Space is already at a premium for humans today, and adding a pet to the mix could complicate matters a bit. In addition to your own stuff, you also have to take into account your pet’s toys and bed, not to mention the things that it might choose to make its bed, with or without your consent. That’s not a reason not to get a furry companion, of course, but it is a reason to think about your furniture choices. Humans today tend to gravitate towards modular or multi-functional pieces of furniture, but there’s little reason both people and animals can’t share the same things. This side table, for example, looks like any ordinary wooden table except for the spherical shape underneath that can become your cat’s favorite sleeping place.
Designer: Joao Teixeira
Cats just love boxes. Or, to be more precise, they love enclosed spaces that give them a sense of security and safety. They are often more interested in packaging rather than the toy that was inside it, and it is commonly known that they’d sit or sleep inside anything they can fit into. So rather than waste time and money on a separate bed they may or may not like, why not make smarter use of space that’s already being occupied anyway.
“Igloo” might be a weird name for a table, but it is a very accurate description of the odd structure beneath the tabletop. Although it looks almost like an odd UFO, the flattened sphere is designed to be a cozy bed for your feline. Rather than a typical box, a round shape was chosen because it conformed better to how cats often curl up when sleeping. The shape is also almost completely closed off save for the oval opening in front, providing the warmth cats crave in boxes.
Of course, Igloo is also a table designed for humans, and it provides both functionality and decor to living spaces shared with animals. It can be placed beside your bed, keeping your companion close to you, or it can be left in the living room or any other room, giving your cat a space to call its own. The wooden legs and tabletop present a material contrast to the cat’s “igloo,” which is made of plastic. The unpainted legs complement the white paint of both the table’s surface and the cat’s comfy home. Although the cat is unlikely to appreciate it, cutouts around the legs on the tabletop give Igloo a visually interesting shape to attract humans’ attention.
While it’s definitely a smart way to combine two functions into one piece of furniture, it leaves at least one question open. The table itself looks stable, but a cat’s coming and going is sure to cause some movement. It might not be a good idea to place certain objects on the table, like fragile decor or even cups filled with drinks. Something with some form of dynamic stabilization could fix that problem, but that would also take away the table’s minimalist charm.
