What I’ve Learned From Life With a Large Dog in a Collected Vintage Home

Life with a large dog has taught me more about home than any decorating book ever could. In our collected vintage spaces, Ella’s presence shapes how we live, what we treasure, and how we keep our rooms both beautiful and beautifully lived-in. And because this post is part of my Sunday Home Style (tucked right into The Secret Cupboard), consider it a peek behind the curtain, the familiar, funny, everyday reality of vintage decorating with a big Bernese underfoot. Around here, antiques stay put, white rugs aren’t off-limits, and life unfolds the way it was meant to: comfortably, intentionally, and never perfectly… just the way a Sunday home should.

Life With a Large Dog Begins With Ella

Ella came home with us almost eight years ago, and from the very beginning, she made it clear she was running the show. Meet Ella at 8 weeks old, a Bernese Mountain Dog with an oversized personality and a look that already said, “I belong here.” She arrived confident, curious, and full of sass, and we knew instantly we were in for it.

As a Bernese Mountain Dog, Ella is big, affectionate, expressive, and completely convinced she belongs everywhere we are. She used to watch me dabble and decorate and then, without hesitation, pull books straight off the shelves and carry them into the living room like she was joining in. I’ve never seen another dog do that—bossy from day one.

She’s also the biggest cuddler, has absolutely no concept of personal space, and always calls shotgun, whether we’re heading out antiquing, road-tripping in the RV, or just moving from room to room. She loves pillows, chairs, beds, and any spot that puts her right in the middle of things.

And then there’s the posing. If I so much as pick up my phone and say, “Want to take a picture?” she tilts her head, sits tall, and waits. Sometimes I’ll walk into another room and find her already perched on a chair, staring at me like she’s holding her breath for the camera. Ella knows she’s the star, and judging by your comments here on the blog and on Instagram, you all agree.

If you want the full story of life with a Bernese Mountain Dog, I’ve shared it here, but today is about how Ella lives right alongside the home we love.

Life With a Large Dog Inside a Vintage Home

Living with a large dog in a collected vintage home means every room tells two stories, one of charm and one of cheerful chaos. From tail-wagging through the living room to stealthy snack patrols in the kitchen, Ella leaves her mark in the most lovable ways. Let’s take a look at how life unfolds, one fur-filled corner at a time.

Living Room Moments: A Dog’s-Eye View of Vintage Comfort

When you’re living life with a large dog like Ella, the living room quickly becomes both a runway and a retreat. In our Vermont home, Ella claims the best perch in the house, the top of our slipcovered Four Seasons Furniture sofa, where she can keep a close eye on the kitchen, the snow outside, and, let’s be honest, us. She’s part watchdog, part lap dog, and all heart.

Her newest favorite spot? A marble-topped vintage side table nestled between the living room couches. She gently rests her head along its cool edge, what we now call her “neck therapy nook”, and we swear it’s become her wellness routine since a little fall tweak.

She also loves to curl up in the sheepskin chair for a photo op or sprawl out in the center of our vintage Turkish rug from Revival Rugs, which hides paw prints beautifully thanks to its soft blue and brown pattern.

That mix of colors, textures, and washable slipcovers? It’s all by design. Life with a large dog means embracing the lovable chaos and styling with purpose. We’ve chosen layered patterns and durable materials that welcome wear and wagging tails, vintage charm, and practical comfort, all in one room.

Kitchen Moments: Where the Smells Are Better Than the Sofa

If you’re living life with a large dog, the kitchen is less about cooking and more about hopeful head tilts and well-timed sighs. Ella’s favorite place in the house, hands down, is just outside the kitchen, lounging on vintage braided rugs or our favorite Turkish runners, always ready for a crumb to drop. With our open floor plan, she keeps one eye on the stove and the other on us from her couch perch. It’s where you’ll find the best smells, the coziest rugs underfoot, and Ella, waiting patiently… or not so patiently.

Quiet Corners & Cozy Chaos: Life with a Large Dog

She may favor the softest rugs and the warmest patches of sunshine, but make no mistake, Ella isn’t one to quietly fade into the background. Life with a large dog in our collected Vermont home means every cozy corner becomes hers, a white rug in the dining room, a pile of forgotten sheepskins, a chair she wasn’t exactly invited onto, all claimed with the confident flair only a beloved Bernese can bring. Living with a large dog brings a special kind of presence to a space. These corners aren’t just restful; they’re lively, lived-in, and full of personality. And honestly? That’s exactly the kind of home we’re building here, one that invites you to stretch out, settle in, and make it your own.

Fresh Air, Cold Noses, and the Comfort of Coming Home

There’s something about living with a large dog that invites you, nudges you, really, into a healthier pace. Morning and evening, no matter the weather, we head outside together. Today it’s zero degrees with a snowstorm on the horizon, and yet we wrap Ella in her scarf and set off into the quiet. These walks clear the mind and mark the day, a small ritual that makes coming back inside feel even more comforting. Cold cheeks, warm mugs, and a home that always feels better after a breath of fresh air.

Where the Day Begins: Porch Life with Our Large Dog

For Ella, the porch is both a launch pad and a lookout, her personal runway to the world. Every morning starts with the same joyful ritual: she dives off the steps like she’s leaping into a pool, ready to greet the day (and anyone who dares walk by). With a swirl through the yard and a few bold barks, she makes it known that when you live with a Berner, morning greetings come with full fanfare. But soon enough, she’s back up on the porch, stretched out on the top step, surveying the mountains like a queen with her kingdom. Neighbors wave, cars slow down, and everyone knows her by name. It’s her favorite spot, season to season, and honestly, it’s not hard to see why.

Walks That Mark the Day (Life With a Large Dog)

Living with a large dog naturally shapes the rhythm of our days, and walks are part of that quiet structure. We head out with Ella in the morning and again in the afternoon, down the road and back, keeping her moving after two ACL surgeries and keeping ourselves grounded, too. I love how Ella knows the rhythm of our days before I do. It’s that quiet nudge from her that gets me out the door, into the snow, and fully into the moment. Especially in winter, those walks make home feel warmer when we return; cold cheeks, fresh air, boots by the door, coffee waiting inside. And when the snow falls, sometimes by the foot here in Vermont, Ella comes alive. She was born for it, built for it, happiest with snow clinging to her fur, reminding us that life with a large dog isn’t just lived indoors, it’s carried through every season.

As I pour the coffee and brush snow off my coat, I hear her paws thudding up the porch steps; joyful, reliable, a soundtrack to our Sunday.

Yard Life with a Large Dog and Everyday Play

Even outside, Ella finds her place in the rhythm of home. After a heavy snowfall, we’ll snowblow a winding path through the yard just for her, a loop she takes like a circuit, tail up, nose to the snowbanks, full of purpose. She’s always close by when we’re shoveling out the porch or digging a path to the hot tub, part of the daily ritual. In the fall, she steals pumpkins. In spring, she snaps off lilac stems. In winter, she tracks the last snow pile like it’s a treasure. The yard becomes less a backdrop and more an extension of our everyday life, an open room where a big dog can stretch her legs, and a quiet life can feel a little more alive.

Practical Lessons I’ve Learned From Life With a Large Dog (and a Vintage Home)

Living with a large dog in a collected home teaches you things you don’t learn from design magazines. You figure out what truly matters, what holds up, what doesn’t, and which “rules” were never worth following in the first place. Here are a few of the lessons I’ve learned along the way, all confirmed by Ella herself.

Things to Keep in Mind When You Live With a Big Dog in a Vintage Home

• Your Floors Will Get Scratches — and It’s Okay

Soft pine, hardwood, old floorboards… a big dog leaves its mark. Regular nail trims help, and rugs soften the wear, but honestly? A few scratches make a home feel lived-in, not damaged.

• Slipcovered Furniture Is a Gift From the Decor Gods

Four Seasons Furniture slipcovers go straight into the wash, swap out easily, hide dog hair, and take away all the stress. This is why my sofas stay white and stay beautiful.

• Vintage Rugs Are Your Best Friend

Turkish and vintage rugs hold up to paws, play, spills, and snowy days. They hide dirt, clean up well, and somehow look better with age.

• Windows Will Get Nose Prints — Lots of Them

Big dogs are enthusiastic greeters. I simply accept the smudges and schedule a professional cleaning every spring. It’s part of the rhythm of home.

• Your Styling Will Shift — But It Won’t Suffer

Antiques stay put, but you learn where a big dog naturally gravitates and style around the traffic flow. It’s not a compromise — it’s a collaboration.

• Blankets, Throws & Textures Make Life Easier (and Cozier)

The more layered and textured the space, the more forgiving it becomes. Throws wash easily, wool breathes, and sheepskins become dog magnets.

• Snack Tables Stay — Your Dog Just Learns the Rules

You don’t need to redesign your rooms or raise every surface; a well-trained big dog can learn to admire the treats without taking them. Keep an eye on things, of course, but your vintage plates, boards, and Sunday snacks can stay right where you love them.

• A Calm Home Comes From Routine, Not Perfection

Daily walks, predictable rhythms, and intentional slowness keep a big dog happy, and help your home feel more “Sunday” every day.

What Living With a Large Dog Has Taught Me About Home

Living with a large dog has reshaped the way we live, more open-hearted, more forgiving, more joyfully unkept.

Sure, our soft pine floors show scratches, our white slipcovers gather fur, and there’s always a little nose art on the windowpanes. But home was never meant to be pristine; it was meant to be participated in.

Ella reminds us of that daily. She doesn’t rule the house; we do, but we’ve made a home where she belongs, because we’ve invited her into every part of it. From the living room to the porch to the RV on our antiquing travels, she’s part of our rhythm, just as we are hers.

This kind of life leaves its mark, sometimes literally, always beautifully. If you’re living with a dog like ours, you know the house doesn’t revolve around the pet… but the love sure does.

Here’s to the warmth, the movement, and the everyday magic that only a big dog can bring.

Explore more Sunday Home moments where slow living meets vintage charm, and see how Ella finds her place in every season. From cozy porch days to antiquing RV adventures, she’s always right there with us.

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