Maleaab's Profile

For the little space pictured...a curtain across the front, a few shelves and you've got storage space for the ginormous Costco sized toilet paper packages!

Great! I won't be moving for about 10 months, but it will be a cross-country move from California to NYC with a dog, cat, fish and 11 year old boy. I need all the tips and hints I can get!

Doh! Sorry, it *is* Rob, not Bob...my bad! Found a few sites that said it was designed by Bob, then found the original posting and it is Rob after all!

I agree. More details and pictures of the rest of the space. I'm moving to a studio next summer and am looking for inspiration. This was an exceptionally disappointing story. :(

My sister built a cabinet for her cat's box and put it in the garage. They have a kitty door that leads into the house. The cat has had no problem with it being nearly pitch black inside and my sister just cleans it on a schedule. She did not put in a divider but the box is big enough that the kitty walks across about 12 inches from the entrance to the box in the back and comes out with little to no litter on the paws.

I have been racking my mind for a smaller or nicer looking design as our litter box is - ahem - in the kitchen and it's gross. Unless it's enclosed somehow we can't put it anywhere else or the dogs will get into it (the kitchen is gated so the dogs can't get in...) I was also concerned about a few issues brought up in the comments posted here but I have a few solutions as well...

For ventilation, primarily you just need to clean the box regularly and be vigilant about it. But, if you insist on ventilation, cut grooves in various places, or use a router to cut a groove pattern on the side(s).

For other odor control options, our local pet store suggested we use the carbon papers that are sold for use in lizard and snake cages. It looks like a black sheet of construction paper and just lays on the bottom of the critter's abode. They suggested putting it in the bottom of the litter box but when I did the paper just got soggy and gross and had to be changed too often to be economical. With an enclosed box, you could probably just lay the paper UNDER the litter tray and cut to the floor size.

Other options might be fill an old sock with charcoal briquettes for a cheap odor eliminator. I would be afraid to just put a little bowl of briquettes in there uncovered but I suppose it could work.

Currently I generously sprinkle baking soda in the bottom of our cat's box, a tip from our veterinarian.

If you want something nicer and that can function as more than a covered cat box, consider having a cushion cut to size to fit on top or put some nice woven baskets on top to store other things.

I intend to try my hand at making one of these and would most likely make it to fit under our laundry room sink. However, if I lived in a smaller space and it had to be in a main room, I might try to situation it near the front door and have baskets on top to catch shoes or sandals as we typically take them off once we enter the house.

I saw something quite a long while ago where a family put down extra large cookie baking sheets and on top of those put cookie cooling racks. You put the boots on top of the cooling rack and the much, water, melt, etc drops off into the baking tray underneath. Of course, you have to have a tray with an edge around it...not just flat.

I'm in the process of doing this right now! I just can't decide if I should keep my old sewing machine case and use it for storage or toss it and use something with a better shape...the new sewing machine doesn't fit in the case. :(

Craft stores often have an assortment of baskets in all sizes, shapes and styles. I'm not a huge fan of wicker but picked up a set of wicker baskets at Michael's several years ago. It was $20 for a large basket then two sets of smaller baskets that fit inside the big one and another set of two even smaller ones. They've proven useful for all kinds of things!

You give me hope for having a stylish place of my own is Sacramento!!! I miss all the charm I had when I lived in Portland and your home proves I can find the same here!