We love our furry pets and we love everything about them – except how unsightly their pets look at home.
From food bowls to boxes, cat towers to toys, our animals come with many things to make life good for them. That doesn’t mean it has to be ugly. There are ways to meet your interior design for your pets.
Sharon McCormick, of Sharon McCormick Design, has some suggestions about how to better incorporate your pet supplies into your home. Think multi-purpose like a crate that’s part of an end table or a place in your bottom kitchen cabinets for food bowls. There are many creative ways to beautify your home and keep your dog or cat happy and healthy.
The first tip is to create a recess in your bottom kitchen cabinets for built-in food and water bowls. He suggested incorporating a faucet over the water bowl to prevent spillage. Every pet owner knows the annoyance of filling a water bowl to the brim only to spill half of it before putting it back on the floor.
The next tip is to consider using an end cabinet in the kitchen, mud room or laundry room as a pet bed. Your dog or cat loves being in the middle of the family, but they’ll get lost in a quiet corner. Metal mesh doors can be added so you can close them when your pet needs to be crated.
When it comes to pet food, pull-out storage bins inside your cabinets can be a great way to add ready-to-scoop kibble. Bins with lids are best to contain any odors.
If you’re just starting your renovation project, plan ahead for your pet. Short pocket doors can be used as a dog gate, but slide out of the way when not needed.
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For your feline friends, small sisal rugs or rug samples can replace scratching posts and are more visually appealing. Place them in places where your cat is prone to scratching furniture. Rugs are easy and cheap to replace if needed – especially once your cat finds them. Another way to encourage your cat to scratch without becoming an ugly tower is metal etagere. They are available in different finishes with scratch pads and shelf cushions.
Throughout your decor, consider using washable, pet-proof fabric. Buy washable rugs or use the fabric as slipcovers on furniture cushions. They’re easy to remove if company comes over and the pet hair hasn’t gotten off your friends’ clothes.
One of the things that pets, especially cats, like to do is relax on window seats. McCormick suggests using this opportunity to create a cut-out for a pet bed or litter box in front of the millwork.
Don’t like pet toys all over your house? Choose a console bench meant to hold baskets in the corral of pet toys, leashes and pet grooming supplies. It will get everything you need in one place and look better.
If you’re not sure where to go for some of these ideas, pet culture has led to some furniture designs. End tables, night stands and crates with separate berths for beds and litter boxes are on the market. Many high-end furniture manufacturers make pet beds that look like small loveseats or 4-poster beds. Your pet lounging in one of those is sure to impress your social media followers.
