25 Ideas For Creating A Pet Space The Whole Family Will Love

The love we have for our pets is a unique one, and there's an invaluable measure of warmth and comfort that they add to our homes. Many would argue that walking through the front door to find a jumping dog who is beyond excited to see you is one of the better feelings in the world. Whether it's a cat you've had since you were a teenager or a gerbil that's been your daughter's best friend for all of three months, it's undeniable that these furry critters capture our hearts quickly. And in the last few years, the U.S. has continued to see an increase in the number of families welcoming pets into their households.

A 2021-2022 annual survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association (APPA) found that 70% of U.S. households have a pet, amounting to 90.5 million homes. Cats and dogs are certainly the most commonly owned animals, with 69 million families owning dogs and 45.3 million owning cats, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of homes welcoming rabbits, birds, and guinea pigs. Regardless of which furry friends are roaming your halls, there are countless ways to keep your home stylish and comfortable for them while also keeping it nice and tidy for you.

Laundry rooms and mud rooms are some of the best areas for storing kennels, toys, treats, and more. Given the fact that most laundry rooms are not gathering places for guests, it makes them the perfect space to tuck away all the pet accessories that may otherwise be an eyesore. You can take it one step further and convert unused cabinets or tables into dog beds as well.

There's no need to waste any critical storage space. Instead, take on the DIY project of creating a cozy hideaway for your pet under the staircase. These areas can store any toys and accessories you desire whilst offering the cutest space for your animals to retreat. 

Homes will frequently have guest rooms and man caves, but what about a bedroom made specifically for your pets? Not only are there adorable design opportunities like toy chests and animal beds with headboards, but the room will become an all encompassing space for playing, resting, feeding, and any storage needs.

Working from home has many benefits and that includes spending all day with your beloved animals, and it's no secret that they prefer to be where we are. Create a designated area for them to relax with you as you work the afternoon away. Love seats, day beds, benches, or just a good old fashioned dog bed are all great ways to ramp up the style in your home office.

Garages don't have to be reserved for cars, tools, and whatever we can't fit in our closets. Use any additional space at your disposable to make a pet friendly haven, and keep the design simple so it presents minimal risk for damage the way a space inside the house might. It's important to temperature control the area as hot and cold seasons come and go. 

Lucky for us, our pets tend to be smaller than humans and don't need nearly as much space. If you don't have an extra bedroom at your disposable, a closet will work just as well. Create a cozy retreat for your beloved pet that has all their favorite toys and the comfiest bed. Then use the curtain rod to hang their winter coats.

Dog beds or cat trees in the living room can easily ruin the aesthetic, but setting up a small and adorable tent in the corner solves that problem. Tents not only provide mini sanctuaries for your pets, but there are so many different design choices that will pair seamlessly with the rest of your décor.

Even if you don't want to take on DIY projects for pet accommodations, you can still create a space that feels entirely meant for them by giving your animal their own style. Color coordinate their toys, collars, sweaters, bed, and more for a look that solely belongs to them yet fits right into the family vibe.

Basements and attics can house more than forgotten items in storage and a mess of cobwebs; they can morph into the perfect getaway for your pet. Like any other room in the home, don't let these spaces slip your mind as you think of the perfect area for your animals. Basements and attics are especially great places for any flying friends that need to be separated from other pets and areas of the home.

Most of us give our pets a slew of toys, sweaters, and collars, which offers the perfect opportunity to personalize these accessories with their names. Take it a step further and get your pet's name engraved on their food bowl. Then finish off the look by hanging a sign for them above their bed.

Those large, chunky, and overly bright bags of food are not pleasing to the eye. Shopping for some stylish pet-centric containers to store food and treats will make for a more decorative addition to the home. However, keep in mind that it is safer to keep pet food in its original packaging inside a plastic canister rather than dumping it straight in. This keeps it from absorbing the harmful chemicals found in plastics.

Investing in multipurpose furniture is a seamless way to integrate your pets into the home. With endless possibilities of entertainment centers that double as dog kennels to side tables that are also cat boxes to cages for birds and bunnies that look like china cabinets, your home will be infused with stylish glamor alongside your critters.

Pet portraits offer a fun and unique way to show off your sweet animals around the house. With frames and placements at your creative will, you'll also have the opportunity of supporting small businesses and artists like Amelie Jones as you commission one of kind images of your pets. 

Ultimately, pets do better in a home where the possibility of accidental damage is low. As dogs and cats run crazy across hardwood floors or a new puppy has an accident on the carpet, it's very easy for our floors to quickly deteriorate. Vinyl flooring is a durable, waterproof, and affordable alternative that will ensure your pets can roam wild as they work out their daily zoomies.

Grooming our pets can not only be messy, but it's often a stressful experience for them. Consider creating a dedicated grooming area, or pet spa, that is calming for your pets and allows for an easy clean up for you. These grooming stations would be great installations for garages or basements. 

Some weeks you are unavoidably too busy to make it to the dog park, so bring the park to your home. In a room that is dedicated to your pets, or simply in a corner of the living room, consider laying out a ball pit along with some tunnels and slides. This will also give indoor-only pets like cats or ferrets a fun obstacle course to work through. 

Placing mini stairs next to the couch or bed will ensure that older or smaller pets who struggle with jumping can hop up next to you. These can be purchased in various sizes and found on websites like Amazon for easy shopping and shipping.

Pets of all different kinds have been shown to prefer running water as it signifies to them a cleaner drink than stagnant water would provide. Giving your pets small fountains for their water intake will not only make them happy, but it'll look absolutely adorable as there are so many styles to choose from.

An alternative to getting a water fountain would be to install a faucet above your pets feeding station. No more back and forth trips from the sink to the bowl filling up water every 10 minutes after your dog slurps it down or splashes it around. Think of it like a pot filler but for your critter.

Cats love to climb and bounce around on our tables and cabinets; surely all cat owners know this from the broken lampshades and tchochkes often left in their wake. Mounted cat trees free up floor space and give your feline a dedicated area up high for all their parkour tendencies.

If you have an old fireplace that's never used and only ever collects dust, consider turning that space into the perfect nook for your pet. Regardless of which animal it's being converted for, the possibilities of how to design it are endless.

For smaller animals especially, indoor play pens are super easy to create with baby gates. Along with a bed and toys include fake grass patches, and try placing it near a window for sunshine and a comforting view of the outdoors.

If you're tired of buying baby gates that aren't aesthetically pleasing or your dog just seems to chew through them, consider installing a dog door instead. This DIY project will allow you to customize the height, width, and design of the door, making it the perfect fit for your pet and home. 

Rather than sell that expensive crib your child has outgrown, turn it into the perfect bed or crate for your furry friend. Whether or a dog, cat, or other small pet, there are ample design opportunities here to create a cozy resting place for your animals.

Let's face it, we won't actually get around to donating those clothes for months — so why not turn them into toys for our pets instead? With a little bit of basic sewing and stuffing (or even simply tying), this becomes a fun activity that decreases waste and saves you money. It's a wonderful way to personalize your pet's playtime.