Custom Residential, Interior Design

Built-In Dog Furniture and Casework

Dogs not only provide lots of love, they provide opportunities for creating amazing built-in cabinets or spaces that are suited just for them. Here are some fun examples of built-in cabinets and spaces meant just for them. And, bonus: check out the list of other things to consider when designing with a dog in mind.

Jeff Pelletier

April 15, 2012

It took me until I was well into adulthood to realize it, but I'm definitely a dog person. Adding Helo into my life and then Athena a couple of years later really cemented how much these little animals add to my life. While Helo and Athena don't care at all about other dogs (which is actually a little sad), they are completely focused on the people in their lives. They want to sit where they can see us and just generally hang around us. While all dogs aren't so people focused, a lot of them are, and consequently, they end up being great opportunities to customize your house.

My house is currently undergoing a renovation and as part of that, I've designed two custom dog related items. Another house that Board and Vellum is finishing up design on also has a little dog area that got fit into the design. They're such a fun little part of architecture that I can't wait to see how they all turn out. Here are some examples of what is being designed and also some considerations to think about when you're going to have a dog in your house.

Built in Dog Crate

My dogs weren't always crate trained but after Athena realized that the air coming out of my mouth and nose was warm, she decided to try and lay over my face every night. Waking up gasping for air with a 20-pound fur ball on your face became quickly tiresome so off to the crate they went. Honestly, we've all been happier. They like cozy spaces but also really want to see what is going on.

When it came time to design our remodel, I was able to squeeze in a small built-in cabinet between the stairs to my basement and my kitchen. The lower portion of the cabinet was the perfect spot for a built-in dog crate as it opens to both sides to let air flow through and allows them to see into the kitchen and the front of the house.

I also wanted to think towards the future so I put a cleanable tray in here (it is shown as either vinyl or stainless steel (SS) but we ended up with stainless) and a floor drain. This way when we have puppies in the future and they end up messing their crate (it will happen) then we can bring in some water to clean it and just wash it all down.

Here are elevations and a cabinet detail of this cabinet. The Kitchen side will have a small doggy door so the dogs can look out and the basement side will have a bigger wire mesh door.

Kitchen Island With Area for Dog Food and Water

One thing to consider when you have a pet is where the food will go. We use a little water tower which has some height to it and just two little food bowls. I've designed one face of the island for my kitchen (which faces away from the interior of the house so you don't really see it) to have a recess for the bowls and water tower to go into. This way they won't get kicked (I've kicked our water tower and sent water flying more times than I like to count). Additionally, the cabinet directly above this has a fold out bin for dog food and the drawer above will hold their treats and random dog stuff.

Recess for a Dog Bed

In this case, we had a strange little area at a stair landing where we had some space from a previous closet that sits next to the landing. The client thought this would be a great spot for something as we didn't want to waste the space (small spaces are awesome!). He mentioned that a dog may enter their lives at some point so this seemed like a great spot for a little recess where a dog bed could sit and a dog could see both floors of the house and who's coming and going. To tie it all in together I designed an arch to match a typical detail in the rest of the house. Simple, but totally fun.

Other Considerations

Besides fun built-in casework or spaces, there are also other considerations to think about when you have a dog. Here are some things to think about:

• Dog Runs

  Dogs needs to go to the bathroom. After much experimentation, I've found that artificial turf is by far the best solution. It is permeable so rainwater goes through it, it doesn't absorb odors like wood chips (which were easily the worst thing we'd ever tried), and you can clean it very easily with a hose. The new stuff looks pretty great too.

• Stair Risers

  Some dogs are completely freaked out by open stair risers. I thought this was just my dog at first but after talking to a lot of people it is a common issue. Think carefully about this in any space you design. You really don't want to carry your dog up and down the stairs, do you?

• Flooring

  Dogs scratch hardwood floors. Either know this and be ok with it (that's my plan), or go for other options. Dogs are messy little creatures who damage stuff. There's no pretending otherwise.

• Dog Doors

  You may want to consider letting Fido out during the day when you aren't there. A good dog door can help you out. Consider trimming it out to look like a smaller version of a normal door. Cheesey but fun.

From my point of view, dogs not only add to our lives by running to us when we get home and providing that endless stream of love, they also give us great opportunities to design cool stuff. What could be better?