How Designer Shavonda Gardner and Her Family Cut Their Living Space in Half—With A 120-pound Great Dane

“We made the very not-so-normal decision to get a big dog,” Gardner says with a laugh.

That year, they welcomed a harlequin Great Dane named Callie into their family—and into their much smaller-than-before home.

“We’d been talking about adding a Great Dane to our family for quite some time,” Gardner says. “My wife Naomi has just always really loved the breed, and we liked how lovable they are and how great they are with kids.” At the time, their children were 7 and 12 years old, and so Callie seemed like the logical choice—even if they knew she’d grow up to be, well, huge. (Today, the stately pup weighs in at 120 pounds.)

Then there was Gardner’s secret weapon: As the professional designer behind the popular SG Style blog, she knows how to make a space serve its inhabitants. “The designer in me is always trying to bridge the gap between what's aesthetically beautiful but also really functional,” she says. So she’s filled their home with dog-friendly materials and products that don’t scream “We live with a Harlequin Great Dane.” (More on those below.) Her day job has also inspired Callie’s nickname, “Middle Management,” for the way she’s always inspecting—but never helping with—Gardner’s various DIY projects.

But most of all, Callie has given the family a new member, one with whom they’re constantly cuddling up and celebrating. Even if their home is small-ish, the backyard makes for a great area for some of Callie’s furry friends to gather, which they did for her 7th birthday this year with cake, hats and “Let’s Pawty” balloons.

Research your breed.

Thinking of bringing a big dog into your small house? Make sure you pick a breed who’s likely to thrive there, Gardner advises. “In all the research we've done, we've actually learned that Danes don't require as much space as people think that they do,” Gardner says. “These are dogs that are really great in apartments.” Great Danes are also not a very energetic breed compared to, say, a Jack Russell Terrier, so Callie only needs one big walk a day, and is often found chilling on the sofa with the family. (And when she does need to run laps, she goes outside.)

Customize their chow zone.

To give Callie’s feeding area a built-in feel, Gardner installed a shelf with cutouts to fit her bowls. Callie’s is in the kitchen area, but if you’re extra short on space, Gardener says you can even build one that flips up on the back of a door—that way, it’s concealed when it’s not in use.

If you’re not that handy, she suggests an easier fix: converting a bottom drawer into a feeder for what she calls “sneaky storage.” Just drop a dog bowl into the drawer and pull it out whenever it’s feeding time.