Thursday, October 11, 2012

Interior Obsessions ? Incorporating Pets | papernstitch

I have a huge dog. Really ? he?s a 125-pound Newfoundland. He doesn?t disappear into the woodwork. So I?ve been looking at ways we can incorporate the life of our pets into our home decor, not just as an afterthought, but as part of the design. They need to sleep and eat, and in the case of cats, climb. I knew a woman who had a small atrium as part of her house, and she used that to house her iguanas. They became an integral part of the house. Although this is an easier task with smaller pets, there are many changes that can be made to accommodate even a big dog like mine.

From a piece of modern pet furniture to a fluffy pet cushion on the floor, don?t forget that coordinating with your decorating style will make your pet?s accommodations feel like it belongs there. If you crate your dog, you can build a furniture piece to house it ? even as part of a set of kitchen or laundry room cabinets. It?s always better than just setting an unfinished crate in the corner. Or add a few ledges for your cat to climb on, especially if you have a small space. (I have to leave half of the top of my bookcase open next to a stair landing ? that?s the favorite hangout for one of my cats.) And food bowls are no different. Just sitting out on the floor looks a bit unkempt. So why not add a pull-out shelf at the bottom of a cabinet space? You can even add a drawer for food storage above. Or overhang the counter so a larger pet?s bowls are out of the path of foot travel. And don?t forget the litter box. There are lots of great ways to hide those to keep them out of sight. After all, a 125-pound dog isn?t going to hide anywhere, so we might as well help him to fit in!

above: Modern Pet Bed

Litter box and Climbing Shelves + Wireframe Crate

Understated Cushion

Bedside Hideout + Bowl Storage

Incorporated Cabinet Bed

Amy wrote this post. She is the designer and owner of FormFire Glassworks, where she creates modern lampwork glass beads and jewelry, and by day designs custom homes for a small firm in Southern California. You can follow her twitter @formfireglass.

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Source: http://papernstitchblog.com/2012/10/11/interior-obsessions-incorporating-pets/

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