Racine Kitchen Remodel & Mud Room Addition For Dogs

The homeowners of this (Caledonia) Racine home were looking to update their kitchen and create a very functional, durable, and low maintenance design. With a busy lifestyle and five dogs, these veterinarians needed a better way to manage their space around their family's needs. Starting out with the Kitchen, this is the space where their dogs previously ate twice a day and drank water on a routine basis. As you can imagine, the dogs were taking over their cooking space. The conclusion was to update the kitchen to a traditional design with modern appliances and then build a mud room addition to provide plenty of resources for the dogs.
Linda Axnick and Todd Whitney give treats to their five dogs in their Caledonia home. The couple, who met at veterinary school, remodeled their mudroom to fit the needs of their dogs, adding elevated feeding stations and a dog-washing station.
Tully uses the pullout steps to leave the dog-washing station in the remodeled dog room.
Permanent elevated feeding stations feature faucets to fill the water bowls.
Three of the five dogs patiently wait to be let inside. The home’s remodel included an in-ground heated pool.
The flow and functionality of the kitchen was a big goal of the remodel. Axnick and Whitney replaced the floors with durable wood and added custom floor-to-ceiling white cabinetry. They also moved an island to create a dining area and to improve traffic flow.
Santa Cecelia granite countertops beautifully matched the bright white Plato Prelude kitchen cabinets in this Racine home. A 36" GE Monogram 5 burner gas cooktop provided a large cooking area with proper ventilation from Vent-a-hood. GE Monogram Top Control dishwasher blended in with a stainless steel finish. For the kitchen sink, a ProFlo undermount double bowl stainless steel model was used with a Delta Leland pull-out single lever kitchen faucet in Arctic steel. To compliment, an InSinkErator Pro Compact 3/4 hp model handles the disposal. New Brazilian cherry hardwood flooring adds the proper contrast needed while providing a very clean look.
A view of the dinette from the kitchen. An island provides built-in seating with beautiful chairs at a comfortable height. Santa Cecelia granite matches the kitchen countertops and corner cabinet. Brazilian cherry hardwood lines the floor from the kitchen to the dinette adding a satin like feel to the space. Quality Plato Prelude white cabinets blend continue into the dinette. A pocket door opens into the new mud room, allowing the homeowners 5 dogs to gravitate into their own personalized space. Previous to the remodeling and addition, the 5 dogs ate and drank in the kitchen which became overwhelming.
After the mud room addition, the dogs have their own personal bowls and a customized washing area for when they come in from outside. Plato Prelude cabinets provide plenty of cabinet space for dog food and other items. One golden retriever and four flat coated retrievers = a lot of food storage needs! Porcelain fired earth ceramics 18" field tile was installed for a durable floor. An LG Hi-Macs Volcanics Solid Surface material was used on the counter tops featuring built-in food bowls. Hooks were conveniently added for hanging leashes by the door. As if this was not enough, the dogs can exit the mud room and run into the fenced backyard with their own in-ground pool! The dogs love the new amenities but the homeowners have a spectacular kitchen, improved dining/coffee experience, an efficient flow from the kitchen to the backyard, and functional designs to make their life easier.
After the renovation, the dogs have their own personal bowls and a customized washing area for when they come in from outside. The standing height dog washing station includes a Sterling shower base and Delta wall mount hand shower for easy washing without back pain. Even better, the lower cabinet opens up exposing retractable stairs for the retrievers’ easy access to bathing. An Elkay under mount sink for fresh water and easy draining was complimented by a Kohler Purist Lavatory faucet. These dogs quite possibly are the only ones with their own under mount sink!Plato Prelude cabinets provide plenty of cabinet space for dog food and other items. One golden retriever and four flat coated retrievers = a lot of food storage needs! To the left of the washing station is a food prep area and a medication storage location to keep everything organized. Porcelain fired earth ceramics 18" field tile was installed for a durable floor. An LG Hi-Macs Volcanics Solid Surface material was used on the counter tops featuring built-in food bowls. The dogs love the new amenities but the homeowners have a spectacular kitchen, improved dining/coffee experience, an efficient flow from the kitchen to the backyard, and functional designs to make their life easier.
A view showing the retractable stairs leading up to the washing station. Let the dogs do the leg work and the homeowners can wash the dogs while standing. Both functional and efficient!
Frequently asked questions
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  2 questions
  • Erin Erin on Jan 05, 2016
    How wide was the dog washing station base?
  • Line Line on Mar 20, 2017
    How did you make the steps in the mud room?
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  • Laurie Palmer Laurie Palmer on Jul 14, 2015
    I have 7 dogs and this is the mud room of my dreams. What was the price? Also, I have hardwoods and my dogs scratch them up terribly. What wood did you use for yours?
  • HouseLogic.com HouseLogic.com on Jul 14, 2015
    Many of us at HouseLogic have dogs too. We LOVE these ideas especially the washing station.
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