When Richard Davis, vice president and director of design at Remodeling Consultants in Mamaroneck walks into a prospective home renovation project and is greeted by a big, fluffy dog or a skittish cat, he immediately puts “barkitecture” at the top of his talking points.
“It’s only practical that we address the animals living in the house as we begin planning a remodel,” he says. A cheeky term for creating comfortable, convenient, and usable spaces for pets, “barkitecture,” says Davis, deserves as much attention as considerations about paint color and cost.
For instance, when redoing a kitchen—which likely disrupts the spot where Spot gobbles his kibble—Remodeling Consultants recommends mapping out space for a feeding station that’s easily accessible to the four-legged and not under-foot of the home cook. “At one end of the kitchen, we’ll leave the door off of a base cabinet for an out-of-the-way place for food and water bowls,” explains Davis. Since these lower cabinets are installed several inches above the floor, it’s also possible to create a neat look with a built-in unit that allows the bowls to be flush with the bottom interior of the cabinet. “For a splurge,” a pot filler on a swing arm can be added, making it easier to fetch water refills.
Davis says the base cabinet solution can also be the perfect spot for a bed, providing the cave effect many animals crave. Similarly, for pets that prefer quiet and solitude, far removed from the heart of household hustle and bustle (looking at you, Kitty), Remodeling Consultants creates designated feeding and sleeping quarters for clients that are piggybacking on the trend of larger, more elaborate mudrooms.
In addition, laundry room once-overs and basement re-dos are the ideal time, Davis notes, to build a grooming area, best described as an oversize shower with lower walls and walk-in, plus a bench for the scrubber to sit and a more powerful handheld showerhead for just the right rinse.
And if you thought those doggie doors out to the yard only existed in 1950s television, get with the program. Davis says today’s iterations work with smart collars that emit a signal to operate the door, eliminating the old-fashioned flap that was far from energy efficient and probably quite drafty. “A modern pet door can be constructed at the bottom of pretty much any exterior door or wall, as part of a general renovation project,” says Davis. A treat for everyone in the home, no matter how many paws you possess.
Related: These Doggy Daycares in the Hudson Valley Prioritize Your Pup
