For Our Four-Legged Family

For Our Four-Legged Family

Architect's Advice

Kodi at the Job Site!

It’s been windy, cold, and dreary for so long that I have started asking myself: when will this season end? Unfortunately, that is not my place to say; that job is reserved for the imminent Punxsutawney Phil (whether he does his job well or not is also not for me to say). What I do get a say in, however, are the topics of our Studio Pages newsletter. Obviously, this time of year is not the most conducive to beautiful photos of beautiful homes, and so each year around this February-March issue of Studio Pages, I have to get a little creative. And since this article is for my favorite people, I want to go beyond 

creative and deliver a crowd-pleasing newsletter that will hopefully brighten up the day as we all patiently wait for the warm weather to fully return! I sincerely hope this article will deliver. 

Our design philosophy is all about making your home work seamlessly with the lives of you and your household. Of course, wives, husbands, children––young and grown––and parents are all some of the sundry pieces of a given household, and while that’s certainly not a definitive list, it does forego an exceedingly common piece of the familial unit. For many of us, our families also include some members of the kingdom animalia. So, here’s to brightening up those winter blues with designs that have our four-legged family members in mind!  
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At first glance, a topic such as architecture for pets may seem jarring––even though I’m not one to knock any aesthetic—and it’s probably fair to say that not many of us love the “pet store” look as it pertains to a home design. Just like designing with people in mind, the options are endless, or at least close to it. Pet-friendly design items can be as bold and conspicuous as they can be subtle and imperceptible. If I were to look back on projects done at Studio21 Architects, many of the homes designed by our team include a feature or two for the furry members of the family and, interestingly enough, those features were added as a natural part of the process, rather than an express item on the client’s docket. How does that happen? As our team mentions all the time, it’s all to do with the process.  
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If you’ve designed your home with us, then you already are well-acquainted with the Wish List and Lifestyle Questionnaire. These two exercises are an integral part of design development, and basic they are not. The questions asked in the questionnaire, and the extra layers of depth in the wish list aim to take you through your life, habits, and ultimately boil down your needs to their purest form. Regarding our pets, a huge part of our lives and habits center around our furry friends’ needs. Let’s say your dog is a bit of an escape artist, and they have bolted down the street when you were bringing in groceries; a two-door mudroom is a welcome addition to the design of your home. If you’ve watched our Design+Build Decoded YouTube series, you may remember that this consideration was weighed by Bill and his pivot door; Bill still opted for the door, with the understanding that he must keep an extra watchful eye on Kodi, but who can blame him––it is a very cool door!  ​
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Above: Rita; Below: Clover

I won’t keep making you all wait for some examples of pet-friendly design—this is what you’re here for, right? Pulling from our team, their homes, and their pets, I have quite a few to share with you. Let’s continue down our dog-centric design path, to share some design solutions to a dog’s favorite activity: getting dirty! At the homes of both of our architects, Bill and Gregg, design solutions have been imposed to circumvent the mud and other accoutrements that dogs often bring inside. In his last home, Bill designed a fenced-in dog run, complete with gravel to prevent muddiness, which had one entry/exit point from the garage. This entry point served an important purpose, as it led directly to the dog wash, for added cleanliness for both dog and home. At Gregg’s house, the mudroom not only serves as a place to contain the mud, but it also was designed to function as a canine paradise. Gregg’s mudroom was designed to include built-in crates, complete with a worktop above them, creating functional space for the humans and a safe-feeling nest for the pups.  

​Now, it would go against every fiber of my being to devote the entirety of this article to dog-approved design without mentioning the other classic house pet: the cat. It is my duty to shine some of the spotlight on the felis catus because, simply put, I am a cat lady; my husband and I have three hilarious and adorable cats. Yes, anti-cat slander is by no means uncommon, but let me tell you now...I will not abide by it! As an ethical journalist, however, I must make a small disclaimer. While my three cats are very much real (photo proof to follow), I am not a homeowner––I am a renter of an apartment, so I am currently precluded from actually putting these design items into practice. Call it a bit of wishful thinking, but I believe the efficacy of the point remains the same; these “cat”-egories of design are well worth it for any feline family members! 

​When I consider the cat, I often think of a tiny assassin, who would love to be outdoors hunting down pigeons or squirrels but must settle for stalking prey from a windowsill. Unfettered outdoor access is not the best idea for a cat, considering their unlikeliness to wear a leash or even listen to a command, so how can one offer the outdoor experience without sacrificing your cat’s safety? Enter the catio. I would describe your run-of-the-mill catio as something akin to a screened porch, with the difference lying in the décor. Change out the patio chairs for some perches, and the planters for a scratching post or two, and your kitties have themselves a catio! Of course, catio experts do recommend a claw-proof screen to circumvent any escape attempts. 

​In Chicago, I suppose a catio is not a perennial design addition, and so it’s only fair to detail a few indoor items that your cats can enjoy year-round. Book lovers can add a second usage to their shelving by adding in some reinforced shelves higher on the wall, creating a vertical obstacle course for the more active of cats, or simply a perch with a view for our more relaxed ones. Smart design solutions are also applicable to a cat’s bathroom, or the litter box; a built-in cover can render litter boxes invisible and can be disguised as storage to add an extra layer of smart design solutions. Add a cat-sized door tucked into a corner of your living area for the ultimate discreet solution to the dreaded sandbox.  

​One last thing that I believe to be worth noting is the simple tenacity that all pets have; they will seek—and find—comfort however your home design turns out. Karen’s two dogs have discovered repose in the warmth of the fireplace, leaving the humans in that house to be lighting up the fire much more often than they’d do for themselves alone. And in my own apartment, where I would most certainly violate my lease by installing a catio, my cats have found their favorite lounging spot in the drywall return around my windows—an ideal place to sun oneself. Designing with pets in mind is something most of us would find ourselves doing while amid a custom home or renovation, but for those of us who aren’t in that spot just yet, I say: don’t worry—the pets are quite alright.  

studio21's four-legged family members 

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Written by: Emma H. 

Emma works as the Marketing Manager for Studio21 Architects. She is the writer behind (almost) all of our newsletter articles, and she works hard to make sure all of our marketing materials reflect an architect-approved design quality!