Remodeling for kids and pets
A home remodel can be really exciting. You have saved forever and defined your budget in each category and now your mind begins to wander with all the brilliant ideas that will make your home exactly what you always wanted. But one of the biggest oversights that people have when beginning a remodel project is considering other “people” that live in the home.
If you have kids or pets in your home, don’t forget about them when you start a remodeling project. Woodland Remodeling can help you think through some common design items to consider when you home is full of all kinds of people. Below are some tips that help take everyone into consideration - both two-legged and four-legged.
Accessible common kitchen items make your kids more independant.
Make the kitchen more accessible
Encourage your kids to participate in the kitchen. Move the kid’s dishes, cups, and utensils to a lower cabinet so that your kids can easily get their things. Kids love to get involved so asking them to set their own places, put dishes away or get their cup for drinking can be very empowering for both them and you!
Additionally, add a step stool in your kitchen so your kids can reach the sink. This allows for easy access to rinsing dishes or washing hands. When some children are at mom and dad’s height, they really enjoy participating in the family chores and ongoings.
Make your kid’s food more accessible as well. Put milk, juice or water into a container with a pour spout so kids can easily serve their own drinks. Move the kid-friendly snack foods to the lower shelves of the fridge and the pantry so the kids can easily reach them. These are the least favorite adult storage level areas of the home anyway.
Pet Nooks
If you own a pet, specifically a dog, there’s a good chance they tend to follow you around the house wherever you go. If you’re a planner and hop on board with training them early and setting some limits, you may get them to stay out of the kitchen if that’s important to you. When remodeling your home, however, you may want to consider installing an enclosed space or bed under a window seat or desk. Dogs and cats like to curl up in spaces like these so they can keep you company and be with the people.
Enclosed feeding stations
In nearly every family home there is, there seems to be a pet (or two) and bowls for them to eat from. Often, these bowls are in the middle of high-traffic areas and can be stepped on or tipped over easily. When designing your home for a remodel you can easily address this issue by building a recessed area under a counter or under cabinets where the pet’s dished are out of the way. How many times have you complained that the family dog is simply in the way.
Image via thecontemporist.com
Mud room and steel baths
This one is HUGE if you’re a dog owner - specifically a large or multiple dog owner. If you’ve ever had to wash a dog, you’ll know it can be a real pain in the butt. The typical family in a spring melt has get the dirty dog up into a tub or sink and awkwardly hose him down while their fighting and mock-swimming. Drying your little guy so he’s not a sopping mess is also an undertaking on its own. During your remodel, a dog washing station built into the design of your home is one way to make the whole process a lot easier.
You can convert a mud room or dedicate a corner of the garage where hose water might already exist.
Incorporate nature into the home
This idea becomes more and more popular as the small, closed off dark ramblers of the early 1900’s continue to undergo complete renovations. For both kids and pets, being in nature is important to mental well-being, and for blowing off steam and feeling the happiness of the outdoors while enjoying your inside space. Strategically placed windows and doors can provide great visibility of the yard and provide wonderful natural light. This is important if you are parents of small children. You can also place french doors in an area that may have a deck, such as the kitchen. This opens up the home with nature and provides even more visibility to your yard while kids and pets play.
Image via decorpad.com
Kid niches and spaces
Lastly, consider what your kids are into and build spaces and niches into the home that offer hideaways, work spaces, a place to take a nap or cuddle with the cat. The family will also change and children grow, so keep scale in mind when designing for kids. One place families can create a lot of neat spaces in the attic. Older homes will have a ton of room in attic and it can become an entire play house if you have small children. As they grow, this may convert to guest sleeping or even larger family storage.