Tag Archives: dog house

Beautiful Dog Houses: A Little Design Love for Man’s Best Friend

Today I was thinking a lot about dogs.  I lost my best friend, my sweet Murray the black lab mix, right before Thanksgiving – so this time of year is bitter sweet for me.  I am so happy for this holiday that brings families together but I will always remember that Thanksgiving right after he passed away.  It was such a sad time.  I was so thankful that my family was by my side to help keep me sane after this loss.

So I started to assemble some great ideas for our dogs that give us so much happiness during the year.  Why shouldn’t we give them comfort and joy during the holiday season?I’ve done some fun projects for people who love their dogs – one of which I will share with you today, I always advise pet owners on the types of fabrics, wall and floor finishes that will help keep your home looking beautiful while living with these furry balls of love! Some fabrics will attract and other will repel fur.  The more polished a fabric – the better it will repel the hairs that you don’t want to see on your sofa or chair.

But today – I wanted to show you some of the really unique ideas for our 4 legged friends – especially those that help them feel protected, loved and safe. Maybe one of these will pique your interest to make or buy.

beautiful dog house

Who wouldn’t want to sleep here!

What a great idea – it’s functional and beautiful.  From Cook Architectural, this could even be used for kids who would want a reading nook.

fauc cobblestone dog house from faux stone and textures

Here’s a project that I did for one of my clients who had just installed a gorgeous kitchen.  She had a closet left over from the renovation and she didn’t know what to do with it.  I suggested that we create a lower section for a dog house for her lovely pup and have the upper portion reserved as a bulletin board/calendar section for her 4 children.  I had my contractor cut and install some sheetrock to create an arc for the entrance of the house. I primed, painted and then did a faux cobblestone on the structure to blend with her beautiful floor. The thing that took the longest to do was taping off the “blocks” of cobblestone.  Other than that – the project went very quickly.  If you would like to read more about it, go here.

wheelchair for dogs

I could have used this for my very first dog who was injured

 

This is such a great idea for dogs who have been injured – like my first dog who was nearly killed when he jumped out of our family car when I was a kid.  Dogs, like people, want to be independent and this product, from Amigo, is just the ticket for that.

Now, if you would like to over-indulge your pup, there are now so many ways to do that.  Thanks to some creative minds that have come up with structures that rival our own houses (or imitate them – if we’re lucky!)

Englis cottage for dogs

How about an English Cottage for your dog?  If you have an English garden in your backyard, I could see this blending in beautifully!

a Spanish hacienda for your dog

If you have a Spanish or Mediterraniean style home – wouldn’t this look great in your backyard!  I love how architecturally perfect this doghouse is.

fairytale dog house, castle for a dogI know a few Westies and some other dogs who would love to be in this little castle!  Especially wonderful if you have a little princess who loves her dog!

beautiful dog houseI used to have a Weimaraner, as above. But – I doubt she would ever go into a structure like this.  She was a wild one.  But for the larger dog – how stately is this dog house?

little indoor dog houseThis one is much more do-able and down to earth.  You could even revamp an existing small chest of drawers or end table for this project.

I came across the website,  Architecture for Dogs, when I did a search for Julia Szabo who I know writes a lot about dogs and design.  This website, created by art director and designer, Kenya Hara, features breed-specific structures that you can make (blueprints available on the site) or buy.

dog houses, fantastic houses for dogs, mazes for dogs, structures for dogs, dog bedsA little crazy but if you have a specific breed, these mazes, beds and houses were created specifically for particular breeds.

Hope you enjoyed this post about pampering the dogs who give us so much love and happiness.  Have you created something special for your best friend?  Let me know about it!

Linking this project to: C.R.A.F.T., Making the World Cuter, The Girl Creative, It’s So Very Cheri, Setting for Four. Three Mango Seeds

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7 Comments | Posted in interior design

A Faux Cobblestone Dog House

Every once in a while, I get to do something tremendously enjoyable. I was working in a beautiful and very expensive kitchen which was being revamped. There was a closet in the space that the client didn’t know what to do with.  She wanted a bulletin board space for her children – a place where her 4 kids could post their school and extra curricular activities etc. I suggested that we divide the closet in half and have the upper half for the kids…and the lower half…for their beloved dog (who was a rather large dog with the temperment of an angel!).  This is what I came up with!

I had my contractor fashion out a dog house facade shape from sheetrock which I then primed and painted. I wanted to keep the same look as the floor, so I first rolled on a texture (Sandstone from Faux Effects) to mimic the grout.  I let it dry (not…I used a hair dryer and made it dry faster!) then I taped the pattern of the cobblestones with 1/8″ tape. I burnished it to make sure it stayed put. Then I troweled on a few tinted layers (some whiter, some with a bit of ochre and some raw umber) of a texture called Quartzstone from Faux Effects.  For getting in to some of the smaller areas, I made my own little plastic trowel from a styrene board.  After it dried (the next day), I toned it (with some of the same tints I used in the texture) here and there to match the floor even better.
I loved doing this project because it really helped keep the look and feel of the kitchen – but it served a practical purpose.  Decorative techniques can really help solve problems.
If you are having any difficulty figuring out any problems with your rooms, just give me a call.  I am sure that I can come up with something unique and beautiful!

I am linking this project to…

Miss Mustardseed Between Naps on the Porch Hope Studios’ Tutorial Tuesday Home Stories A to Z My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia Redoux

 

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9 Comments | Posted in Tutorials