When you remodel your home, you take all of your personal needs and comfort into consideration, but what about your furry family members? Did you know that 47.2% of households in Colorado own a pet, with 27.1% of them being dogs? That is almost half of the population! Did you also know that there are countless home remodels specifically designed with your pets in mind? It’s your lucky day! We’re going to let you in on a few industry secrets when it comes to home upgrades for your favorite four-legged friends! Some things to consider are:
1. Choose The Right Flooring For Pets
Picking the right flooring for your home can be challenging. From hardwood to carpet and laminate to tile, your choices are endless. But what is the best for your pet? Let’s start with the worst.
The award for the worst flooring goes to… carpet! Carpet just so happens to be one of the worst flooring options for pet owners. With pet dander, lingering smells, a perfect breeding ground for pests, and the “absorption factor,” carpet gets gross quickly. Unless you are open to weekly carpet cleanings, we suggest you steer clear.
The second worst flooring for pets is, surprisingly, real hardwood. Although many would agree hardwood is one of the most high-end flooring types, its porous surface and inability to be scratch resistant is unfortunately bad for pets. With the cost of wood rising, repairing damaged wood can be costly and potentially not worth the luxury.
Choosing a hard surface that is both liquid and scratch-resistant is essential to any pet-friendly home remodel. Below is a list of great options that will extend the longevity of your flooring and meet all of your needs as a pet owner.
- Tile
- Luxury Vinyl
- Laminate
- Engineered Hardwood
- Bamboo
2. Upgrade Your Kitchen!
If you have ever opened up Pinterest, Houzz, or any other social media app with pictures and videos, you have likely run into loads of inspiration for your dream kitchen. From upgrading to a pot filler faucet above your stove to adding a pull-out spice rack to your gorgeous custom cabinets, the opportunities for design and convenience are abundant. You’ve likely also seen some fun pet-friendly elements that you can include within your kitchen as well. We love our fur-babies and get excited when a client wants to customize their space to benefit not only themselves, but their four-legged friends.
One of our favorite kitchen upgrades to benefit your pet, is a feeding station. Nestled below the countertop and away from foot traffic, this oftentimes unused space, is the perfect location to put your pets’ feeding station. Pet feeding stations are an easy solution that can free up space, declutter your room, and help contain any mess.
Pro-Tip: Add a water line so your pet always has fresh water. Add custom cabinets to store their kibble.
3. Doggy Doors
Now this one is probably obvious, but there are many different ways you can add a doggy door to your home. You can add them to the inside of your door, build a space below a window, or even a space carved out of your garage door. One of our favorites is integrating a doggy door into your kitchen countertop.
Adding a doggy door under a kitchen countertop is not only hidden but also helps to maximize your space. Whether you add a doggy door to your kitchen, mud room, or garage, hiding the door underneath a kitchen countertop adds a greater surface area to work on, add plants to, or store additional kitchen appliances on. Plus, if it is in your living space, it is a great way to hide the door from view, which helps the design of your home.
Depending on your doggy door needs, an additional idea is to create bench seating with outdoor access for your pups. If you have a book nook, space around your kitchen table for seating, or a bench in your foyer, building outdoor access with seating adds extra room for storage and a place to put on or take off your shoes.
4. Washing Stations
Nothing matches outdoor living in Colorado, but with outdoor activities, comes outdoor dirt. Creating an easy-to-access pet washing station helps to contain outdoor mess to one room instead of being tracked throughout the entire house. Finding a space in your home to add a washing station is easier than you may think. As long as there is access to add a water line, you can add it in. Some rooms to consider adding a pet washing station are:
- Mud Room
- Laundry Room
- Entryway
- Garage
- Walkout Basement
Upgrading your home for your pet can be an enjoyable project, but we mustn’t forget the strain a home remodel can have on your pet. It is important to pay attention to your pet throughout your home remodel addressing their stress accordingly. A few quick ideas we have are:
- Remove your pet from the home during construction. If you decide to live through construction, we suggest our clients bring their dogs to work with them, find a sitter, or bring them to doggy daycare. This will help with any stress due to loud noises and potential accidents.
- Introduce the crew to your pet. Let your pet catch the scent of the team. It will help them get more comfortable and alleviate their anxiety.
- Crate your pet. Although not the favorite option, crating your pet or putting them in a space the crew will not be is an option. The farthest away the pet can be from the action will help with any stress from loud noises.
Whether you are planning on a whole home remodel or some pet-friendly upgrades, our team at Christie’s Design/Build Remodeling is here for you. Contact us for a complimentary consultation so we can discuss the home renovations that are best for you.
