apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Check out the Hardwood Hideaway and Zen Hideaway. depending on your aesthetic, these are the best options I have found so far.
http://www.hardwoodhideaway.com/

PS: Do a Google product search and you can probably save $100 or so over the MSRP

I would love to know what you end up doing, as my papillon is very attached to her hideous plastic crate. I have thought about cutting air holes and a door in a sturdy box, decoupaging it with wallpaper, and setting it over the kennel for a quick fix...

Wow! Um, the Zen Hideaway is beautiful but err, I a little out of reach for me. I second the motion for cooler crates (same small space/open living situation here). I'd love to hear some other suggestions on this.

Does anyone have suggestions for those in a small space AND on a small budget? I know, I'm so needy ;)

Hiya,

We bought this wicker-look kennel for our border terrier & both we and the dog love it!
Here is the link: http://www.petstreetmall.com/Wicker-Dog-Crates/1566.html

what about putting it under a table with a skirt, door or moveable side on it, when the dog is in the crate you can leave it open and when it isn't you can make it look just like a normal table.

also, check out this link...http://www.bow-wowhouse.com/BW%20Products.htm

This is a little better, it still looks like a crate but nicer

http://www.landsend.com/pp/WoodPetCrates~178773_-1.html?bcc=y&action=order_more&sku_0=::XXX&CM_MERCH=IDX_00005__0000000301&origin=index

Loved this from just the other day:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/pets-dogs-cats-snakes-etc/zenhaus-pet-crate-050301

Have you thought about a wire crate? My dog had separation anxiety and wasn't a fan of the plastic version. With a wire crate, you can easily make (or buy) a cover with cool fabric and it won't hinder airflow. It's basically just sewing rectangles together and wouldn't cost much -- I made a cover out of an IKEA tablecloth. And if you put a tray on top, you could use it as a side table.

The problem with the crates that look like actual furniture is that if you had to travel with your dog or had someone dogsit him at their home, you'd have to have a separate portable crate. If you have limited space, that doesn't make a lot of sense.

Those wood ones are fantastic! A bit pricey, but I could probably even make something similar. I'm not too concerned with portability since he doesn't travel much--just to my mom's and she can keep the less-than-attractive kennel--and he just gets doggy seat belt in the car.

Thanks for all the great ideas guys!

Here is another pricey dog crate but so attractive.

http://www.gopetdesign.com/index.html

I'd recommend the Ikea Hol storage crate Found here
It's easily adaptable and can be stained or painted to match you decor.(I believe it also comes in a smaller size, but you'll have to check your local ikea)

I also found a DIY link:

http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2008/01/tasteful-dog-crate-you-dont-have-to.html

We have a large dog and a very large wire crate for him. I agree that the wire is less hideous, but it still not my favorite focal point. We have a blanket over it and use for folding laundry in our bedroom.

I love this crate, but it looks like it's only for little pups. Wish there were more stylish options for big dogs.

http://design-milk.com/designgo/

I have a 10 lb dog in that kind of crate- except it's the largest plastic crate they make so the thing is HUGE. I put it in the closet in my sons room. I changed out his closet doors to curtains so that wasn't an issue (it does poke out a bit) but no one would know there is a dog crate in there unless you were to show them. When he is in there I keep the curtain open.

Good question! What about applying that question to a cat scratching tower?

Foxsyd--I have seen really gorgeous cat scratching towers (there was was this fantastic spiral one in a pet boutique in Minneapolis). The problem with any well-designed pet supplies it not so much their existence, but the $$$. If you don't mind spending more just look for some up-scale pet shops.

I do belive a I saw a DIY option that was essentially a carpet scrap curving from the floor up the wall (you can get adhesive carpet binding to finish off the edges). The nice thing about this one too is that it takes up very little space.

Hi Lisa - how about more of a kennel (with room to scamper around) than a crate?

I got the 4' x 2.5' Ingo dining table from Ikea http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/14630009

I screwed picket fence posts around it and made a picket gate with a latch. Painted it all white and glued a sign with my dog's name on it over the entrance.... might as well commit all the way.

It's rather folksy looking but it fits with my decor. My little dog loves having her own private fort and hangs out in there even when I'm home and the gate is open.

You could paint or stain or decoupage (great idea paula!) or stencil or mosaic or whatever your imagination fancies to help if fit into your new home.

I have a very similar crate to the one pictured- though I think it's even bigger. I battle with this same issue-most of the suggested crate look SO much better, but not for my 45lb Aussie. I love the first link, but $400! I have toyed with sewing a cover for it, to match my curtains or something along those lines. I sorta went thru a similar hunt for a cat box cover. I ended up with a buy a large rubbermaid storage tub, flipping it over and cutting a hole in the top. Its a subtle tan color, looks great, and was like $7 bucks. but that is for kitty box,,, not a full sized Aussie....

Hope this is not too distracting from the original kennel question, but seems as good a place as any to post.

I found a site for pet owners that I love (and no, I don't own shares in it and nor am I in any way connected to it ~ just gone through the same style dilemmas as everyone else!).

It's www.cheengoo.com ~ can't find previous any mention on AT ~ an online boutique for dogs and cats, stock incl. some carriers for smaller pets. Company is based in SF, and donates a % of its profits to animal rescue organizations.

There's also Muttropolis for both dogs and cats (which has been mentioned in passing before on AT) and can be found at (wait for it...) www.muttropolis.com. They have carriers, and a wide range of pet gear, but no kennels as such.

So this is like the 4th thread on this... what up lameass pet supply companies?

Deliver!

I have this same problem, i too have no great solution but i'm picturing a day with more space and doing something like the kitchen table but done with a sofa console, interesting idea.

I suppose i need to build my own. Some little wooden dog house w/door that looks like a cartoon modern home would be perfect.

...does anyone have cool dog house plans that could be modified w/a latching door?

We set up a mini pen- wooden baby gates and a crate, covered with a decorative blanket on the visible side (allowing room for air holes)- for our rat terrier. When we were home, but the puppy needed to be out of arm reach- she could play in the pen and come and go from the crate. The dog trainer at Pet Smart recommended this method so that the crate wasn't associated with "anxiety."

I assume you don't care what it looks like when you are not home, and that your dog does not use it when you are home. If so, no need to cover it when your dog is actually in it as you won't be home to see the ugly thing. Buy a wicker trunk at IKEA or Cost Plus and when you get home, just pop the kennel into the trunk and close the trunk lid. Then take it out before you leave again.

If you need it out all the time, then covering it in wallpaper or stickers seems like your best bet. Fashionable pet hide-aways are very, very expensive (as you now know).

By the way, if anyone has a lot of money to spend, this is the nicest indoor pet house I have ever seen: http://www.gnr8.biz/product_info.php?products_id=661

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/pets-dogs-cats-snakes-etc/modern-bent-plywood-cat-scratcher-039562

Here's the cat scratching post I saw. Yes, this particular one is awfully pricey, but I bet you could make something similar for a whole lot less.

Again, thanks for all the fabulous ideas! I'm currently drawing up some plans to make a wood cover for the existing kennel, but in the style of those lovely (but pricey) ones at the begining of the thread. It will be easier to make than building an entire new kennel and still lets me have access to a portable kennel if I ever happen to need it. Not quite as elegant, but at least I won't have something screaming "dog crate!" in the middle of my apartment.

Lisa, will you please show us a picture of your dog? I'm a little obsessed with dogs and would love to see him.

it's a bit of a financial commitment but i have a very large dog - 120lbs - with separation anxiety and i commissionad a crate from doug at caninewoodcreations.com. i need the sturdiness of it since my dog is a bit of a beastie, and i actually like that doug's crates look like old style crates. of course i love the modern crates, like eddy's house (gorgeous) and the black eicrate but chief brody would destroy both in a minute. it took me a while to find caninewoodcreations, so i thought i would share.

I would love to splurge on fancy crates, but right now we have five dogs - three of our own and two fosters - in our 720sf home. Over ten years of dog ownership, I've tried all sorts of different crate concealment methods. In my experience, wire crates are easier to conceal. I've heard good things about these covers:
http://www.cratecoversandmore.com/

Lately, we've been hiding crates for our little dogs in our TV cabinet. They like the security of being in an enclosed space, and it hides their ugly plastic crates:
http://flickr.com/photos/booizzy/2505582774/

For our bigger dogs, we use a wire pen in our room that's easy to fold away and isn't so ugly.

Okay, puppy in the cabinet is hilarious!

This weekend i came home to find my dog had a terrible, terrible digestive "event", and i tossed his old plastic crate out.
He now has a black coated wire one and its draped in the left over material from making my floor cushions. he already has a cute pillow/bed in there and i was thinking of making him bumpers (like in a crib) so he could curl up agianst the side if he wanted.

Here's a link to something VERY similar to the Bow Haus crate but at a cheaper price (I think they are in the 200-300 dollar range...while the bowhaus was 400-500 I think.

www.alumaden.com

They have some with wooden tops too...unfortunately this is out of my price range as well...but I thought I'd pass it on.

They sell expensive ones that look like end tables, but I have seen end table cabinets at re-sale shops for $10. Drill some air holes with a circle cutting drill bit add a latch and there you go. The special drill bit costs less than $10. I used the metal crate with a table cloth and the front panel removed. My dogs napped in it all the time.