Habitat TV

Renovating your kitchen? Take the op-purr-tunity to install an extra drawer in the empty space behind your kickboard where you can conceal your pet’s food and water bowls, keeping them out of the path of traffic – and out of sight – between meal times. Try this same idea in the bottom of an existing drawer by cutting a piece of MDF or ply to fit inside and cut out twin holes sized to fit your pet’s food bowls. Ours is painted Resene Ecru White to match the colour of the kitchen floor and the cabinetry is in Resene Sunbaked – one of Resene’s most paw-pular fashion colours.

Note: For this project to work, your drawers will need at least an 85mm height gap at the bottom, with legs that run across front to back on both sides.

You will need:

• MDF or ply (cut to fit your drawers)
• Food and water dishes (to measure around)
• Screws, drill and jigsaw
• Resene testpots in your choice of colours (we used Resene Ecru White and Resene Sunbaked)
• 2x drawer slides
• Handle for drawer front

Step 1 Measure the length and height of the gap at the bottom of your chest of drawers.

Step 2 Measure the depth of the existing drawers.

Step 3 Cut 18mm MDF a few millimetres smaller in length and height of the gap you’ve measured – this will become the front panel of the new drawers. Paint the same colour as the chest of drawers – ours are in Resene Sunbaked.

Step 4 Cut 18mm MDF to the depth of the existing drawers and slightly smaller than the length of the front panel (taking into account drawer runners, which will be attached on either side). This will become the dog bowl holder.

Step 5 Using your dog bowls as a guide, create two slightly smaller circles on the MDF, enough that the bowls can sit within without falling through.

Step 6 Cut the circles using a jigsaw. Sand and wipe down for a clean surface, to prepare for painting.

Step 7 Cut a small piece of 18mm MDF (around half the length of the dog bowl holder and 10mm height and depth).

Step 8 Screw the small piece underneath the dog bowl holder, along the front edge. 

Step 9 Paint the MDF in two coats of Resene Lustacryl tinted to a colour of your choice. We painted ours in Resene Ecru White.

Step 10 Use the small piece to screw the front panel to the front of the dog bowl holder.

Step 11 Measure and place where the runners will sit. Using the instructions, fix the runners to the inside of the drawer legs and outside of dog bowl holder.

Step 12 Add a handle to the drawer front.

Step 13 Replace and/or reinstall the drawers. 

Floor and pet dish holder in Resene Ecru White, cabinetry in Resene Sunbaked. Tea towel from Kmart.

project and styling Leigh Stockton
images Bryce Carleton, Ben Whorwood?
video Ben Whorwood