French design studio Fabbricabois is the creator of this inventive coffee table that doubles as a pet bed. Comprised of seven pieces of wood, the table is held together via rubber bands, without any glue or fasteners. It ships flat, assembles in minutes and provides a cosy sleeping space for a cat or small dog. What a fun idea! The pet area is lined with the soft washable cushion, and two angled spaces on the side could be used as additional storage.
As I have said before, I love pet-friendly furniture. Incorporating pet lounging areas into human furniture pieces is a great idea, especially in small spaces, where there isn’t enough room to separate the two. The Dog House Sofa by Korean studio min n mun, is another interesting step in that direction. The piece includes a cushioned dog house on one side, providing resting areas for you and your dog(s). The couch is made of ash wood and pet-friendly fabrics. I love how current its design is. And, again, if your dog decides not to adopt the sofa (the phenomenon has yet to be precedented), you can use the pet house as storage.
Pet furniture is luxury in a small space – it takes our valuable real estate while being often underused or even ignored by the intended user(s). That’s why I’m always grateful when I see the effort to incorporate pet lounging areas into the pieces we, human beings, can also use. The Hammock coffee table, created by Japanese designer Koichi Futatsumata for E&Y, is a great example of such synergy. Made out of glass and stainless steel, the piece is elegant and contemporary. And the rattan hammock cat bed feature is unobtrusive and beautiful. If your cat adopts it – wonderful! If not – you can still use the coffee table and simply treat the hammock as additional storage.
(via inthralld)
There are two fundamental problems with pet beds in small spaces – 1) they take up precious floor or counter real estate; 2) pets ignore them, giving preference to your furniture. As the result you end up with a bulky item, completely dissed by your pet and thus turned into clutter, plus you have to give up a piece of your own. Opposite of space-saving, if you ask me. But what if we anticipate our four-legged companions’ behavior and get furniture that accommodates both human storage and pet lounging. This was the idea behind Bloq, a clever pet-friendly unit by Binq Design. Thanks to its minimal cubical shape, the piece can be easily integrated into any interior and used as side, occasional, bedside or even coffee table. The bottom shelf features a pet cushion and is big enough for a cat or a small dog. And with 13 cushion color choices, it is easy to individualize the piece and blend it with the existing decor.
(HT The Designer Pad)
If you are a cat lover you probably know that the only way to preserve the integrity of your furniture is to make some alternative scratching arrangements for your claw-happy kitty. But the choices we often see in pet stores, although offering some fun for our cats, don’t always give us something nice to look at. The Sky Scratcher by Portland based designer Mike Estes combines both – joy for the pet and an an aesthetic pleasure for the owner. Inspired by Chicago skyline, this architectural scratching post will make a design statement rather than an eyesore in your home. It is quite clever too. The item is stackable, which gives you the option to change and renew parts. It uses no adhesive, employs sustainable and recyclable materials and requires zero assembly effort. Check out the Sky Scratcher Kickstarter campaign for more details. And to see the product’s usage (and enjoyage) in action – watch the video below.
Dual function can be a useful thing. It can also be a fun thing. And in some cases it can be utterly adorable. Take this chair from Martín Azúa. Called Inner Life, it is designed to ‘harbor life of both vegetal and animalistic character.’ This project is a continuation of Azúa’s long-term research dedicated to visualizing the natural origin of everything that surrounds us. With the Inner Life chair he claims an integration of natural processes in everyday life, life inside objects…
We love our pets to bits and share everything with them. So why, when it comes to rocking chairs, we should get all the fun? Rocking-2-gether by Paul Kweton fixes the injustice. The piece is a rocking chair and a pet bed combined. Here is how the designer describes it: ‘The “merge” & “morph” manipulation of the old school rocking chair and doghouse generates a hybrid “furniture” that combines the idea of shelter and body relaxation and pushes its functionality to a different, more personal level.’ So there you are – a dual function both you and your pet will love.
This unusual planter from French manufacturer Jardin Chic is generous in size and in function. It doubles as a pet house and, thanks to its sleek modern form, can lend an air of sophistication to the room. Made from durable plastic, the planter can be used both indoors and outdoors. Perfect for cats and small dogs, it can give your pet a cool urban roof deck. Just be realistic in your greenery choice and plant something pet-friendly. This will not be a good place for your orchids…
Scratching furniture for cats is like sport for humans. They pride themselves on it. And when you are trying to renegotiate the immunity of your new couch and offer your cat toys and boards instead, – s/he thinks you are just being silly. This collection from Czech Republic company Catworks can provide a mutually acceptable solution for you and your cat. The alphabet-inspired line of functional pieces will look good around the house and channel feline enthusiasm at the same time. Every piece is equipped with a scratchy board and can be used as a side table, stool, accent object, you name it. With several colors available, you can easily incorporate Catworks into any room.
Source: 2 Modern Blog
No matter what kind of opinions you hold on the subject, your cat will always believe that climbing on top of bookcases is awesome. And majestically eyeing the premises from the top shelf is even awesomer. You can enter a painful (and most likely futile) process of imposing restrictions on the cat, or you can embrase the inevitable and give him/her this brilliant thing. Created by belgian designer Corentin Dombrecht, the Cat Library bookcase is made in a shape of a staircase with a built-in sitting basket at its top. The piece is modular, which allows to fit it in any space. According to Designboom, the shelf is intentionally unpainted and is not oiled, so that the surface is not too slippery for cat paws. So, this may be furniture to you, to your cat it is just another toy. But isn’t this true for everything else in your home?
