This critter is allowed to sit on the furniture at Kathryne Designs, 1225 Coast Village Road in Montecito. (Kathryne Design photo)

Now, to be really, really clear, live animals are not décor. They are living, breathing, sentient beings.

But animals are frequently seen dotting the pages of interior design magazines these days and they add a lot to the environment.

Animals add interest and personality to the interiors they inhabit. They help us see the space we are looking at as a home, not just a design space.

Clearly, many of us respond to animals in affectionate and open ways, and this affects how we view the spaces the animals are in.

Perhaps this is the reason that animals are represented more and more in our interiors, but not always in a way you might expect. They seem to have a similar effect on us even if they’re simply representational of the real thing.

Made of different materials and coming in every size, shape and color imaginable, animals are currently popping up and delighting us everywhere in interior design. If your interior could use some of the magic that animals bring, but the real thing is not in your bandwidth right now, consider adding a representational critter to your design mix.

You may find that living in a menagerie is more fun than you realized.

— Noozhawk contributing writer Hilary Doubleday can be reached at hdoubleday@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.

If this Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams black sheep made of black resin does not draw some interest from your guests, you need to find new friends. This critter, perfectly content to do his own thing and graze in the corner of your living room, will instantly separate your home from the rest of the herd.

If this Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams black sheep made of black resin does not draw some interest from your guests, you need to find new friends. This critter, perfectly content to do his own thing and graze in the corner of your living room, will instantly separate your home from the rest of the herd. (Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams photo)

Here is something like a sheep again, but of a different color entirely, and always up for a cuddle on the couch.

Here is something like a sheep again, but of a different color entirely, and always up for a cuddle on the couch. (Crate & Barrel photo)

Why have a plain old coat rack when you could have your coat held by these noble deer antlers?

Why have a plain old coat rack when you could have your coat held by these noble deer antlers? (ATGStores.com photo)

There are no shedding issues with this colorful hound.

There are no shedding issues with this colorful hound. (Improvements Catalog photo)