New Dad Transformed Stairwell Nook Into a Private Room For His Dog Because Priorities

When parents talk about nesting, they usually refer to a mom-to-be quickly prepping a nursery room for an eventual baby. For Michael McGowan, it took on a whole different meaning. He and his wife, Emma, found out they were having a baby, and the soon-to-be-dad immediately got to work creating a private room for . . . their dog, a 3-year-old pedigree Westie named Molly.

"Molly found out she was going to be a big sister to a little human, so I decided to build her a room of her own under the stairs, before the baby arrived," Michael told POPSUGAR. "I thought I would try to give her her own little space to make the transition easier."

Nothing existed beneath the walled-in stairwell before, so Michael wasn't even sure his plan was possible. Needless to say, he and Molly were "very happy" with the end result: a quiet space with a luxe dog bed, an appropriately sized couch, a framed photo gallery, a trendy accent wall, and mood lighting.

Although human baby Catelyn is only 4 months old, Molly has proven to be a fantastic sibling: "She is very gentle and doesn't really bother with her, other than the odd sniff," Michael said.

He added that Molly's room has gotten a lot of use. "Her own space definitely helps — she often goes away for some peace and quiet when we have lots of visitors."

Although he admits his pup is "pretty spoiled," he and his wife have joked that Catelyn "will want to get in there and play when she's bigger — we can see her sitting on the sofa with a book." So, will Molly's space ever be converted into a toddler playroom?

"When we have young kids over at the house, they always want to get in and play, which Molly seems to enjoy, so it might be hard to stop her!"

Read on for the impressive before-and-after shots of Molly's room.