One-of-a-kind, diva-worthy pet habitats

Scratch away

Finally, here's a piece of furniture for your living room that you'd welcome your cat to claw.

"The Scratch Pad" donation. (Photo: Michael Tedesco Photography)Lots of furniture is not durable for cat-scratching, said Douglas Smith, designer at international design firm SOM, which designed "The Scratch Pad." Made of synthetic microfiber, the material is akin to a bathroom rug, said Smith. It works as a perch for cats, who like a seat up high, and has a top that pops off to reveal storage space inside for cat goodies.




Tsao design

"In the last few years, we've been playing with the platonic form of the cube," said Mary Wang, designer at Tsao Design Group and one of the people responsible for this year's Petchitecture piece at the firm.

Tsao Design Group piece. (Photo: Michael Tedesco Photography)"We were trying to evoke the iconic image of a doghouse," said Wang of the simple cube-shaped cutout design. Nevertheless, it can be a cat habitat, too, she said. And beyond that, she added, it is a stylish end table for the home as well.

It's shelter and sculpture, said Wang.

The plastic-looking piece is actually made of wood that's lacquered with three base coats of primer and five coats of deep, glowing orange-pigmented varnish to a semi-gloss sheen.

The goal was to create something iconic and simple, but timeless, said Wang. We'll see what Spot says.

A moveable feast (for the eyes)

Gensler's Petchitecture design. (Photo: Michael Tedesco Photography)A desk, made of solid reclaimed teak, is the centerpiece of this design by international, San Francisco-based architectural firm Gensler. The commissioned piece features a moveable kennel and a separate, moveable storage bench underneath.

The clients had just moved from San Francisco to a Marin County, Calif., hilltop home that overlooks Stinson Beach and is bordered on three sides by Mount Tamalpais State Park, said Aimee Taylor, a Gensler designer who worked on the piece. One of the clients works from home and this will be his work desk.

The move is a big change for parents and pets alike, said Taylor. The owners wanted a kennel-like setup to put their Habanese and Habanese maltese up while they are out of the house. They also wanted the kennel to be moveable, so it could be set up under the desk while the client works or moved to the many windows around for taking in the great views.

With abundant picture windows offering scenes of deer, bobcats and the Pacific Ocean, the design was about mobility and wildlife, said Taylor, and simplicity.

It comes with a glowing-orange, and very comfortable, Sayl Chair, designed in San Francisco and inspired by the Golden Gate Bridge.