21 Cats Living in the Modern World

These cats are living out their nine lives in comfort and style.
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 Good design is the cat's meow. Enjoy this collection of photos from dwell and our contributing design community featuring a few of our feline friends. Cover photo: courtesy of Sonya Lee Architect llc

The master bedroom; the painting is by Radcliffe Bailey.

The master bedroom; the painting is by Radcliffe Bailey.

Cultivating the land keeps the Moumings in a frequent rotation in and out of the house. A Dutch door lets indoor and outdoor tasks flow together easily as they go about their day (with Yuri the cat standing guard).

Cultivating the land keeps the Moumings in a frequent rotation in and out of the house.

A Dutch door lets indoor and outdoor tasks flow together easily as they go about their day (with Yuri the cat standing guard).

The steel-framed stair with concrete treads and glass guardrail makes a nice perch for the family cat to take in views of the lake and check out what's cooking in the kitchen. Photo by J.C. Schmeil.

The steel-framed stair with concrete treads and glass guardrail makes a nice perch for the family cat to take in views of the lake and check out what's cooking in the kitchen. Photo by J.C. Schmeil.

In the living room, the LivingColors lamp, though obscured from view by a Knoll sofa by Charles Pfister, mimics the bright warm tones of the Max Bill poster. Grawe's cat, Eero, settles in amongst a collection of both vintage and contemporary pillows.

In the living room, the LivingColors lamp, though obscured from view by a Knoll sofa by Charles Pfister, mimics the bright warm tones of the Max Bill poster. Grawe's cat, Eero, settles in amongst a collection of both vintage and contemporary pillows.

Moby the cat sits on the windowsill, which the architect constructed by cutting a geometric pattern into a thick sheet of MDF, a fiberboard product that’s inexpensive, easy to machine, and unrecognizable when coated in white lacquer paint.

Moby the cat sits on the windowsill, which the architect constructed by cutting a geometric pattern into a thick sheet of MDF, a fiberboard product that’s inexpensive, easy to machine, and unrecognizable when coated in white lacquer paint.

This small mousehole is a perfect getaway to a cat only section of the cat cafe

This small mousehole is a perfect getaway to a cat only section of the cat cafe

Upper catwalk allows for a quiet place for the cats to getaway.The bar counters are supported by a cat maze structure

Upper catwalk allows for a quiet place for the cats to getaway.

The bar counters are supported by a cat maze structure

Just below the bench is much needed storage and also functions as a maze for the cats to sneak off for a catnap

Just below the bench is much needed storage and also functions as a maze for the cats to sneak off for a catnap

The Gadanho family apartment in Lisbon (where they lived until the appointment at MoMA) is a renovated flat in a 20th-century building whose typology is a "late example of post-earthquake, 17th-century downtown architecture."

The Gadanho family apartment in Lisbon (where they lived until the appointment at MoMA) is a renovated flat in a 20th-century building whose typology is a "late example of post-earthquake, 17th-century downtown architecture."

Rich, dark concrete panels and colorfully dispersed windows wrap the exterior in varying permutations.

Rich, dark concrete panels and colorfully dispersed windows wrap the exterior in varying permutations.

The restrained 820-square-foot interior is defined by the angular ceiling. Garlick left the prefabricated structural panels unfinished to save on material costs. A True North wood stove from Pacific Energy heats the house. Max, the family’s cat, naps on a vintage rug purchased on eBay.

The restrained 820-square-foot interior is defined by the angular ceiling. Garlick left the prefabricated structural panels unfinished to save on material costs. A True North wood stove from Pacific Energy heats the house. Max, the family’s cat, naps on a vintage rug purchased on eBay.

Jujol Basalto porcelain tiles, sourced from Mettro Source, line the floor just inside the front entry.

Jujol Basalto porcelain tiles, sourced from Mettro Source, line the floor just inside the front entry.

The hallway’s matte-white paint is a crisp backdrop to refurbished details like the balustrade.

The hallway’s matte-white paint is a crisp backdrop to refurbished details like the balustrade.

Windows transcend floor levels to discretely frame views of the surrounding neighborhood, offering slices of the vistas beyond.

Windows transcend floor levels to discretely frame views of the surrounding neighborhood, offering slices of the vistas beyond.

Inspired by a Julius Schulman shot of the Los Angeles Case Study House, the upstairs seeks to embody a sense of expansiveness. Another second-hand piece, a red Gispen chair, is a classic 1930s Dutch piece bought by the homeowners from a flea market in Amsterdam.

Inspired by a Julius Schulman shot of the Los Angeles Case Study House, the upstairs seeks to embody a sense of expansiveness. Another second-hand piece, a red Gispen chair, is a classic 1930s Dutch piece bought by the homeowners from a flea market in Amsterdam.

The office cubby, outfitted with a diminutive window (as per Koshkarian’s request), is furnished with Atlas shelving.

The office cubby, outfitted with a diminutive window (as per Koshkarian’s request), is furnished with Atlas shelving.

Clayden is perfectly happy enjoying the subtropical sun on the balcony, though his much-beloved cat Ginger appears far more enthusiastic about lolling on the patio.

Clayden is perfectly happy enjoying the subtropical sun on the balcony, though his much-beloved cat Ginger appears far more enthusiastic about lolling on the patio.

Exposed structural beams are a historic nod to the loft’s previous life as a 19th-century warehouse and shipping dock. For the Copes, inspiration for creative projects never draws far from home; they named Calico after their cat, Irie.

Exposed structural beams are a historic nod to the loft’s previous life as a 19th-century warehouse and shipping dock. For the Copes, inspiration for creative projects never draws far from home; they named Calico after their cat, Irie.

The pentagonal profile that is a recurring motif in HOK's cat shelter references traditional housing shapes. The idea was to create a design that could be replicated and built with a kit-of-parts-style of assembly.

The pentagonal profile that is a recurring motif in HOK's cat shelter references traditional housing shapes. The idea was to create a design that could be replicated and built with a kit-of-parts-style of assembly.

Douglas Teiger, managing principal at Abramson Teiger Architects of Culver City, designed and built this cat house with his 11-year-old son, Jared, using leftover cedar siding and an old plastic box. The total cost: under $20.

Douglas Teiger, managing principal at Abramson Teiger Architects of Culver City, designed and built this cat house with his 11-year-old son, Jared, using leftover cedar siding and an old plastic box. The total cost: under $20.

The Cat Cube by Standard Architecture | Design of Los Angeles has two openings and is made with reclaimed wood and concrete. The concrete heats up during the day to provide strays with a source of warmth at night.

The Cat Cube by Standard Architecture | Design of Los Angeles has two openings and is made with reclaimed wood and concrete. The concrete heats up during the day to provide strays with a source of warmth at night.

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