Pets become a huge part of your life–as in an overwhelming one. Even when you’re dog isn’t physically larger than some of your friends, like mine, they still take up a great amount of real estate in your home, your car, your life, and your heart.
Now it’s time to make the home part a little more attractive and functional with today’s letter b: built-ins.
After developing an amazing addiction to Pinterest (because after all, who hasn’t?) I was exposed to some amazingly fabulous pet-friendly built-in ideas, such as this super amazing dog bed tucked within a kitchen island:
Photo via Pinterest, via We heart it, via wet behind the ears. How's that for a photo credit?
To avoid stepping all over copyright, you can see the rest of my pins of fabulous pet-friendly built-ins on my “Life with Arie” pin board, or see this compilation from Pawsh Magazine. Most built-ins focus on setting aside a reserved space for pet beds or bowls, food storage, or even litter box hiding places.
At some point, I would love to add these ideas to a home, and I’m definitely not alone. In fact, this trend has grown astoundingly in popularity in Atlanta itself, the city Arie, the cats and I call home. Ili Nilsson, co-owner of the design-build firm TerraCotta Properties, spoke with AJC Home Finder about pet parents and home design:
““For every client that has a dog, we do something specific for that dog,” said Nilsson. “You can fit the needs of your pet very easily with good planning.” That includes the clever location of built-ins for pet items or the installation of a hot water faucet outdoors for mess-free dog-washing.
The American Pet Products Association bears Nilsson’s opinion out. The APPA estimates that in 2011, Americans spent $50 billion on their pets.” – AJC Home Finder
Design decisions by Atlanta area pet parents range from choosing rugs based on their pet’s coat color and shedding to home owners choosing carpet tiles instead of a solid roll so that the squares are easy to replace if chewed or used for an accidental potty break. How far would you go to incorporate your pet into your home design?
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
That dog bed looks cosy!!
Look forward to your challenge posts…
–Damyanti, Co-host A to Z Challenge April 2012
Twitter: @AprilA2Z
#atozchallenge
Seriously…I’m almost jealous of dog’s chic digs.
It’s Genius! I’ve never seen it, I love it and want one.
But Pinterest? I don’t get it.
Pinterest took me a little while, and then I fell in love with it. I think you have to have that click moment to really like it, and it’s definitely not for everyone. Let me know if you have any questions about it! I use mine more like a mood board than anything else.
Hi Y’all!
Love the look and thanks for sharing all the neat links.
Just stopped by to meet y’all!
Y’all come by now,
Hawk aka BrownDog
Hey Hawk! Sorry, your comment was caught in my spam folder and I’m just now seeing it! Thank you for stopping by, and I really appreciate your comment on the look of the blog. I tried to make it pretty, but web design and blog design is an entirely new frontier to me. I’m looking forward to checking out your blog as well!
Wow, that is a clever idea! Love it. I can see my Jack all tucked underneath while I prepare food in the kitchen.
Arie already tries to get under-feet a lot while I’m cooking. We’ve worked out the command “out of my kitchen”, but I think she would like this option much better.
Arie is a beautiful dog! When I have my own house someday, I would love to have it custom made to make my dog and cat happier. That would be awesome.
Thank you! You’re so sweet! I have the same plans…from renting for years, I’ve noticed a lot of things about my spaces I would like to change to better accommodate my pets…and myself. Even items as simple as a cat shelf can be a no-no with landlords because of the size of weight bearing screws, so having your own space provides a lot of freedom.
My Dog Sandy would like that. Bits of food falling off the counter wouldn’t have a chance.
Seriously. I bet there are many a dog who has honed their food snatching skills thanks to this built in design.
Love it! I need 4, one for each dog. I am going to need a bigger kitchen!
That’s such a cool Dog Bed in the kitchen – I’ve never seen one of those before!
Though I am pretty happy with my place under the table – I’ve even got a rug to lie on
Wags to all,
Your pal Snoopy
Since we rent, there can’t be any built ins for us right now…we also don’t have an eat in kitchen, or a dining table for right now (hooray for post collegiate budgets!), so Arie sits on one side of the couch while I eat dinner on the other. It works for us, for now.
on the couch is where we eat dinner, too. we’re teaching desmond how to “beg” for food quietly and politely, so he’s been chillin in his bed right next to the couch, but for a long time before that we had him in a cushy chair across the room (this new plan works much better for whining/behaving). want to know what’s really sad? we HAVE a dining room with a dining table in it, but we still eat in front of the TV. pathetic children is what we are. lol!
Meh, don’t sweat it. You guys are so active that you’re not exactly couch potatoes, and I bet you have fantastic conversations. Even if I had a table I would probably take a lot of my meals on the couch still. After work, I usually watch a show or two on TV to unwind. I have trouble “turning off my brain” and relaxing, so they help me focus on something that’s not stressful and to get a break for a little bit. I’m home most evenings on my own for my down time, so a show during dinner sounds right.
oh how i wish desmond was a normal dog who would appreciate an effort like this. alas, he is a velcro dog to the max.
Arie was a velcro dog for a while, and I finally broke her of the habit–after all, a dog her size underfoot just doesn’t work. Now she maintains a decent hover distance.