cardboard cat playhouse

for those of us who have cats with active imaginations, i proudly present the flat pack, fold together cat playhouses from suck uk…

what they need to do is sell an add-on kit for opposable kitty thumbs, so they can build it themselves. after all, cats need to feel empowered sometimes too.

it’s £15.00, and it’s (almost) available right here.

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lisa wharton mixed media art

do you think it’s fun to start off the week with something exuberant and colorful? i do, so check out this vibrant mixed media work from denver artist lisa wharton. lisa does silkscreen monoprints and open editions of her heavily textured and frequently emotional collection, which features home and nature motifs.

i love her combination of collage work and graphic text.

see what’s available from lisa in her shop, see the full complement of work on her website and don’t forget to say hello to her on her blog.

via feedthedog

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magis dog house by michael young

if you are a pet lover you will appreciate this very cool looking dog house from uk born, hong kong-based designer michael young. this chic and cheerful home (with its frame) is 19″w x 35″l x 29.75″h, and is meant for pets under 40 lbs. the raised style helps to protect your precious pooch from the elements, and the polyethylene material ensures that it is durable and easy to clean.

bonus: a brass plate above the door which states “amicus fidelis protectio fortis” or “faithful friend, strong protector.” find the dog house at generate and see more designs from michael on his website.

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funky house design: quetzalcoatl nest

it’s been a dog’s age since i wrote an architecture post. i actually think the articles i have written have been pretty popular, but lately i’ve been swept away by other interests and you can see how and which way the wind blows if you come here regularly. i’m actually pledging to myself to write on this topic with a bit more frequency, but it would help me to know if you guys like the subject, so please drop me a comment or send me an email and let me know!

anyway, on with the show. look here at this curvy house designed by mexican architect javier senosiain. it was designed in the shape of a serpent to pay tribute to aztec deity quetzalcoatl. the home sits on a 12+ acre site and was particularly challenging to build due to the requirement that no trees were to be removed for construction.

see the rest of this home and many more examples of daring architecture on javier’s website. he’s also written a book about the elements and philosophy of organic design.

via dvice

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amy casey paintings

i get a flippy feeling in my stomach when i look at these paintings from cleveland artist amy casey. they remind me of how i felt riding the tilt-a-whirl as a child with my dad at the local carnival — thrilling, but disorienting at the same time. the narratives in these acrylic works on paper are amy’s inner view of what our world might look like if it were to end, and a representation of the anxiety felt throughout today’s modern societies. there is a certain distorted tension in the lines, with houses huddling together and perspectives not unlike a frenetic amusement park ride. in some pieces life is quite literally hanging in the balance. her earthy color palette serves to cement these themes.

it intrigues me to look this whole collection, especially at the homes balancing so precariously versus the more familiar, linear urban settings in the pieces where the plants and creatures take over. with new perspectives come new ideas and methodologies. is it a new (literal) lookout on life, post-disaster, or is it the artist’s fascination with the resilience of humankind and a glimpse of hope coming through, or neither?

what interesting scenarios to play out in your mind!

amy’s paintings and her show entitled things fall apart is currently at zg gallery now through november 24th.

be sure to check her website to see other impressive works.

via artmoco

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swell designs are for the birds

because our avian acquaintances enjoy well-designed accessories too, please enjoy:

this modern wooden bird feeder by german designers stadtnomaden has a convenient fly-through design. via designspotter

this simultaneously chic and cute stainless steel feeder by susanne augenstein for blomus design, is available at the contemporary home.

these substantial cedar bluebird houses, handcrafted by david and julie boone, meet the national audubon society’s specifications, and are mounted on tall copper poles. available at modern artisans.

i can picture a bunch of these organic ceramic egg houses all over the yard. available in eight luscious colors from j. schatz.

don’t forget the hummingbirds with a colorful blown glass feeder from nova 68.

how about a classic terrazzo bird bath from motif,

or a more sculptural copper one from gi designs?

your fine-feathered friends will thank you.

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