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Keep the pet area away from a major trafc pattern used by the cook and visiting guests. One interesting approach I have seen is extending a counter without a cabinet underneath so the pet resting area can be somewhat enclosed in the captured area. Talk with your clients – they'll know their dog's personality, and where the dog will be the most comfortable. Once you have found a spot for the family pet to relax or sleep, remember they also enjoy a good meal, tolerate an occa- sional bath and require a place for their horde of chewed up toys. Let's start with a pet enjoying a meal – I'm going to focus on dogs, but the ideas are transferable to other types of pets as well. THE FEEDING STATION Before planning a feeding station, learn about the pet's eating schedule. • Scenario A: Some dogs eat all of their food im- mediately when it's put down; therefore, the food bowls can be concealed a good part of the day. • Scenario B: Other dogs eat a little bit now, a little bit later; therefore, the bowls must be available all day long. Regardless of the meal service, water is flled/changed periodically throughout day with clean/cold water, or even one of today's more popular pet drinking fountains. An open eating and drinking center might be the best solution. Be sensitive to the dog's drinking habits. As much as we love them, when dogs drink, they sometimes slobber! Your clients may not be on top of it with a mop every time this happens. Therefore, you do not want any surface surrounding these built- in bowls that will be ruined from repeated attacks of moisture. PET FOOD STORAGE Plan a spot to store dry and/or canned dog food close to the pet's eating spot. Realize that dry food will stay fresh and dry if it's in tightly sealed bins. Be aware of the size and weight of the bag of dog food your client normally purchases: You may want to transfer it into bins that are placed on a roll-out shelf. Dry dog food comes in a variety of bag sizes: 3 lbs., 5 lbs., 15 lbs., 20 lbs., 30 lbs., 40 lbs. and 50 lbs. However, the size of the bag purchased is not always based on the size of the dog, but Here is a great example of a private space for the family's pet member, which is integrated into the cabinetry. Neat and comfortable for all! A spot for a pet's food bowls needs to be located at the appropriate height for ergonomically sound mealtime use. An architectural frm in Portland, OR created a nice eating station for a larger dog by creating a niche at the end of an island. Note that the miniature table containing the recessed bowls can be easily removed from the enclosure for servicing. Photo: Courtesy of Buckenmeyer Architecture, Portland, OR, www.buckenmeyerllc.com In a beautiful display at the Chicago Mart, an elegant banquette completes this transitional kitchen. At the end of the banquette is a pull-out feeding area. Because it's against a wall, no one needs to be worried about someone tripping over the feeding drawer! Photo: Courtesy of Plain & Fancy Custom Cabinetry, www. plainfancycabinetry.com In a classic island kitchen, a special drawer that extends to the foor, by attaching the toe kick to the drawer runners, is created for a small pet that dines at a specifc time. The concern with this type of a 'center stage' pull- out feeding station is that it may interfere with a major trafc pattern for the humans who use the space. Photo: Courtesy of Plain & Fancy Custom Cabinetry, www.plainfancycabinetry.com. rather on how the client shops. Canned dog food must also be considered. Some dogs only eat canned, some only dry, others a mixture of both. Cans are usually purchased according to the size of the pet: 3.5 oz., 13 oz., 22 oz. cans, etc. Wall-mounted pet food bins, in a variety of shapes and sizes, are available that conveniently store dry dog food. I've been told that cat owners sometimes use these bins to store litter prod- ucts. Cat litter comes in a variety of containers (pails, jugs, bags, boxes/cartons) and sizes: typically in 8 lb., 15 lb., 20, lb., 25 lb., 30 lb., 35 lb. and 40 lb. containers. Many dog and cat owners also use elevated feeders bowls, not only for hygiene and cleanliness, but also because they can be easier on pets with back or neck problems or arthritis – and 64 Kitchen & Bath Design News • January 2016 DESIGNER'S NOTEBOOK