Before & After: A Smart Solution to the Cat Litter Conundrum
This is a cute little cabinet, perfect for storing all manner of things. But Melissa had an entirely different purpose in mind, and the whole project took about thirty minutes from start to finish. One member of her household is particularly happy with the end result.
Here’s the inspiration behind this makeover, which was designed and executed by Melissa Leong of Fooderati:
I really wanted to hide the unsightly nature of the kitty litter tray and had seen a handful of hack ideas on how to convert furniture to do just that. It all happened when I found the right sideboard for our design taste at the right price (just $45 from Kmart![Australia]) to experiment on this DIY project. I know how many people are in the same position — they love cats but want to create a beautiful home space… this is a perfect solution.
We have indeed seen a lot of examples over the years of people attempting to attractively and affordably disguise their cats’ bathroom. Let’s see how Melissa solved the classic cat lover conundrum:
This is so incredibly clever! The sideboard is incredibly elegant (especially for that price), and it would never occur to me that it conceals such inelegant matter. The kitty has access and privacy, the adhesive hook is a smart addition, and there’s enough room left over to add a Bad Air Sponge or similar odor eater. Apparently this project was also incredibly quick to complete:
It took about 30 minutes to carefully draw the cut lines onto the laminated MDF side panel, score it with a Stanley knife and then use a jigsaw to cut out the hole and sand the edges. Then another 30 to properly assemble the sideboard from flatpack to finished product.
Make sure the depth of the cupboard you want to transform will accomodate the litter tray with the door closed. In order to do this with the sideboard we chose, we left a back panel out to create room and increase ventilation.
Melissa is equally good at DIY projects and feline bathroom euphemisms:
I love the fact that I don’t have to compromise on wanting to create a beautiful home while providing our cats with a private place to powder their noses. It looks great and guests don’t have to hold their nose or avert their eyes when visiting our bathroom!
As someone who is not a fan of encountering litter boxes in the wild, I really appreciate this consideration given to Melissa’s guests. When you really love your pets, it’s easy to forget that everyone might not love everything about your pets, and this “powder room” is a sophisticated, stylish solution to a smelly situation.
Thank you, Melissa!