Designing for the Real VIPs

(Milo, Ralphie, and everyone else with paws, claws, or a very strong opinion about where they sleep)

Let’s start here.
If you have pets, they are not part of the home. They are the home.

Milo and Mr. Ralphie run ours. Cats do the same in their own, slightly more strategic way. Birds, bunnies, whoever is living with you, they all quietly take over and somehow it feels completely right.

They are family. Big time. Everything shifts around them without it feeling like a compromise. It just becomes how the house works.

And yet, people still design homes like pets don’t exist. Beautiful, precious, nowhere for anything, and then two weeks later it all unravels.

If you are going to have pets, design for them from the beginning.

They need real places, not leftovers

Pets do not want the space you didn’t use.

They want to be where you are. Always.

So instead of hiding a bed in a hallway, we build it in. A sleep spot tucked into millwork. A place under a console that actually fits them. A corner in the family room that feels intentional, not like an afterthought.

Milo has very strong views on proximity. Ralphie pretends he doesn’t, then quietly moves closer.

Cats are even more specific. They want height, sunlight, and the best seat in the room. Give it to them properly and it becomes part of the design.

Food, water, and the mysterious movement of bowls

Dog bowls move. Cat bowls move. It is a phenomenon.

You start with a neat setup and suddenly they are in the middle of everything like they made a decision.

So we plan for it. Built-in feeding stations, tucked into cabinetry, easy to clean, easy to access. Water that does not damage floors. Food storage that looks like it belongs in your kitchen, not like a temporary solution.

It is simple. It just needs intention.

The bath situation no one thinks about

Washing a dog or even rinsing muddy paws should not feel like a full production.

A proper setup changes everything. A handheld spray, the right height, surfaces that can handle water, a space that makes sense.

Milo tolerates baths. Ralphie negotiates every step.

Either way, the design helps.

Fabrics are not about you anymore

This is where things shift.

Your fabric choices are for them.

Performance fabrics, forgiving textures, materials that can handle being climbed on, curled into, and lived on daily. Not delicate. Not precious. Just smart.

A beautiful sofa that no one can sit on because of the dog is not a win.

Cats will test everything. Dogs will claim everything. Choose accordingly.