SINGAPORE \u2013\u00a0When Ang Beng Hong and his wife began planning the renovation of their new home in February, they did not start with the kitchen or living room.<\/p>\n
Instead, they thought about where the morning sun would fall.<\/p>\n
Their two indoor cats \u2013 a Maine Coon and a domestic shorthair \u2013 love basking in the sunlight, so the couple, who do not have children, made sure there would be window perches for them to lounge on.<\/p>\n
Working with interior design firm Homescape, they incorporated climbing routes into custom carpentry, created dedicated storage for cat supplies and chose porcelain tiles over vinyl flooring to better withstand frequent cleaning.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wanted our new home to naturally accommodate their behaviour, like tracking territory from a height and sunbathing, without making our living room look like a cluttered pet shop,\u201d said Ang, 32.<\/p>\n
His approach reflects a growing shift among pet owners in Singapore. As more households welcome pets and increasingly regard them as members of the family, they are also rethinking how their homes are designed.<\/p>\n
Global market research firm Euromonitor International expects Singapore\u2019s pet care market to grow 3.5 per cent year on year to $235 million in 2026, while the pet population is projected to increase from 889,200 in 2025 to 891,500 in 2027.<\/p>\n
Rather than simply finding space for a dog bed or buying a cat tree after moving in, more home owners are factoring their pets\u2019 daily routines, natural instincts and long-term well-being into renovation plans from the outset.<\/p>\n
Interior designers say requests have evolved beyond pet-friendly finishes to layouts that make homes safer, more functional and more comfortable for both humans and animals.<\/p>\n Climbing routes and resting spaces for cats can be incorporated into custom carpentry.<\/p>\n PHOTO: HOMESCAPE<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Common requests include integrated feeding stations, hidden storage for food and toys, cat-climbing shelves, pet-washing areas and durable materials that can withstand scratches and frequent cleaning.<\/p>\n For Homescape, which was founded in 2022, between 20 per cent and 25 per cent of its residential clients now mention their pets during the initial design brief.<\/p>\n Homescape co-founder Lim Kean Woei said catering to pets\u2019 needs does not significantly increase renovation costs, but it changes where the money goes to. Customised pet features can start from $5,000 on top of the renovation, depending on how extensive the integration is.<\/p>\n But designers say the latest wave of pet-centric renovations is about more than creating attractive spaces. Increasingly, home owners are making requests based on how their pets move through a home, where they prefer to rest and whether the layout supports their natural behaviour.<\/p>\n Lim gave an example of how he incorporated an animal\u2019s movements into a home environment. His clients had given up on the idea of a kitchen island, as they were concerned that their dog\u2019s roaming space would be restricted. Homescape proposed a custom island engineered with a hollow pass-through passage at the base.<\/p>\n \u201cThis preserved the kitchen\u2019s functionality for the owners while keeping the floor plan completely open, giving the dog an unobstructed traffic route to roam freely,\u201d said Lim.<\/p>\n Sometimes, a pet can become an \u201cunofficial client\u201d. Lim recalled a site visit where his client\u2019s cat spent the entire session by a bay window, watching the view outside.<\/p>\n \u201cOur initial plan was to build a floor-to-ceiling storage cabinet across that exact wall. Seeing how critical that sun-trap view was to the cat\u2019s daily routine, the owners immediately chose to alter the layout,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n A bay window with a floating credenza to accommodate a cat’s favourite sunbathing spot.<\/p>\n PHOTO: HOMESCAPE<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n In the end, Homescape pivoted the design to engineer a low-slung, floating credenza that kept the cat\u2019s favourite sunbathing spot while shifting the main storage components elsewhere.<\/p>\n The growing attention to a pet\u2019s needs in home renovations has created a niche for specialist firms.<\/p>\n When Taf Huang, 41, was planning the renovations for her home in 2025, she expected an interior designer to understand the needs of her dog Kumo, a West Highland terrier. Instead, she found herself repeatedly explaining Kumo\u2019s routines and mobility needs.<\/p>\n \u201cMost of the advice was incredibly basic,\u201d she said. \u201cIn the end, we had to design the layout ourselves and micromanage the renovation.\u201d<\/p>\n The experience prompted Huang and her business partner, both pet owners, to launch Kinoko Spaces in 2025, focusing on pet-integrated interior design for both residential and commercial spaces.<\/p>\n \u201cWe realised there was a massive gap in the market,\u201d said Huang. \u201cWith pet ownership shooting up over the last few years, there must be plenty of other pet parents facing the same struggles.\u201d<\/p>\n She admitted that they were not sure if their niche focus would take off, but Huang said 80 per cent of their clients are pet owners.<\/p>\n Instead of beginning with colour palettes and finishes, the firm starts by understanding a pet\u2019s daily routines, movement patterns, hygiene needs, safety considerations and even orthopaedic health before proposing a design.<\/p>\n<\/picture><\/div>
<\/picture><\/div>