What has four legs and its own dishwasher? Apparently, our new client.  Which is not a first as we often do interior design projects for clients that ask us to incorporate features or entire areas for their pets.

You would be surprised how often we design a home with a pet in mind 

It used to be when we heard design clients say “I have pets”  it would mean a client was warning us when making selections for their home. While they loved their fur babies, they were concerned about certain wear and tear that pets may bring. However, we love to design a home with pets. Sometimes, I even like the animals better. (Don’t tell anyone that. Who’s a good boy……)

Now, it has taken a different turn. Happily, we tell clients not to feel like you have to sacrifice your sense of style in home design because of pets. Quite often we are incorporating your pets into your home design . Most likely because the need inspired the demand – we want our pets AND we want nice homes so someone started getting creative.  Personally, we love it. We always tell our clients we are on board to create pet friendly interior designs that can withstand the wear and tear of your pets, provide some function that makes life easier and still leave your home looking great.

How to incorporate more pet friendly items into your home

In addition to the traditional dog bed , other pet-centric home features that we have installed for our four legged clients include dog showers, built-in litter boxes in the laundry room, built in crates and watering stations in the kitchen. Here are some details on how we can incorporate their needs into your home.

In The Dog House…

Let’s start with a space to call their own. Built in crates are an excellent way to incorporate your dogs into your space. They are so much nicer than a dog bed lying on the ground. A lot of times, pet owners will not even lock the doors but leave them open instead and the pups still choose to rest inside. Dogs are den animals and often look for a small space to feel cozy in. Bonus tip:  keep the floor space used at a minimum with sliding doors instead of hinges.

 

Pretty and Functional – Happy Dogs – Happy Humans!

Another design client asked for a pet shower outside so when the doggos comes in from the lake, they can be cleaned off immediately. We had this installed outside, the plumbing was always a part of the plan as the house was built and and the ground has a clean scrubbable surface with tile so pups aren’t getting muddy all over again. ( not that THEY would mind!)  Often, we are asked to add one inside as an alternative. We tell clients it is simply a preference. They work well when we place them in mudrooms, laundry rooms and garages depending on what works best for the situation.

 

Even better…

In addition to the shower, depending on how fancy you want to get, and how much space you have, you can have an area where the dog can walk up into the shower. you can add an enclosure so pup can’t escape and leave a water trail everywhere. (This may apply to cats but as I have never tried, I don’t want to give advice on that.) You can add little niches like you have in your shower, and cabinetry storage below it or next to it. It is a very customizable thing. Make sure you have easy access to water and for minimal upgrade investment, a hand held shower attachment is so worth it especially if you have to wrestle Fido to get her clean.

 

The Dog House to end all dog houses….

Another level of detail for a pet involved the design client asking for her dogs to have a dog kennel-like structure off the primary bedroom. The kennel has a dog door that opens from the outside and leads directly to the dog shower, as well as built-in crates and their own refrigerator and dedicated freezer drawers for their raw food.

 

 

 

The area also includes a dishwasher drawer dedicated solely to dog bowls, which the clients wanted for sanitary reasons. The room is  beautiful, but also highly functional. Everything is right where it needs to be and the entire room can just be hosed down and scrubbed in just a few minutes. See? Doggo has their own dishwasher. I just want my kids to load my dishwasher but that’s another blog.

We eat. But First, They Eat.

We often hear clients request for a feeding station for their pets either in the kitchen or the laundry room during the design process. Not only does it keep the food and water bowls off the floor but sometimes it is a better choice for large or older dogs that bending to eat off the floor can prove to be difficult.

A great location for a pet feeding station is an alcove at the end of the island that holds the dogs’ food and water bowls. Use a bit of extra counter top (sinks have cut outs creating remnants that may be useful here)  to create a backsplash to match the countertops, and there’s a pot filler — or, in this case, a bowl filler. The contractor plumbed the water specifically for this reason.  If the dogs get drooly, the bottom of the station is slanted forward so the water runs away from the cabinets. All easy to work into a design and extremely functional for pets.

Don’t worry Cat Lovers… We don’t discriminate.

Quite often, we are often asked to incorporate areas for kitty litter or supplies. (Clearly, cats are lower maintenance and if you successfully use a shower on your cat regularly, feel free to comment and send pictures! As you can see above, we are curious about this. ) We recently remodeled part of a home to create more function , not only for laundry but for the family feline. Adding a hidden area for kitty litter, both new and a litter box. We also incorporated a design in the pocket door to be cat friendly. We made sure it can be locked so that the cat stays safe when needed .

 

This pet family loved their kitty so much that they built the entire room just for her (they ended up adding to it for other functional purposes but it started with a whisker. (I sure hope someone gets that.) Another homeowner has a bedroom just for his two cats. We have a design client that created an entire screened in patio for her pets so the cats could be outside and still safe.

 

STELLLAAAA…..

If this sounds over the top to you, you will find that my clients are not alone.  Recently I read about a couple who created a large portion of their home for their cat and it is great. You can check that out here. 

 

We have not created this particular space (this was on a blog called @newbuild_newlyweds ) but this room was designed just for a kitty named Stella. She has her own bedroom that most kids would love to call their own. 

GOOD TO KNOW TO DESIGN A HOME WITH PETS

Pet friendly furniture:

We recommend pet parents stick with furniture that has a durable fabric such as tweeds, durable leathers and microfiber materials. Our reasoning is that these materials will hide stains better, as well as stand up to wear from pets. Leather furniture can get scratched and punctured with sharp claws. Also consider harder plastics, woods, and metals for furniture that will stand up to large and active pets. Before you buy new furniture, ask what the manufacturer says about pets and ensure it will hold up. Also, I always want to know what the fine print of the warranty includes.

Choosing flooring:

Your home’s flooring takes the hardest hits in yourhome, and pet friendly houses should think of their pets, as well as family and kid’s abuse to flooring when choosing. Carpeting with pets should be avoided if possible, especially heavy thick piled carpets. Pet stains, accidents, and cleanliness challenges will be difficult with carpet. Choose resilient flooring such as tile or wood flooring. While hardwood flooring is beautiful, remember it scratches easily, so keep your pet’s nails trimmed. Choose flooring that reflects your home’s decor style, but will also be easy to maintain with the accidental “challenges” of pets!

Patterns and colors to camouflage:

If your home is going to be pet friendly home our designs will most likely opt for patterns , a lot ot texture to create shadows and color as opposed to solid , light whites and neutrals. Many fabrics say they are safe for pets, even when they are white. Patterned textiles in your fabrics, wall coverings, and area rugs, will help camouflage stains, pet hair and wear. While this is not a substitution for cleaning, using multicolored fabrics in your interiors will keep your stylish interior from looking worn down quickly. For pet bed areas keep fabrics durable. I want one that I can put in my washing machine. A lot. If your lovable furry pet uses the couch as their bed – consider using machine washable slipcovers on your furniture and I really think you need to plan on cleaning it often.

Keep breakables to a minimum:

When you design your pet friendly home, remember animals enjoy running around, and breakable art work and electronics should be housed off the floor away from accidental breakage. Hang art work on the walls and display collectibles in display furniture or on wall hung shelving. Keep loose cords from computers and electronics neatly bundled out of sight, and out of accidental tripping and knocking over by your pets.

The more indestructible your home environment is, the happier you will be with your pet sharing your home. This is especially important with puppies and young dogs . Remember, they truly don’t understand yet. Training will come, it will get easier . It does happen, just like with toddlers. We have had clients call us multiple times to replace vases, accessories, once even a sofa console table that the puppy’s leash was caught around. Poor doggo.

Keep it Clean!

Vaccuum and clean your home regularly to keep floors and carpets looking nice.  Vaccuum and clean any furniture animals are around to extend the life of your pieces.  Give you animals regular baths. People often forget that one and it really does make a difference in your home. If you forget to clean the source of the grunge, it makes it hard for the house to stay nice!

Living with your furry family member shouldn’t mean that your home has to look boring and sterile to be ‘pet-proofed’.   If you have toddlers around your home, many of the same rules apply. Love your pet and your home’s design for years to come.

Thanks for spending some time with us, for sharing your pets with us and as always,

Creatively yours,

 

Andrea and Kimberly