Great design is about creating spaces that work for the way you and your family live— and that’s true whether your “family” walks on two legs or four.

Indeed, a recent study by the National Kitchen & Bath Association showed that more than half of its member designers had been asked to design spaces specifically to accommodate pet needs in the past year.

The most common requests were for pet feeding areas; pet baths or showers; cozy bed/den areas; and storage for food, leashes, toys and grooming products. But, unlike the crates, portable dog beds or food bowls of old, these requests are being met in increasingly elegant and innovative ways. From furniture-style gates that retract seamlessly into the cabinetry to islands with built-in beds and wall niches that hide canine water fountains, the possibilities are endless.

“It’s not just a crate in the corner anymore; people want to designate a more permanent place in their home for their dogs, a place that incorporates them more fully into the home, just as they are incorporated into our everyday lives as family members.”

—Betsy Bassett Betsy Bassett Interiors

1. For tight spaces, consider tucking a dog bed under a table to give the dog a private spot out of the main traffic flow.
Designer: Ken Perrin, Artistic Renovations of Ohio, LLC

2. This dog-friendly space used a nook in the mudroom area to give the dogs their own space while also allowing the owners to shut the door and use the mudroom as a luxury kennel when they go out.
Designer: Matt Balmer, Lands End Development, LLC
Photo: Rick Hammer provided courtesy of Lands End Development

3. Even when space is at a premium, with a little design creativity, a private hideaway can be devised. Here, the dog’s nesting area is built right into the stairs.
Designer: Jeffrey Pelletier, Board & Vellum

4. A built-in dog bed keeps the dog tucked away in luxury comfort, while the cabinetry above provides space to store leashes, food, toys, and other gear.
Designer: Svetlana Tryaskina, Estee Design
Photo: Brandon Barre Photography

5. A comfy sleeping nook for the family dog was a high priority for the owners of this NKBA award-winning kitchen.
Designer: Kaye Hathaway, CKD, NCIDQ, ASID, DEA
Design Group Photo: Jozef Jurcisin

6. This kitchen pull-out from Rev-A-Shelf can be configured to provide storage for leashes, grooming tools and more, keeping them organized and out of sight when not in use.
Design: Rev-A-Shelf, LLC

Design professionals also cite a growing trend toward creating dog-specific spaces— perhaps a mudroom or section of the laundry room—to contain the plethora of accessories common to the well-loved pooch.

The personalization trend is also hot, with dogs’ individual needs and preferences helping to shape design solutions. For instance, older dogs suffering from arthritis may benefit from pet whirlpools, while an outdoor shower for the mud-loving Lab will likely improve dog-human relations. And, wider walkways will simplify navigating the home if the dog likes to stay close to the pack.

While a host of stylish pet accoutrements are now available, ultimately, great design is as much about solving problems as it is about style.

“It’s so easy to design in a single or multiuse dog wash—and the dogs will much prefer this to being blasted with ice-cold hose water outside. This is more like a doggie spa, with warm water and shampoo, maybe a little cream rinse, followed by fluffy towels and finally, a brush down. Could it get any better?”

—Doug Walter Doug Walter Architects

1. Even when space is limited, an efficiently designed utility area can incorporate appliances, a cozy sleeping nook beneath the laundry folding table, plus a dog shower and storage cabinets.
Designer: Ken Perrin, Artistic Renovations of Ohio, LLC

2. Dogs accumulate stuff just like people do. In this design, Nick Sannes of the S. J. Janis Company, Inc. notes, “We were able to help our client move this clutter into the dog’s own space with a mudroom addition that features a dog-washing station as well as integrated food and water bowls.”
Designer: S.J. Janis Company, Inc.

3. An outdoor shower located conveniently near the mudroom entrance is perfect for cleaning up muddy paws (and muddy dogs).
Designer: Phil Kean Design Group Photo: Jeff Davis/ courtesy Timberlake Cabinetry

4. Responding to the growing interest in pet amenities, manufacturers are creating pet concept spaces, like this Wood-Mode bathing area.
Photo: Courtesy of Wood-Mode

6. For older or arthritic pets, the Jentle Pet Spa from MTI Baths offers the choice of a soothing soaker tub or whirlpool system with five full-size massage jets to provide hydrotherapy benefits.
Courtesy of MTI Baths

As Dave Burcher, CKD, of In House Kitchen Bath Home says, “Our pets want to be with us and we want to be with them, so we have to look at where the activities happen in the home and where we can craft cozy resting places for them. The kitchen is typically the biggest gathering space in the home and we spend the most time there, so that’s a natural fit.”

Build in a quiet hideaway for when company is over, or an eating area out of the main traffic flow. Tuck food and water bowls under an extended countertop for privacy, or consider adding a floor-height drawer to incorporate bowls.

Remember, the best designs help bring family together while giving everyone a place to call their own. That holds true for all family members—including the furry ones!

Don’t forget cleanup: “Rather than a wood top, an easy-to-clean surface should be used on the feeding station’s ‘counter’ surface.”
—Designer Ellen Cheever, ASID, CMKBD, of Ellen Cheever & Associates

1. Removing a single base cabinet and adding a mesh door beneath the island creates the perfect den for the family’s two dogs, Scout and Maxie, who can relax in their private spot when they need alone time, or enjoy being in the kitchen with their family without getting directly underfoot during meal prep.
Designer: Betsy Bassett, Betsy Basset Interiors

2. To keep the eating area neat and tidy, a pull-out drawer holds food bowls, while the adjacent waste/recycling center is repurposed to hold dog food.
Designer: S.J. Janis Company, Inc.

3. Pet bowls should ideally be tucked out of the main traffic flow. In this built-in feeding niche, the stone top provides easy cleanability as well.
Photo: Anna M. Campbell Photography

4. When space is at a premium, consider a pull-out feeding area that can be tucked away when not in use. The placement against the wall also keeps it out of the walkway, where human family members might trip over it.
Photo: Courtesy of Plain & Fancy Custom Cabinetry

5. For those who hate having a crate clutter up their home, here’s an innovative solution: a kitchen gate that recesses seamlessly into the cabinets when not in use.
Designer: Dave Burcher, CKD Photo: Dave Burcher, CKD

6. A built-in water fountain tucked into a wall niche means you’ll never trip over the water bowl again!
Courtesy of Wood-Mode

Pet insurance, like most forms of insurance, definitely qualifies as a “Buyer Beware” purchase. Jamie Richardson found that out the hard way when her seven-year old dog Muddy tore a ligament in his leg and her insurance company Petsecure refused to cover his veterinary care. One reason for denying the claim was that Muddy was running when he hurt himself. Specifically, he was happily running through the woods, which can also be described as “being a dog”.

Unfortunately for Richardson, “being a dog” is essentially excluded in her accident policy. The fine print states that any injury sustained while the dog is “jumping, running, slipping, tripping or playing” is not covered. Additionally, any accident that the guardian does not witness is not covered. In Muddy’s case, even if he had torn his ligament in full view of Richardson while he was, say, eating his dinner, none of the $4,200 in veterinary costs would have been reimbursed by the insurance company due to a “pre-existing condition” clause that relates to arthritis or degenerative joint issues.

Though X-rays at the time of surgery showed no signs of arthritis, the fact that the presence of bone spurs had been noted in Muddy’s medical records allows the insurance company to deny the claim. That’s true even though the surgeon said that the accident was not caused by arthritis and the veterinarian pointed out that those bones spurs are normal for seven-year old dogs, and minor to boot. Two vets saying no pre-existing conditions are present does not prevent the insurance company from denying the claim based on the “pre-existing condition” clause.

Richardson has cancelled her policy, since it did her no good at all. She borrowed money to pay her bills, and is now saving a little each month just in case Muddy has another accident or an illness that requires expensive veterinary care. She continues to let him be a dog, though, and he still runs through the woods near her home in Yukon.

As I get older I value my comfort just a little more. I appreciate cup holders, soft cozy blankets, and chairs whose designers were inspired by the human body rather than thoughts of fitting 100 chairs in a storage closet. When it comes to dogs, little luxuries mean more to me, too. Just today I walked dogs with leashes that have soft padding in the handle, and I realized that these are the leashes for me. It’s a little thing, that extra padding, but I just love the feel of it my hand. Even with dogs who have lovely leash manners (but especially if they are still working on them) that extra cushion protects my hands from any harshness, and I love it!

I felt the same way years ago when I first discovered the Chuck It. Okay, a little dog slobber never hurt anybody, but a quart of it on a tennis ball is not what I’m looking for in hand moisturizer, either. I’m also a big fan of the folding dog water bowl. To be able to hike with dogs and easily help them hydrate without having a big, clunky water bowl digging into my back through a backpack adds much joy to the outing.

While I am a huge fan of the stuffed Kong, sometimes it feels like a lot of work to stuff one. (I’m not proud of that, but it’s the truth.) When such an every day task seems hard, I’m grateful for Kong’s Marathon toys. They can keep a dog occupied for a long time but just take a moment for me to lock the compatible treat into the fitted slot.

Microfiber towels that absorb water and mud from a dog’s underbelly and paws are indispensable to me now. Sure, any basic towel works, but they don’t necessarily work as well as the microfiber ones. Even easier to use (and therefore better) are the microfiber mitts that dry dogs without slipping, which means that your hands don’t get wet and muddy.

There are so many items that I appreciate just because they make life a tiny bit easier and more convenient. Non-stick mats that go under food and water bowl keep bowls from sliding all over the floor are a huge plus—no scratches in the floor, easy clean-up of spills, and no racket from clanking bowls. Travel food bags that only take up as much room as the food you have left are a huge improvement over bulky plastic containers. Poop bag holders that attach to a belt loop or the leash free up my hands and pockets, and therefore belong on my list of non-essential dog items that make me happy.

What little luxuries in dog gear make your life just a little better?

Randy Rubin, co-founder of Crypton, launched the company’s first line of pet products back in 2004 in an inspired collaboration with artist William Wegman. A dozen years later, Rubin and Wegman are at it again with a brand new line of canine home products by Crypton. 

Renowned for his whimsical photographic portraits of Weimaraners, Mr. Wegman is also famous for his work in a variety of media—photography, video, painting and as an author. For decades, while Wegman was creating art in New York, Crypton was at work in the heartland, revolutionizing commercial fabric with the introduction of a patented process that produces a virtually indestructible, stain and odor-resistant material appropriately named Crypton Super Fabric. They’ve also launched soft, luscious Crypton Home Fabric, using a new performance technology especially for residential interiors, offered by major furniture and home fabric brands in stores and showrooms from coast to coast.

Wegman provides the art and Crypton supplies the science with their permanent stain resistance properties—ensuring neither microbes or odors penetrate these dog beds. Crypton founder Randy Rubin (right).

The creative collaboration between the textile innovator and the downtown visual artist has proven hugely successful, with a visual style that is once recognizable and inspired. Combining the ultimate in function and aesthetics, the resulting beds, pillows and throws (christened Throvers) are elegant, bold and sturdy...fulfilling the must-have checklist for stylish dog lovers. The line is offered exclusively at crypton.com.