01 Mar 2025 Vanity fur
By Donna Benton
Let me tell you about Rory and Bentley’s extraordinary doghouse renovation.
As an interior designer, not unlike the postman, I get the unique opportunity to meet lots of dogs on their own turf. It usually goes something like this: Ding-dong … bark, bark, bark … door cracks open. The owner does a little shuffle with their feet to let me in while also keeping the pup from a break-and-run situation. Then the owner tries a leg sweep to take out the pup while the pup jumps and wags and sticks their nose in all the places. Embarrassed, the owner apologizes while I collapse to the floor for puppy kisses because there is nothing better than front-door puppy love. It’s not the most professional and dignified way to meet a client, but hey, it’s not like I’m running for office.
There is just something heartwarming about Rory and Bentley curled up on their dog beds by the fireplace, feeling loyal and dignified. I could design a whole room around that! Designing for dogs takes special consideration, from accessibility concerns to the shed factor. Pro tip: When choosing a flooring color, my first question is always, “What color is your dog?” (Also notice how Rory matches the new leather sofa!) All the upholstered pieces have dog-friendly performance fabrics so the owners can bring those pups in for worry-free Netflix and napping.
Of course, we did a few updates for the humans, too! In the first order of business, we lightened up the red oak hardwood floor with a bleaching process. A new monochromatic paint highlights the texture of the newly paneled walls and adds focus to the fabulous paintings that the homeowners have collected over the years. I pulled out my favorite tricks to give the two-story great room a proper makeover.
Tall rooms have a tendency to look like a half-full drywall box. Here, we added a paneled wall look that draws the eye all the way to the ceiling, and the same panels extend the fireplace to the ceiling, making the great room look … well … great! And all these trim upgrades were very budget-friendly for the huge impact that they make. While the floor space of the room is not all that big, visually the room appears huge, and standard size furniture is just out of place. We scaled up the furniture with an oversized sofa, an 8-foot-long TV cabinet, a giant coffee table, and of course the biggest TV we could find for Rory.
We refreshed the kitchen with new paint and cabinet hardware and a new countertop. We kept the gorgeous antique dining table and took it up a notch with some painted dining chairs upholstered in a striking floral print. The study got a total overhaul with a new painted bookshelf and wooden desk, and of course, lots of hunting-dog art and statues.
Overall, this was a very budget-friendly renovation: mostly cosmetic with some hardware and lighting updates and just a few big-ticket items like countertops whenever the impact was worth it. That left enough room in the budget for some great lifetime furniture pieces. Bentley has settled right in, and Rory is working on a new pup-sized indentation in the new leather sofa.
The fine folks at 501 LIFE not only allowed me to share my thoughts on the new design, but below, you’ll hear directly from Rory himself. What the pup says is true – I didn’t actually ask the two of them for input on the new design, but they were definitely not overlooked!
Pawstively Perfect
By Rory
It’s a dog’s life over here on the front nine at Centennial Valley Golf Course in Conway. My doghouse backs right up to the fairway on the eighth. In the early days, the perpetual parade of ladies and gents whacking their balls from west to east was a downright exasperation. Being a bird dog by vocation and heredity, all those “un-chasable” flying objects aft of the fence taunted one whose sole purpose is to retrieve. Eventually though, moderated by time and repetition, the flying balls became a novel distraction and today the commotion is barely discernible.
The course squirrels, however, can still raise my ire. Technically, my doghouse belongs to my owners, but dogs have a way of claiming ownership that has nothing to do with the laws of man, and I make myself at home wherever I like. I’m Rory, a full-blooded Irish setter and Upland bird hunter by trade, but also a seasoned couch surfer. I’ve been around the block, or the cul-de-sac, I should say. My dog years are starting to add up and my bird hunting days are slowing down. I have a relatively new understudy, Bentley, a Llewellin setter. I’ve been showing Bentley the ropes in the field and also making sure to instill respect for the art of lounging about — work-life balance and all.
This summer, our Owners decided it was time to renovate our doghouse. I was just getting that perfect pup-shaped indentation in my favorite chair when Bentley had to go and chew up some antiques. Next thing I know, Owners are packing stuff in boxes, rolling up the rugs and they even moved my chair where I can’t see the TV! Then, get this: Some strangers with the conspicuous scent of turpentine and sawdust showed up early one morning and started tearing up my house! “Demo day,” Owners called it, like that was a good thing. Bentley went in to get a better whiff of that sawdust aroma, but I had a bit more defensive response, and we were both banished to the backyard.
Bentley and I weren’t even consulted in the design process, although we did get a talking-to about performance fabrics and upholstery. I guess in the end, the doghouse renovation was a good thing. Owners seem happy, which always leads to more pets and cuddles. We got a way bigger TV out of the deal, which is perfecto! I still can’t find my chair, but I hear that Mr. Owner can’t find his either so at least we are mourning in solidarity. Owners have instructed that I should not take ownership of the new furniture or rugs. Can you imagine? Despite that, I’m making myself at home and every so often I will catch a fleeting whiff of the old place and for a moment I reminisce about the good old days.
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