Are you a homeowner who also owns a pet? If so, the kitchen remodeling ideas you’ve had your eye on can go in directions different from the typical renovation. Storage space, ergonomic work zones, and safety will still be your main concerns, but you’ll have to envision them not only for yourself or your visitors, but your animal friends as well.
Here are four ideas for pet-friendly kitchen features you can discuss with your Atlanta contractor.
Doggie doors: Slide or swing?
No matter how much you love your dogs or cats, you probably won’t want them around when you’re busy preparing food or cleaning up precious china. Behavioral training can keep them away from the kitchen at these times. So can a pet gate or two.
You can have swinging or sliding doors built in at the entrances to the room. When unlocked, swinging ones allow freer motion, even for you. On the other hand, sliding ones, which can disappear behind or fold alongside counters, are easier to get out of the way when they’re not in use.
These doors don’t have to be standard metal or plastic, either. You could also experiment with materials, like wood or glass, that complement your kitchen remodel aesthetic.
From breakfast nooks to buddy’s nooks
When you do allow your pet into the kitchen, it might be nice for them to have a designated space. This is an added measure so they will not curl up wherever they please.
Maybe you’ve heard of making breakfast nooks in cozy kitchen corners. Why not build such a spot for your pet instead? Here, you can place their feeding bowls, scratching posts, favorite toys, and other treats and goodies that will keep them happy away from whatever you’re doing. You don’t even have to do this at a literal corner of your kitchen. Could you use a niche beneath the center island, perhaps? Or an alcove created by your countertops?
Customized cabinetry
To prevent clutter from building up around the kitchen, you can also modify storage spaces to serve your pet’s needs. For example, you could transform a bottom drawer into a holder for pull-out pet feeders, erasing the need for bowls lying around the kitchen. These would be easy to push back out of sight, and ensure there’s one less hazard for everyone.
Materials for paws and claws
In the end, having a pet-friendly kitchen might just mean having a pet-resistant one. Ask your Atlanta contractor about materials for countertops, flooring, and cabinetry that best weather the wear and tear caused by paws and claws, not to mention the spills and scratches pets inevitably cause. Sometimes, laminate finishing is all the protective coating you need.
Sources:
NKBA Kitchen Trend: Pets Spaces, HGTV.com
Kitchenology: Pet-Friendly Kitchen Tips, Kitchens.com
