Homes With a-list Pet Spaces and Amenities Earn Market Pedigree
Local homeowners are showing keen animal instincts, outfitting their abodes with a new breed of pet spaces. From bespoke built-ins to elaborate closets for pets that dress, the inference is clear—the cat condo is in the doghouse. It’s all about the kitty catwalk. The swanky pet suite. The step-in wash station. The automated feeder.
“It used to be clients would consider a custom pet bed in a designer fabric an extravagance, but it goes far beyond that now!” shares Los Angeles-based interior designer Kishani Perera, owner of Kishani Perera Inc. Take the in-home pet spa—a feature that cares for pets and caters to owners.
“We’ve literally converted laundry rooms, spending thousands of dollars to create these spaces,” points out Perera, whose pet projects also include creating an entire pet park for a client, transforming an unused side yard into a four-legged oasis (think drainage and sprinkler system, synthetic turf and training obstacle courses).
Raising the game is The Waverly in Santa Monica, offering its own pet spa; The Emerson luxury apartments in DTLA, where a souped-up dog washing station joins a modern dog run; MariSol Malibu, with its modern homes offering an eco-friendly (farm-raised) saltwater aquarium; and pedestrian-friendly Playa Vista, with two off-leash dog parks and two more in the works.
“The number of dog owners interacting with each other at Playa Vista has measurably grown along with the community’s popularity,” says Brookfield Residential Director of Marketing Alison Girard. “Of course, it’s the off-leash parks where the most energetic interaction happens. But dog-walking is a vibrant social activity in every one of our neighborhoods.”
Whether a cozy condo or a sprawling estate, pet pads offer a market edge.
“Almost every client we’ve met have some request, big or small, to include their pets in the design process,” says Perera, “and finding homes that already have such amenities are a big plus for homebuyers!”
The degree to which a posh pet space can inflate a home’s overall value is difficult to quantify, but an innovative pet-friendly upgrade? Certain to fetch interest.
Photos Courtesy of the Emerson; Peter Cooper; and Kishani Perera Inc.