We Figured Out What Your Kitchen’s Missing: A Dog Den

When tackling the remodel of this Toronto home, architects Andrew Hill and Jennifer Kudlats of StudioAC had a few important missions: create an open plan that revolved around a singular grounding aesthetic element (in this case a large plywood wall that brings together the entry, kitchen, living and dining rooms) and, find a spot for the family pet, Rusty, to call home. Rusty’s ingenious built-in den is why we’re here today. Let’s take a look.

From StudioAC: “The genesis of producing a space for the pup came out of a simple line in the brief, requesting we consider a space for a dog bed. With the amount of space we had to fit everything in, it wasn’t an insignificant request. As the design of the plywood piece progressed, an opportunity was observed at its center to produce a moment of delight and fun while also making better use of the overall floor plan. We stuck with the prototypical dog house form and finished it in white paint so it would pop against the plywood mass it lives in.”

While the kitchen remodel is lovely and I’d be lucky to whip up my Blue Apron delivery in it (I’m not privy to the “before” so I’m not sure how far it came), what really stole my heart was the inset pup home. How clever is that? If I were remodeling the kitchen I don’t have the permission to remodel (and I had a dog), this built-in doggie den would certainly be something I’d consider.

More and more, I’m seeing smart and design-savvy solutions to housing furry ones in special and unique ways and I have to say, I like it! Why shouldn’t Rex (or in this family’s case, Rusty) get his own spot to retreat to? Though I can only imagine he spends most his time over by the sofa with his humans, it’s still nice to think he has a place to hang his doggie hat up at the end of a long day of staring out the window.