8 Pet-Friendly Features to Add to Your Kitchen Remodel

Your dog is your best friend. Your cat is your constant companion. So if you’re contemplating a kitchen remodel, doesn’t it make sense to factor in your furry friends?

Through our years of experience designing kitchens, we’ve found that if you have pets, you’ll be happier with the end result of your kitchen remodel if you think about how Fluffy and Fido use the space, too

At first, that might sound outrageous-- after all, your cat doesn’t cook and your dog doesn’t do the dishes. However, these pet-friendly ideas are quite practical and can help declutter and simplify your kitchen.

Incorporate these pet-friendly kitchen ideas to make your space purr-fect:

Photo Credit: An Elegant Addition in Woodbridge, CT

1: Built-in Dog Bed or Crate

You could create a beautiful, streamlined kitchen and then plop a big dog crate or bed down in the corner. Or, you could build that dog crate or bed into the design so it’s both accessible and aesthetically pleasing.

2: Pull-out/Hidden Food and Water Dishes

Food and water dishes are essential kitchen accessories when you’re a pet owner-- but you don’t necessarily want them crowding up your space. And how many times have you accidentally knocked over the dog’s water bowl?! When you’re planning your kitchen redesign, ask your designer to create a spot for your pet’s food and water dishes, so they’re semi-hidden or can be tucked away when not in use.

3: Laminate Flooring

Make it easier to keep your kitchen looking new-- choose laminate flooring. It’s easy to clean and doesn’t show scratches. Darker woods will show fur, so opt for lighter wood if your pet sheds.

4: Rugs or Runners

If you have a large space, select a rug or runner to place in a spot where you won’t mind your dog or cat curling up and relaxing. This can help keep them in sight, but not underfoot. It can also help protect floors and keeps smaller animals from slipping on floor surfaces (while laminate is a great option, it can be slippery for little paws).

When you’re selecting a rug or runner, keep in mind that you’ll want something that can be easily washed or spot cleaned and that darker colors will show pet fur more than lighter colors.

5: Pet-friendly Surfaces and Finishes

While you might love the look of a waterfall countertop and high-gloss cabinets, consider how they’ll look covered in paw and nose prints left by your furry friend. If you don’t want to clean constantly, honed countertops and stained or painted cabinets are better bets.

6: Pull-out trash bins

Keep pets safe and lessen your chances of having to clean a big mess: incorporate pull-out trash and recycling bins under your cabinets.

7: Kitchen Hardware

When you’re selecting kitchen hardware, stay away from anything with sharp edges or corners. Choose knobs over pulls, so that paws can’t get caught, and steer clear of polished finishes, so you’re not constantly cleaning them.
 

8: Safe Cleaning Products

After you’ve completed your kitchen redesign, you’ll want to keep it looking like new. Many cleaning products aren’t pet-friendly, though, so take a few minutes to overhaul your cleaning supplies and use only pet-friendly cleaners, like these. And if you think that you don’t need to worry about what you use to clean your kitchen counters, this picture will remind you of what you already suspect your cat does when you’re gone!

The best kitchen features to incorporate into your kitchen design aren’t about specific styles or trends, they’re about how you use your kitchen and how you live your life. That’s why, for some homeowners, a pet-friendly kitchen is an ideal option.

If you want to explore more kitchen design ideas and kitchen features, visit our showroom or schedule a consultation