Home design is going to the dogs — in a good way.
Fido’s sleeping quarters have moved from the backyard into the front room, where his toile-slipcovered bed complements the curtains perfectly.
Some pet owners are even investing in special architectural accommodations for the four-legged inhabitants of their homes. Designer doggie decor and feline furnishings — from metal mid-century modern to rustic wooden beds — also make pet items an integral part of the home, not an afterthought.
More than 71 million households in the United States have pets, according to the American Pet Products Association’s most recent National Pet Owners Survey. The Greenwich, Conn.-based association estimated last year that Americans spent nearly $45.5 billion caring for those pets, which is up by more than 5 percent from 2008 figures.
Homes can have that (bow) wow factor by easily modifying living spaces for pets, says Katherine Austin, architect in Sebastopol, Calif., and past chair of the Residential Knowledge Community Advisory Group with the American Institute of Architects.
“When it comes to making simple modifications in your home to accommodate your pet, you first have to consider the animal’s needs,” she says. “Where an animal eats, sleeps and relieves itself, all need to be taken into account.”
Austin lives with three dogs and two cats in her home while a stray cat now resides in her office. Setting up special feeding stations for her animals and a “pet port” for easy ingress and egress were Austin’s first considerations for four- legged members of her family.
But, homeowners don’t have to undergo a total house remodel to enjoy the perks of having a pet. Austin offers simple suggestions for homeowners to create a Zen-like zone for animals inside a home.
• Modify a lower cabinet in the kitchen or mudroom to serve as a feeding station. Tilt-out bins may hold food, while rollout shelves can store a feeding station. The pet you have will help determine the height of the cabinet, since larger animals will need an elevated eating area, says Austin.
• Homeowners need not be floored by options underfoot or underpaw. Instead of carpeting, Austin recommends a tiled floor — in ceramic, porcelain, stone or luxury vinyl — which is easy to clean. Natural fiber or washable stain-resistant rugs soften a tile floor and contain any dirt tracked in by muddy paws. A floor sink with a shower located in a mudroom can quickly clean the dirtiest of dogs.
• Install beautiful barriers to monitor the comings and goings of an independent pet, both in and outside a home. In addition to a well-insulated pet door, Austin says to consider installing the bottom half of a Dutch door to confine a pet within a certain area in a home. Wainscoting, a decorative paneling, can be used to cover the lower part of walls. The paneling can be distressed, painted with an oil-based paint or treated with a two-tone stain to hide dirt and dings.
Pet owner and homeowner can stylishly co-exist, says Betsy Boggs, a Manhattan interior designer. Seven years ago, Boggs started Precious Palaces, a business named for and inspired by Precious, a mixed-breed Papillion and Cavalier King Charles spaniel stray she picked up near a Georgia highway.
Precious immediately found herself at home in a high-end canine creation, based on 18th-century dog kennels that Boggs had designed after visiting a Marie Antoinette home in Versailles, France. Boggs’ doggie design — a dome of carved wood with velvet upholstery, gold-leafed and varnished — is fit for a queen or pampered pooch, alike.
“These are handcrafted and designed for small, upscale dogs and their owners,” Boggs says. “They are ornaments of furniture for your home, but also help a small dog feel secure.”
Along with the Marie Antoinette-inspired doghouse ($5,000), doting dog lovers may also purchase a four-poster bed, based on a Louis XVI design ($4,583), a pagoda ($3,100) for Eastern-inspired homes and an ottoman ($3,204) made of faux leather and biker studs featuring a little collar that Boggs quips “is really for an owner.”
Devoted pet owners with less-than-deep pockets can purchase dog beds or cat tents in a variety of fabrics starting around $100 at local pet specialty stores. But, before making a purchase, first think about what is best for the pet, Boggs says. Avoid loose foam pads or wicker beds for puppies under one year in age because of their tendency to chew.
“The items for the pet must first be functional,” Boggs says. “But many pet owners want colors and their design aesthetic to coordinate, as well.”
As home design becomes more personalized, Austin believes contractors should start offering “pet packages” that tailor construction to man’s best friends — and the people that love them.
“Our pets are a part of our families and our homes,” she says. “It only makes sense that the spaces in which we live reflect how we live with our pets.”
