Vern Yip and his husband, Craig Koch, with their family
Interior designer Vern Yip is a dog person. He also lives in an impeccable Atlanta home with husband Craig, who owns WAG-A-LOT dog services, their two children, two Great Pyrenees and two mixed breeds that equal “500 pounds of dog,” as Yip says. And he wouldn’t have it any other way. In fact, Yip welcomes all in every room, even those rooms with treasures perched on pedestals, antique furniture and sumptuous fabrics.
When Yip appears at the Fetch a Cure fundraiser on Nov. 13, he’ll talk about living with dogs and children and his new book, “Vern Yip’s Vacation at Home: Design Ideas for Creating Your Everyday Getaway.”
We spoke to Yip by telephone about his upcoming appearance in Richmond and his new book. Visit fetchacure.org for info and tickets.
R•Home: What kinds of changes have you made to the way that you design and live in your home with dogs?
Vern Yip: Before our first child was born, people said [about pieces in our home], “You have to get rid of that, that’s going to have to go away.” We didn’t listen because that’s not how I was raised. I was brought up learning what I could touch and what could just be observed. We are raising our children the same way. Yes, I’ve had the corners of rugs chewed, but at the end of the day I feel like it doesn’t really matter.
R•Home: What’s essential to you in a home environment?
Yip: Not only do we have dogs and kids but we’re also two busy professionals. I believe your home should be a place that nurtures you, and that includes getting the right materials in place to ensure that you can enjoy your pets so it’s not a constant battle of “Don’t get on that!” Your home should energize, rejuvenate and relax you the minute you walk through the front door. If that’s not happening, then you need to take specific steps to get it there because home is the most important place for most people. It is where the most important moments of your life unfold with your family and friends.
Yip in his Atlanta family room with two of his adopted rescue dogs
R•Home: How does your new book help people create their own home space?
Yip: The book gives you very practical advice on how to produce a home that defines you aesthetically but also serves functionally to support you and reflect the way you live. We’ve gotten away from the living room as a museum, a dining room that you use twice a year, and spaces that your dogs and kids are forbidden to enter. I recommend using materials that can hold up to lots of use, like carpet, for example, that is resistant to mold, mildew and odors, affordable and easy to clean. Putting those kinds of things in place makes sense.
R•Home: Any holiday tips for dog owners?
Yip: We remove things that might not be safe, like chocolate, and keep breakable ornaments on the higher branches of our tree. Each of our dogs gets a stocking, and it’s our tradition at the end of the year that the dogs get new beds. Think about ways that are meaningful to you to include your pets in the celebrations. You do need to move some things out of reach — we had a dog, Bob, who was obsessed with pies, and we lost many, many pies.
R•Home: Fetch a Cure is about raising awareness of cancer in dogs. Have you been through that kind of illness with a dog?
Yip: We lost three of our dogs to cancer. They had long, wonderful lives, but it still didn’t make it easier. I always say when you get a dog you’re oftentimes signing up for heartbreak. For me, it’s 100% worth it. … I’ve signed up again and again and again.
