Dogs are extraordinary pets which many consider to be part of the family. Their loyalty and excitement are amazing and contagious and they deserve our respect and also their own little house where they can chill and feel safe and comfortable. A DIY dog house can be a fun option if you’re the crafty type but there are also lots of ready-made pet furniture pieces with really cool designs so be sure to consider all the options before making a decision. After all, a good boy deserves only the best.
This stylish-looking dog house, besides looking amazing also has a very special feature: there are microphones inside and a built-in audio system. This is not so that your dog can listen to music but so that they feel safe and comfortable when fireworks are exploding outside. The idea is that the microphones detect the sound of the fireworks and the audio system emits opposing frequencies which reduce the noise. Furthermore, this kennel is built with high-density cork which is great for sound-proofing. Check out fordeurope for more details.
What you see here is a sustainable dog house designed by Studio Schicketanz. It’s built using eco-friendly materials and it has a green roof and a green ramp on one side so your dog can easily climb up and sit on the roof. a built-in motion-activated water faucet and irrigation system keep the grass nice and healthy. This lovely mini cottage even has a solar-powered fan for those hot summer days.
This is The Woof Ranch, a charming dog house designed by studio PDW. It has a cozy-looking wood paneled exterior, a small window and a covered deck with artificial turf on it. There’s even a little planter next to the deck. The low tapered roof is covered in shingles and gives this dog house a very authentic and awesome look.
If you’re living in a minimalist house with a sculptural, contemporary design you can give your dog a stylish little house that features the same characteristics. Studio Bad Marlon has designed a series of modern pet homes specifically with this idea in mind. This is one of the products.
There’s also the option to give your little dog a luxury ceramic Caravan house. It’s cute and it has a simple and modern design and it measures 52 cm in width and 45 cm in height, with a depth of 29 cm. This stylish dog house was designed by Marco Morosini and suits small dogs but can also be a cozy sleeping nook for cats which actually love to hide in such structures.
This is the Puphaus, a miniature version of a modern home for dogs that live in style. It was designed by Pyramd Design Co. and it’s built using materials such as western red cedar wood and cement boards. The combination is meant to make the house look authentic and feel at home in any usual outdoor setting. The flat roof makes a cool design statement and the stainless steel bowls are a practical addition.
Here’s another minimalist dog house, this time designed by studio Lambert&Max. It’s called Matterhorn, named after the Matterhorn mountain in the Swiss Alps and its stylish design is an artistic interpretation of mountains in general. The steep angle gives it a sculptural look.
Design studio Full Loft created a series of modern pet furniture pieces for dogs and cats alike. The focus of the collection is on multifunctionality and as a result, you can think of this as getting a cozy bed for your pet and a side table for yourself. It’s a combo which makes sense and is very useful in a lot of spaces, especially small ones.
Following the outline of a typical, classic-looking house this dog house is made of plywood and has a very cozy-looking fabric-lined interior with a comfy floor pillow, all included. The front is half open and half closed, giving your pet a bit of privacy without boxing them in. Check out etsy for more details.
This cute and simple dog house has a similar design to the previous model we looked at but with a more simplified look. The minimal and sleek look suits it well, offering it more versatility. The materials used are eco-friendly and include wood, black adler and linen. Check out etsy to find out more about this product.
Your pet might also enjoy the Dog tower 9, a rather complex-looking structure with a cozy-looking sleeping nook and a nice open deck raised a few inches off the floor on tiny hairpin legs. What’s nice about this piece is that it doubles as an end table which means you won’t mind if it takes up space in your living room since both you and your dog will find it useful.
This is a dog house designed by Boomer & George and it looks very sturdy and durable, perfect for the backyard or the garden. It has a strong industrial vibe and an overall model appearance and it’s made of fir and corrugated plastic. It’s suitable for dogs up to 100 pounds.
This is a collection of modern dog houses designed by Barkitecture which includes a selection of different colors and patterns so you can choose the one that best suits your pet. They’re all durable, waterproof and lightweight and they also come in several different sizes. You might find it useful to know these dog houses are also portable and easy to transport. they can be packed flat and then easily assembled without needing any tools.
Want to give your dog a concrete house, one that lasts just like a real home? You can get pretty close to fulfilling that desire if you choose to build the structure yourself. It doesn’t have to be very complex. A simple house-shaped concrete frame would be enough. You can add a cute wooden deck and put a comfy bed inside and your dog would love it. You can check out homemade to see how such a project could potentially turn out.
Cleaning Your Garage – A Step-by-Step Plan
(This post was originally published on May 13, 2015 and updated on July 26, 2019).
Did you know that 57% of people with two-car garages don’t have room to park cars inside them — or have room for only one vehicle? I think you know why. Because instead of getting rid of stuff, we throw it out in the garage!
If you’re ready to take on the challenge of cleaning your garage, now’s the time to get to it. With a few simple organization ideas, tidying up your garage and keeping it neat and clean is not only possible, it’s very doable. Here’s the plan…
Declutter first
Depending on the size of your garage and the amount of clutter, choose a full day or a full weekend to dedicate to decluttering and organizing your garage.
Make cleaning your garage a family project. Include family members, relatives or a few close friends. This will help speed up the process.
Go through every single item and sort into four piles – Keep, Donate, Sell, Toss.
A good tip for judging which items to let go of is to ask yourself one and only one question: Have I used this in the past year? If your answer is no, then it’s time to get rid of it.
Do not keep items that you think you may use someday. Wouldn’t you rather have the space those items are taking up…right now?
Having a hard time letting go of things you spent a lot of money on? The money has already been spent, so whether you keep the item (and never use it) or let it go, the money spent on it is not coming back. It’s best to just let go and make better spending decisions in the future.
Trash or recycle items you’ve decided to toss.
Pack up items to be donated in your car and drop them off at the nearest donation center.
Set aside items you plan to sell at an upcoming yard sale, online, or local consignment stores. If you are planning to have a yard sale, schedule it now.
Organize what’s left
Once that’s done and all of the clutter is out, it’s time to start organizing. First, figure out how much space your car(s) will take and then work with what’s left by placing items in spaces based on their types and uses:
Frequently Used: Keep items that you use frequently, such as shopping bags and pet leashes within easy reach – perhaps on hooks by the door.
Items Used Together: Create zones for groups of things such as auto care, gardening, and sports equipment so that like items are stored together.
Bulkier Items: Use the two back corners of the garage to store bulkier items such as a lawn mowers or snowthrower.
Rarely Used: Place rarely used items, such as holiday decorations or snow tires, on higher shelves of sturdy shelving units or consider installing a ceiling storage system. Just make sure your garage door doesn’t interfere with the ceiling storage.
Tools and Bicycles: Tools such as shovels and rakes and bicycles are best stored by hanging on the wall.
Note: If you’re using cardboard boxes as storage containers, you might want to seriously consider investing in some plastic bins that will keep insects and rodents from taking up residence in your house.
Keep it tidy
Once you’re done with all of that, you’ll have a cleaner garage that is organized nicely. The next step is to make efforts year round to keep it that way.
Keep floor space as free as possible.
Spray for pests from time to time to keep insects at bay.
Sweep and hose down the floors regularly to get out dirt.
And the most important step of all: Repeat at least once a year to purge what’s no longer wanted or needed.
This article was submitted by Garaga, Canada’s leading garage door manufacturer.
