Your Dog and Your Home Tips
For remodeling your home with your canine companion in mind, it can become too easy to lose yourself in a catalog of fashionable dog beds and bowls. However, ensuring that your interiors and landscaping are pet-friendly involves more than aesthetics.
If you’re moving home and looking to adopt a dog this year, these pet-friendly home improvement ideas can make the process efficient and enjoyable.
Pet Friendly Vacuum
Pet-Friendly Kitchen Ideas
If you feed your pet in your kitchen, you’re going about more than a stunning backsplash and marble countertops. Kitchens are a busy space—safe, dedicated, and secure spaces for your pet are critical to maintaining harmony throughout breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.
Space-Saving Feeding Area
Dedicate a feeding area to your dog. If you are tired of tripping over a loose bowl and having to pick up stray kibble, consider incorporating a built-in feeding area. Avoid taking up extra floor space by creating a feeding center under your kitchen island.
If you’re feeling extravagant, consider installing a water line and circulating pump to make water more accessible for your pet. Keep this area clean by lining your feeding station with silicone, easy-to-clean mats.
Hidden Food Storage
For ten-kilo bags of dry food, chances are they will not complement your kitchen color palette. If your area is storage-heavy, dedicate a few spaces to your dog’s kibble and canned food.
Otherwise, you can opt to install standalone closed shelving or a deep drawer by your feeding station. If you prefer open storage, transfer the kibble into mason jars or large containers that don’t disrupt your kitchen aesthetic.
Secure Baby Gates
Sometimes, too many people in the kitchen can become a safety hazard for both you and your dog. In between handling sharp utensils and avoiding potential slips, you might be better off without your dog constantly lingering.
If your pup can’t entirely stay away from the scent of sizzling bacon or boiling chicken, invest in a baby gate. Depending on your dog’s size, you might consider a simple swinging gate or half-door. There are many available designs online that will best suit your kitchen.
Pet-Friendly Bathroom Ideas
The bathroom or mudroom is a natural go to for items such as litter boxes and bathing basins. If you don’t have space for a mudroom, there are many ways to incorporate pet-safe features that complement your bathroom design.
Dedicated Bathing Station
Are you tired of hoisting your dog into the tub or having to use a separate basin for washing? If your bathroom is getting a complete remodel, consider an open-concept design or a more expansive walk-in shower.
Install an additional showerhead or whose lower to the ground to accommodate muddy paws. If your dog is a significant shedder, install a larger drain to prevent clogs.
Line your bathroom floor with hyper-absorbent, non-slip mats. Avoid using fabric mats, as they become prone to catching shed.
Closed Litter Box Area
If your dog is trained to use a litter box, what better place to keep it in than the bathroom? While this human-and-pet set-up may be convenient, litter boxes are often unsightly, even when covered.
Think about dedicating a nook in your lower cabinet to store your litter box. Place the bin on top of a litter-catching mat to keep sand from scattering. You can also designate a space next to your pup’s built-in toilet for storing litter, scoopers, deodorizers, and other cleaning items.
Pet-Friendly Bedroom Ideas
Most pet parents have no trouble allowing their four-legged companions to wander into the bedroom. However, having to deal with shedding all of your duvets can become a nuisance. By dedicating spaces for your dog to play and sleep, having them in the bedroom should be as easy as counting sheep.
Charming Built-In Bed
If you can afford additional floor space, a luxury dog bed or fashionable crate can help keep your dog off the sheets. However, these accessories can become bulky and difficult to move. Instead, you can incorporate a hollowed nook into your cabinet or even install a fixture on your bed.
Simple Toy Bins
If you spend a lot of time at home, chances are your dog is also a fan of spending time with you—or at least within your vicinity. Still, nothing is more of a bummer than finding toys scattered throughout your home.
Keep your dog’s favorite items in one place by dedicating a space for toys. Don’t worry about high-tech storage options. Instead, you can opt for an open wooden crate to allow your dog to take chews, bones, and stuffed animals as they please.
Pet-Friendly Living Area Ideas
There is nothing like kicking back with your family in the living room after a long week at work—Fido included. However, some open living room designs can become hazardous—especially if you’re a fan of delicate items such as vases and fragile accent pieces. Pet-proofing your living area is essential to enjoying laid-back afternoons with your pet.
Scratch-Resistant Flooring
When remodeling your living area to accommodate a dog or two, you’ll want to select a flooring material that is scratch-resistant and cleanable. If you are a fan of hardwood floors, shelve that idea—little claws can cause a lot of damage.
Instead, opt for materials like vinyl. Durable, low-cost, and easily customizable vinyl flooring can go a long way. If you live in a cooler area, you can also install radiant heating under your vinyl floor—perfect for keeping paws warm.
Other flooring materials you’ll want to consider are laminate, which are impressively scratch-proof, and strand-woven bamboo, which is highly resilient.
Adorable Custom Nook
Do you have space under your staircase? If so, why not transform this area into a living nook for your dog?
Adorn their space under the stairs with a bed, a bowl, a few toys, and ambient lighting. Alternatively, you can hollow this space to accommodate a medium-sized crate.
If you don’t have a second floor, you can instead install an elevated window seat where your dog can enjoy people-watching or await your daily return from running errands. Run with cordless shades or blinds, as drapes can spell a disaster—especially when leaving your pet unattended!
Clever Pet Doors
Without their owners, some dogs get antsier than others. Being cooped up can make this especially difficult for your pet.
If your home is sufficiently pet-proofed, installing pet doors from your living area to your bedroom or garden can give them room to wander and expel energy.
If you allow your pet to wander outdoors throughout the day, having a pet door installed into your main entryway can provide easy return access. Opt for an automatic pet door that recognizes microchips to avoid unwanted entry by smaller, invasive animals.
Clever Pet Door
Pet-Friendly Garden Ideas
If you have a backyard, chances are it’s your dog’s favorite place to be. However, naughty dogs can cause significant trouble in gardens that aren’t appropriately pet-proofed. If you’re including landscaping fixes in your remodel, consider the following tips.
Easy-Access Ramp Decks
If you have an older dog, having to walk up and down the patio steps can prove stressful to their muscle fascia and weakening limbs. Installing a ramp can reduce joint pain and prevent injuries in younger dogs. While ramps aren’t necessary, they might be suitable for short breeds such as Dachshunds and Basset Hound.
Stunning Closed Patio
If you don’t have a fenced yard, an enclosed patio is both stunning and an excellent way for your dog to get some sun. If you already have a porch, you can install framing instead.
The most popular porch enclosure material is glass. If you’re considering glass and live in a hotter area, use double-glazed windows to protect your pet and yourself from UV rays. If you have a rowdy pet, installing uPVC glass can work to your advantage.
uPVC is a sturdy material that requires little to no maintenance and makes for excellent ventilation and insulation. No matter the weather, uPVC glass makes it possible to sit out on your porch without overheating or getting too cold.
Fun Play Area
While some pet owners don’t mind their dogs running loose, an unmonitored backyard can spell trouble—for your dog and your garden trimmings.
When landscaping, be mindful about what you’re planting. Some flowers are toxic and can cause allergies, indigestion, or severe health problems for your dog. If you’re an avid gardener, opt for plants such as camellias, Fuschia, dill, purple basil, or sunflowers.
Also, keep in mind that while digging is instinctual for your dog, you don’t have to let it ruin your garden. If your dog is a fan of digging, provide them with a sandbox—it’ll keep them away from the flowerbeds!
Dog Play Pen
The Bottom Line
Before you add irresistible dog accessories to your Amazon or Chewy cart, consider the best way of pet-proofing every square foot of space. The better your home can accommodate your pet, the easier it’ll be to maintain your home.
For incorporating more intricate features, such as built-in fixtures, don’t forget to do a lot of research. You can easily enhance your pet’s comfort without compromising style!