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When dinner is over, most of us will give our countertops a good spritz of surface cleaner, load up the dishwasher, and vacuum some of the crumbs that landed underneath the island. But if you’re a pet owner, your cleanup routine probably also consists of a serious Swiffer session. Because if your four-legged friends also dine in the kitchen, there’s a good chance your floors are coated in a slippery layer of slobber and spilled water. And it’s not always their fault: we’ve accidentally kicked over our fair share of bowls just because they were there around on the ground. So, it’s no surprise that we’re big proponents of elevated bowl racks and, even more so, built-in feeding stations that stylishly blend your pet’s dining zone with your own. Here are some of the most clever ideas we’ve seen, plus our favorite ways to shop the look.
Tack It Onto the End of the Island
When human guests pull up a chair to this Laguna Beach kitchen island, designed by Jen Samson, the dogs in the house can gather around, too. The genius thing about this arrangement is the addition of the pot filler, so no one has to oh-so-carefully transport a full water bowl from the sink. Dare we say, it’s way more useful than having one over your cooktop, and the fact that you can get one on Amazon for under $200 is the cherry on top.
Buy the Murphy Bed of Dog Bowls
In case you didn’t know by now, we’re suckers for a room with a Murphy bed. Product design company Fittes applied the same discreet system to a pet food station. You can install it yourself by simply cutting a shallow niche into your drywall, inserting the frame, and then hooking on the bowl platform—the brand touts that it only takes 15 minutes to set up. If you do decide to close up shop after they eat, just remember to have a water bowl somewhere else in your house that’s easily accessible.
Match It to Your Cabinets and Counters
There are almost always leftover materials when a kitchen renovation wraps, and here is one reason you shouldn’t let them go to waste. With a sliver of the same countertop and oak wood millwork used along the perimeter of this Las Vegas kitchen, designer Kelly Stone added a chic platform for food and water bowls.
Experiment with New Materials
Thinking you might want to clad your kitchen counters in terrazzo one day but are still on the fence? Test out bold materials in your pet’s feeding station. This nook designed by EEZ Interiors and Maria Daniela Martinez combines two bold surfaces.
Think of It Like a Piece of Jewelry
Even jewelry designer Sarah Burns’s bichon frise–poodle mix gets to enjoy a bespoke moment at home: His food and water bowls are built into the wall of the apartment with the rims clad in twine and painted wood balls. Not only is the raised set-up better for his digestion, but it’s less of an eyesore for the pet parents, too.
Shop Our Favorite Elevated Pet Bowls
