Remodeling and design pros say the trend toward pet-friendly homes has gained traction in recent years, and more homeowners want their pets’ needs incorporated into renovations.
“It just really speaks to how our pets really become our family,” says principal designer Laura Hildebrandt of Interiors by LH.
The two most common pet-related requests homeowners bring to DC-based Four Brothers Design + Build are built-in feeding stations and dog showers.
“It seems like people who have the room for [dog showers], it just adds this convenience,” says project manager Stuart Pumpelly.
Feeding Frenzy
Feeding stations are often built into kitchen cabinets or laundry cabinets and have pot fillers for water bowls. They are typically the width of a normal base cabinet, 30 inches, with the bowls recessed about 14 inches, Pumpelly says, adding that it’s important to have a solid surface, like Caesarstone quartz or marble, under the bowls.
“People are using high-end fixtures to match what they are putting in their kitchen,” he says.
“I think a lot of the clients want people to see that they have a dog station,” Pumpelly says. “It’s a smart idea and it’s custom, and I think people just like to show it off.”
Hildebrandt says when you add a pet feeding station, think about ergonomics. Large dogs or those with joint disorders shouldn’t feed from bowls that sit too low to the ground. Also consider keeping pet food and treats nearby in a cabinet or drawer.
For smaller spaces or to limit how much time a pet has to feed, another option would be to use a toe-tick drawer that pulls out when needed.
Keeping Clean
In a project Pumpelly oversaw, dog owners in Mason Neck on the Occoquan River needed the laundry/mudroom to have a separate entrance, a dog-washing area for three dogs, and a spot for bedding.
Four Brothers installed a waterproof dog shower with a Schluter drain system so the dogs could be rinsed off after a run or swim on the 10-acre property.
“The sprayer was really important. … It’s almost like an industrial dishwasher type of sprayer where it has a lot of pressure. Hot and cold is very important in the dog shower. I think people don’t recognize that, but most dogs seem to not enjoy really cold water in the wintertime,” Pumpelly says.
A heavy-duty faucet is key in a dog-washing station, Hildebrandt says. In Vienna, she redesigned a family of five’s 1,800-square-foot basement to include a dog spa for their Maltese and standard poodle.
“What they found out over the pandemic was that they really enjoyed grooming their dogs and taking the time with their dogs and doing it in-house, instead of making arrangements and sending them to a groomer,” she says.
“For the pet station I did, I used a really beautiful Delta faucet. It looks good. It had the nice high arch to it, and it could be pushed out of the way — lie flat on the wall, which was really nice for the bigger dog.”
Quiet Time
Pumpelly says the Mason Neck homeowners wanted something rarely asked for — custom crates that sit one on top of the other. (Don’t worry. The dog in the upper crate doesn’t jump in. The owners lift the dog there.) A drawer on the floor has a pullout bed for another dog.
“They just didn’t want an ugly black steel crate sitting in their new space,” he says.
Deborah and Michael Sauri, owners of TriVistaUSA Design + Build, added a custom-built crate in their mudroom. It’s big enough for their dog to sit and lie down in. It was “his private space, all his own, where he could relax, keep his toys or chew sticks, and hang out,” says Deborah.
“It was important that the crate was integrated into the design of the room, which is why we purposefully put it under the desk, with a nice-looking grate,” she says. A built-in fan adds extra air movement.
Hildebrandt agrees bedding for crate-trained dogs has become more sophisticated, making it easier to incorporate it into living spaces. “They make some really beautiful crates now that really are secondary furniture,” she says.
“Most dogs really love to be with their humans. So those spaces for them need to be where they can still see their humans. And I think that’s really important. They need to be included as part of the family.”
Feature image of dog shower and built-in bedding by Steve Hershberger, Four Brothers Design + Build
This story originally ran in our July issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
