doesn’t stand out as much.
WO: Describe your interior design style in one word
M: Maximalist
WO: Describe Ari in one word
M: Foodie
WO: Favorite Wild One product at the moment?
WO: The Moonstone Harness—it’s such a beautiful color—and the Placemat in Lilac!
