DesignNJ-OctNov2023_Digital issue

“Laundry is never fun, but it’s
better when you have a pretty
room to work in. Also, my
husband likes taking care of
the dogs, so he’s having a ball
in that room.”
— KRISTINE NOGRALES-HUGO
Portraits of the owners’ four-legged family hang above
the wainscoting. Brass hooks — some topped with
sculpted heads of different dog breeds — hold leads
and toys used on daily walks.
drain hose. “Before, we would have to bathe the dogs outside or take
them to a groomer in cold weather because we didn’t have space indoors,”
Nograles-Hugo says. “Renovating this room made a ton of difference
now that we can do it indoors.”
Harvey notes numerous other improvements, including additional
built-in cabinetry. “Also, custom wainscoting on the opposite wall has
hooks for jackets as well as dog leads and toys,” she says. A plaid-pattern
porcelain backsplash tile brings in pattern (and is Nograles-Hugo’s favorite
part of the space), as does hexagonal wood-look porcelain tile on the floor.
Cubbies with baskets above the dog bath hold towels, dog shampoo
and other bathing supplies. The lower cabinet between the dog bath and
washer and dryer provides storage and a quartz countertop for those allimportant
treats. A Lucite rod beneath an upper cabinet is a good place
for hanging things to dry.
In a touching personal addition, Nograles-Hugo contacted an artist on
the Etsy website and had portraits done of Morgan, a German Shepherd;
Sergio, a miniature Schnauzer; Rebel, an Australian Shepherd; and
another pet who has crossed the storied Rainbow Bridge. The portraits
hang above the wainscoting.
“Laundry is never fun, but it’s better when you have a pretty room to
work in,” Nograles-Hugo says. “Also, my husband likes taking care of the
dogs so he’s having a ball in that room.”
“I connected with Claudia on Instagram, and it’s the best thing ever
to have worked with her and her team,” Nograles-Hugo says. Harvey is
equally pleased: “It was a nice project all around because we all became
good friends.” DNJ
SOURCES interior design, Claudia Harvey of Wydian Kitchens & Design in Branchburg
and Kristine Nograles-Hugo in Somerset County; dog bath, Flying Pig Grooming;
cabinetry, Kountry Kraft, through Wydian Kitchens & Design, painted in “Hale Navy”
by Benjamin Moore & Co.; countertop, Misterio by PentalQuartz ® from Architectural
Surfaces, through Wydian Kitchens & Design; hardware, Top Knobs; backsplash and
oor tile, Virtue Tile Design in Summit; wainscoting, anther ome Improvements
LLC in Bound Brook; dog portraits and Lucite drying rod, Etsy.
For contact information, page 64
62 October/November 2023