According to the ASPCA, more than half of all households in the United States have a pet. And yet, so often we design our a new homes without a thought about our four legged (or feathered) friends. From the floor plan to the flooring, there are so many ways to accommodate our pets when designing our new home. Prior to breaking ground, think through some of the following questions:
- Where will your pet sleep? Will she sleep with you or will she need her own space?
- Where will he eat? Where will you store his food?
- Will she go outside, and if so, does she like to roll around and track dirt in the house?
- Will your home need to accommodate a bird cage, or an aquarium, or a pet door?
The lifestyle of your pet and how they live with you is just as important to the design of your new home as is any other member of your family. You can modify your cabinetry to create specialized sliding storage bins for food or even drawers for food and water bowls that are hidden under the toe kick . You can create a pet shower, or a special room with a doggy door and pet run. You may want to put in hardwood flooring instead of carpet, or even design your electrical outlets so there are not a lot of exposed cords in the home – especially if your pet is of the pocket variety (rabbits and guinea pigs love to gnaw).
you will notice more extensive pet spaces with their own showers and living quarters (in the laundry room usually) along with their own outdoor spaces as well. Now, most clients are not going overboard with these. Spaces are small and usually just integrated into existing spaces; however, more thought is being given to incorporate pets as a part of our families…because they are!
We incorporated this luxurious pet shower, which is right outside the indoor pet living quarters, to the design of a custom home located near Austin, Texas.
View more photos of this estate home in the Texas hill country.
The Jenkins Custom Home Lifestyle Analysis™ is designed with these issues in mind. And the results are as individual as the people whose homes we build. For instance, in one home we designed and built, we included a room under the stairs with the puppy’s name painted above the door (similar to the one in the photo). It was a cute way to show off the dog to family and friends, while providing the family pet with his own space. In another example, we supplied the homeowner with a special niche – complete with a window – for her cat. Whatever your pet’s needs, the bottom line is that no one knows them as well as you, and that makes you the expert in designing your pet’s “palace”!
(For more information on this topic, please consider the following articles: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,20296529,00.html) (Source for statistics: http://www.aspca.org/about-us/faq/pet-statistics.html)
