Extreme Makeover - Pets Edition

HGTV meets Animal Planet as pet lovers put their furry friends at the forefront of home design

By Greg Presto


It’s no secret that companion animals have moved from the backyard to the basement to the master bedroom, but now people with pets, interior designers, and architects alike are incorporating canines and kitties into the blueprints of their buildings. Unlike olden days, pet-friendly and pet-designed spaces have become a priority in modern interiors, as people think of the home as a space they share with their best friends.

At newly built or under-construction complexes like Silver Cloud Condominiums in Chicago, big portions of real estate are being set aside especially for pets. There, the building has been designed with a long, landscaped, covered half-acre dog run for residents.
“There’s a real need for a high-end building where pets aren’t treated as afterthoughts,” says Realtor Susan Casty of Bloom Realty, the company that developed Silver Cloud. The building also has marble and stone floors in common areas instead of hardwood or carpets, so that accidents are easier to clean up.
“I think that people don’t always have time to take their dog to a park, even if it’s nearby,” says John Hardin, marketing coordinator for the Terrapin Group, the developer of Madison 901, a Chicago building that borders on Grant Park and features a sun deck dog run. “The sun deck gives residents the accessibility to take their dog out quickly before work, but they’re still near the park for longer walks.”
While most pet lovers may not be able to live in the penthouse, they can still incorporate high-minded pet amenities into their own homes. Here, we ask some experts for pointers on designing a home that’s friendlier for your own cat, dog, or other animal.

Show us what you’re made of

Just as the designers of Madison 901 and Silver Cloud Condominiums made careful choices in designing their buildings, guardians also must carefully consider the materials they use when building a space to share with their pets.
“For both floors and walls, you’re looking for something that’s easy to clean,” says Angie McKaig, president of Pampered Puppy, an online resource covering upscale canine concerns.
McKaig recommends hardwood, stone, tile, or low-pile carpet floors; these surfaces will help guardians keep dander at a minimum, and are easy to clean in case of accidents. In high-traffic areas, use a semi-gloss or satin paint in place of eggshell; these coverings offer washability in addition to their fashion appeal.
“You’re looking at things with a bit more of a utilitarian eye,” McKaig says. “What’s great is that it doesn’t have to be that way in its look, just in its care.”

Cut it from a different cloth

Just as wall and floor materials matter to the pet-friendly homeowner, the fabrics around the house—from the couch to the curtains—should be considered.
“Cats claw things, so you want to know if a fabric will pull or not,” says Lance Foley, a former furniture maker with DDDW and co-founder of ItchyKnee, a New York-based company that produces design-forward objects and play spaces for cats in various fabrics and forms. Foley recommends durable wools, such as double-lined, sponged, or thin-spun varieties, as well as cotton canvases for furniture. Certain high-grade synthetic fabrics, such as Crypton, can be useful as well.
Foley also says that furniture buyers should be conscious of the color of their couches, not only to avoid the showing of hair, but also to thwart footprints.
“Cats will jump on places that you don’t think to dust, so when they jump on a darker colored couch, you wind up with paw prints,” he says.

Bone and garden

When determining which plants to introduce into your shared space, either in the house or the garden, several factors should be considered for your pet’s health and safety.
“It’s important not just to look at which plants are toxic at all to a dog or cat, but how toxic,” says Cheryl Smith, author of Dog Friendly Gardens, Garden Friendly Dogs. Smith says that some plants, like poinsettias and rhododendrons, are thought of as poisonous, but will simply upset a pet’s stomach. Bulbed plants are generally more toxic, and should be avoided in a pet-ventured garden.
Smith says it’s also important to keep in mind how much a plant will shed its leaves or flowers: “You don’t want something lying down in the dog’s environment, which is the floor, which a bored dog might pick up and chew.”
And remember that plants need care as well. “Both your pet and your plants are alive, and you have to take both into account,” Smith adds.

Nouveau scratch

“I’m not going to buy one of those carpeted scratching posts and stick it in the corner of my apartment,” says Foley, who says wanting pet items that would look good in his home inspired him and his wife to start ItchyKnee. “You have to live with your pet’s things; they’re part of your home. You should be able to buy things you’re happy with.”
Like Foley, many pet-product companies are now offering pet products that fit more stylishly into design-obsessed homes. Formed Lucite beds bring a modern feel to a pet’s sleeping quarters, while wooden pet furniture is now designed in colors that can match other pieces in your home.
“Just as with the human furniture in your home, you want to carry elements from one room to the next,” McKaig says. “Having wood and furniture themes throughout the home gives a house flow, and new pet products allow this.”

Designing for your pet

Each animal is different from the next. Think in terms of your pet specifically, not just pets in general.
“Different dogs use the landscape in different ways,” Smith says of the pet-friendly garden. “If you have a fenced yard and a Doberman, you’ll want to leave a path for the dog to patrol the fence line. If your dog likes to dig, set aside space for your dog to do so.”
When designing your pet-centric home and garden, think of your best friend’s habits and quirks: If your dog is a biter, consider a wrought-iron bed instead of a wooden one. For cats that claw, seek fabrics that won’t pull. And choose easy-to-clean surfaces for accident-prone pets.
“You’re not just designing your home with any pet in mind,” McKaig says. “You’re designing for your pet.”

Greg Presto is a Chicago-based feelance writer. His work has appeared in InStyle and Time Out Chicago.