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Photography by Read McKendree

A trip to the vet is never fun—just ask any pet parent. From the stressful task of getting your once-sweet feline into that dreaded carrier (scratches expected, of course) to watching your pup turn into a fearful puddle of nerves upon entering the lobby, it’s something that is never easy for animals and their humans alike. But there’s a new trend that has promised to make visits a bit better. Enter Bond Vet, the first-ever vet’s office in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, that is leading the pack toward friendlier design in public health spaces. 

It’s in good company too. Just take Celsious, an eco-friendly laundromat with adjoining coffee shop and cafe and Tooth Shop, a Los Angeles dental office decked out with cheeky sayings. Public spaces, especially in the public health realm, have the ability to elicit the same comforting and stylish appeal as our homes but often end up a designer’s worst nightmare: sterile and dull. Designed by Islyn Studio founder Ashley Wilkins, Bond is a vet’s office that takes its interiors seriously. Ahead, she shares pet-friendly design tips that can work at home too.

Photography by Read McKendree

“People are now considering all the touchpoints of their lives,” Wilkins says. “We should be able to go to the vet or doctor or to the airport and have high-level design and hospitality at the forefront.” From the two-tiered leather seating to the mix-and-match treat wall and the retail amenities, Wilkins took on the challenge of creating Bond’s interiors around how both animals and humans experience a space. 

The designer, who started out working on hospitality projects for the Four Seasons and Walt Disney World, also used those experiences to her advantage. “With Disney, I really got into storytelling and making sure structures were both indestructible and timeless,” she says. Like when designing for children, the pieces for Bond had to be able to endure scratches and spills.

Photography by Read McKendree

Photography by Read McKendree

One of the most important elements was building in an immediate sense of comfort for pets. Through research, she and her team discovered materials, colors, and smells that went into making animals feel more secure. “Pastels are really comforting to animals,” she says. “We also considered that a lot of textures can make pets nervous and went with things that could stand the test of time and wouldn’t easily get scratched or accumulate too much dog hair.”

Upon entering Bond, pets are greeted by the smell of treats. Then they can sit anywhere they please (the circular ottoman is a pet favorite) while their humans relax at the tea station or shop the retail wall. Partnered with the soft angles, faux plants (safe for pets), Noguchi pendant, and accent pillows, cats and pups are sure to feel right at home.

Discover more spaces we’d love to linger in: This Zany Dentist’s Office Will Make You Want a Cavity (Well, Almost) Are Dog Toys the Next Instagram Status Accessory? Plot Twist: A Gyno Office So Beautiful That You’ll Actually Want to Book an Appointment