Nothing destroys the peace of a country walk quicker than a wet, muddy dog tramping through your hallway. It doesn’t matter how much newspaper you put down, or how carefully you coax them into the bathroom, your floor is rarely left unscathed. Even if you have a utility room, the sink simply doesn’t cut it – nor does any sort of attachment – and you end up practically flooding the place. Those with a garden might choose to deploy the hose, but in winter it’s often far too cold and everyone is desperate to get indoors.
Thankfully, there is a solution: the increasingly popular dog wash room or area. Located in a utility room, boot room or even the corner of a kitchen, these take the form of a specially designed dog shower or generously sized sink in which to bathe your pet. Those who have enough room often like to incorporate areas for eating and sleeping, too, plus plenty of storage for pet paraphernalia.
Such spaces are becoming increasingly popular. ‘In recent years, we’ve seen a noticeable shift toward pet-focused design as part of a broader trend in creating highly personalised homes,’ says Sims Hilditch founder Emma Sims-Hilditch. ‘My first dog room was over 15 years ago for a family with two black Labradors. This year alone, we’re already designing three dedicated indoor dog washing areas and one external station for a particularly large hound.’ Entrepreneur Rebecca Lee developed the Incredible Dog Shower after struggling to keep her house clean with a new cockapoo puppy, and discovered she was not alone. ‘More and more dog owners are looking for well-designed, dedicated spaces that support their lifestyle,’ she explains.
It was this way of thinking that inspired Emma to include a dog wash area in her Courtyard Room at this year’s WOW!house exhibition. With beautiful Delft tiling, pale yellow joinery and numerous clever additions – from a pot-filler for water bowls to a dog bed alcove – it was a triumph of style and practicality. To find out how to achieve such design alchemy, we have asked Emma, Rebecca and other pet-proofing aficionados for their expert advice.
Emma believes that careful spatial planning is key: ‘Begin with a list of everything you want to include for your pets, such as a comfortable dog bed, food and water dishes, storage for food, shampoos, towels, brushes, toys, leads and coats. Measure the footprint of all these items to understand your space requirements.’ When it comes to the washing facilities, it is more or less the same as a human bathroom. ‘The main considerations are water access, good drainage and thoughtful plumbing that provides warm water and decent pressure,’ says Rebecca. ‘Ideally you would use a water-resistant floor covering that is easy to clean, but our dog shower is supplied with a trigger spray allowing you to limit and control water use.’
The team at Artichoke are often asked to make provision for pets in their boot rooms and have discovered just how crucial it is to get the fundamentals right. ‘We like to add extra practical features such as a grate and drain,’ says lead concept designer Anthony Earle. For a project in Hampshire, they set the grate into the natural stone floor for easy cleaning, and installed zinc plinths with copper nails to provide a buffer between the floor and the joinery and protect the paintwork. ‘The intention is that the whole room can be washed down if needed,’ he adds.
If you’re doing a total refit, underfloor heating can be another good addition as ‘it keeps the space warm and dry, making it more comfortable for your pet, especially after outdoor walks on cold days’, says Emma. Though garden hose days seem to be fast becoming a distant memory, Emma does suggest that if your dog is especially large, an outdoor shower near the back door with hot and cold running water might be most sensible.
For smaller breeds, an indoor sink can suffice, but there are still things to bear in mind. ‘It should be large and made from a robust material that can handle knocks and scratches,’ says Anthony from Artichoke. He also recommends thinking about the height of the tap for ease of use, and adding an extendable hose. Lauren Sullivan of Well x Design, who created a wash room for her two Shih Tzus at home in Tennessee, agrees that ‘a handheld sprayer is a must’ and has found that, by extending the apron of her soapstone sink, drips are less of an issue. Both Lauren and Anthony have learned that a sink is a great option if you’re hoping for a multi-purpose space, as it can also be used for rinsing cut flowers, garden vegetables and muddy boots.
With beautiful laundry rooms, boots rooms and pantries now all the rage, it should come as no surprise that style and practicality can go hand in hand – and the pet room is no exception. ‘You can be practical without sacrificing style. Don’t shy away from beautiful materials just because it’s a utilitarian area,’ urges Lauren Sullivan.
Emma’s WOW!house design provides a wealth of ideas for those looking to inject some charm and character (you can find the full supplier list here). She believes that getting the storage right is crucial, and likes to incorporate a mix when she can: ‘Closed storage is useful to keep things tidy, but if your pet accessories are attractive or colour-coordinated, open shelving can be practical and visually appealing.’ If bespoke cabinetry isn’t an option, Emma advises buying kitchen cabinets that can be adapted for your needs and brought to life with a little colour. ‘Have fun with fitted joinery and paint colour, as these can add personality and elevate the space beyond mere utility,’ adds Emma. Alternatively, you can forgo cabinet doors altogether and have under-counter curtains, just as long as the fabric is washable (outdoor textiles are good for this).
Practical flooring need not be boring, either, but Emma does point out that dark tiles show paw prints more clearly. ‘Terracotta brick tiles offer rustic charm and durability, but porcelain or stone-effect tiles are ideal for durability and hygiene. Marlborough offers porcelain tiles that look remarkably like real stone.’ Lauren Sullivan, meanwhile, wrapped her entire space in Waterworks tiles for a functional yet elevated finish. If you’re going for a sink, Anthony from Artichoke has a penchant for those made from a single piece of stone ‘for their solidity, character and longevity’.
These sorts of spaces can work just as well in urban houses, too – albeit with slightly less mud to deal with. In this incredibly chic Notting Hill townhouse designed by Bryan O’Sullivan, a corner of the boot room was given over to a dog washing station. ‘Integrating a shower into the mud room was vital – they walked the dog every morning – but as well as being practical, it also had to be as beautiful as everything else,’ says Bryan. ‘We didn't want it to feel tacked on, which is why we spent a long time thinking about its proportions and finishes, making sure it fitted into the rhythm of the space.’
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If you still need convincing, it’s worth noting that Rebecca Lee’s Incredible Dog Shower has been deemed suitably stylish for display in the Harvey Jones showroom at Heal’s, next to the famous Cecil Brewer spiral staircase. It seems a dog’s life is very much on the up.
