I’m just back from a fantastic three-week journey overseas (I’ll be posting some dog tales from there as I get settled back in), and despite my frugality, my pocketbook is pretty empty. So when I saw this little before-and-after post on the website Design Sponge, it caught my budget-conscious eyes.

Say you inherit a less than attractive side table like this.

What to do? Some possible scenarios: 1) You and your dog may well need a side table and be willing to forgive it for not being all that stylish. 2) You and your dog may sit there wondering where to find a big tablecloth and some flowers to disguise it utterly. 3) You and your dog look at each other in an “aha!” moment and realize that this could be the swank dog nook of your dreams.

We’ll deal with scenario 3 here. It doesn’t take much to transform Aunt Mabel’s old side table into a fashion-forward, cozy dog nook:

You remove the front door and attached hardware, splash on a few coats of paint (preferably of the safer, non-VOC variety; I think something with a little eggshell or satin sheen looks best), pop in a little dog bed, and voila! You’ve created a way cool dog habitat for the smaller dog in your life for next to nothing. And it’s a green project, to boot. Applause!

You’re not limited to a side table for your dog-furniture needs, of course. Get creative! If anyone can think of something for a 90-pound dog like Jake, let me know. 🙂