Kitchen & Bath Design News

JUL 2015

Kitchen & Bath Design News is the industry's leading business, design and product resource for the kitchen and bath trade.

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Market Pulse { Readers' opinions on industry-related issues } 6 | Kitchen & Bath Design News | July 2015 T he idea of putting dog/cat bowls in a drawer or end of an island is brought up in about 10 to 20 percent of my consults, but I've had only a few customers actually do anything. I'm a dog owner myself and I think it's a great idea for inside pets." Cierra Shupe, Designer Kelly Bros. Home & Design Center Covington, KY I am fnding the majority of Boom- ers have pets. I don't get many requests for special features in the kitchen, but I do get requests for secure outdoor areas, pet washing stations and grooming areas." Thom Torvend, Architect/Owner Thom Torvend & Associates Modesto, CA A s a pet owner myself, I do always suggest pet-friendly designs in the kitchen and laundry/mud room. Feeding stations, food storage, bath- ing stations, sleeping areas and hidden litter boxes (vented) for kitties are always on the list. After learning about the pets' habits, I do try to incorpo- rate custom cabinetry to hide/disguise their areas. Gail Monica Deny, Owner/Designer Provanti Designs Seattle, WA M ost of the residential designs we do are homes with children and pets. We always accommodate people's dogs; after all, they are part of the family! For upholstery in kitch- ens on chairs, stools or banquettes, people want durable, easily cleaned fabrics. People love it when we show them fabrics with a tefon fnish or Crypton fnish to repel moisture and stains. In one kitchen we did recently, they wanted the dog bowls in a cer- tain space since the bowls were always getting kicked and the contents were spilling. We made a spot in the bottom of the wall cabinet to help eliminate the problem." Kelly H. Woods, ASID, CID Hetherwick Hutcheson Design San Francisco, CA W e get requests in some kitchens and we accommodate these by making special features in some cabi- nets, for instance, making a space for their eating or water area or the food storage area." Magdi Abu, Contractor/Owner LA Kitchen City Inc. Van Nuys, CA I live in a very rural area, so this is not a big issue for me. Most people have yards or more for their animals and I have not been asked to do more than provide a place in a mud room, etc. I rarely get these types of requests, and if I do, it's usually in an attempt to create a 'feeding station' of some sort." Michael Moore, Owner/Operator Hall's Kitchen and Bath Duck, WV W hen we frst meet with a client and fnd that they may need something special to accommodate an item for a pet, we will incorporate that into a design and ofer suggestions even if they do not request it. It is our job as the designers to think about things that might get overlooked and present options to make their lives easier and more organized. Potential pet-friendly modifcations include designing an area to keep food and water bowls out of high-trafc area, or in an area to minimize damage from spills. We can design kitchens with more than one way to exit if there are many large dogs in the home so the dogs can travel through easily even when the kitchen is in use. We could do this by changing from a peninsula area into an island or adding a doggie door in the wall. In utility rooms, we will use a pull-out or motion trash-can cabinet to store dog or cat food conveniently. We can also include large single-bowl sinks in utility rooms for washing small pets. To wash large pets, a handheld showerhead in the shower works well. We understand that pets are part of the family and need to be treated that way as well." Annette Mercado, Owner Blue River Cabinetry, Kitchen and Bath Bakersfeld, CA Y es, I always design pet-friendly kitchens! Not only is the kitch- en pet friendly, but I design the entire home to accommodate the client's pets. When Jessica Alba gifted her parents with a kitchen redo, pet-friendly de- sign was extremely important, as her mother's dogs always hang out in the kitchen while she cooks. As an animal lover, she wanted to be able to feed them snacks while she cooked for the family, so we built in doggie bunk beds for two dogs that were actually part of the cabinet system and matched the cabinets seamlessly. Flooring in the kitchen [of a home with pets] is very important – no scratching, no stains – [you need something that is] great for pet-friendly design. I like a luxury vinyl from Contempo fooring – even had it installed in my own home. Un- fortunately, a lot of people want to put their dogs in the kitchen during the night. That's why I make sure to design the entire house to be pet friendly, so the animals can really be a part of the family." Kari Whitman, ASID Allied Member, Owner/Designer Kari Whitman Interiors West Hollywood, CA W e might mention [pet-friendly features] if they show a great importance for their pets. Examples include pull-out feeding dishes, a pull- out waste basket for dog food or a cat-shaped door cut out." Mike Palkowitsch, CMKBD, Senior Kitchen Designer Mingle Plymouth, MN Y es, pet friendly design is part of what I always consider, including storage of pet food, pet bowl placement and pet-friendly fooring materials." Suzanne Lasky, Owner/Head Designer S Interior Design Scottsdale, AZ Homeowners Consider Their Pets When Remodeling Spaces Kitchen & Bath Design News recently asked dealers and designers in the kitchen and bath industry: "Do you get requests for pet-friendly design features in the kitchens you do? If so, what needs/types of products do you see requests for, and how are you accommodating these? Do you suggest pet- friendly features when you meet a client with pets?" What do you think? E-mail your feedback, contact information and the subject line, 'Market Pulse' with your message to Janice@SOLAbrands.com.

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