Stuff

Stewey is sweet, very loving, and extremely cheeky. His favorite game is to steal a cushion, run outside with it, and wait to be chased. He is also an enthusiastic participant in family cuddles, jumping on heads, and nibbling on ears. Architect Austin Maynard designed a clever dog-door system so that there was no need to install one in any of the windows (of which there are many). When family members arrive home they can see Stewey waiting with toy in mouth to present to them as a welcome-home fit.

"We started by asking ourselves if it might be possible to design recreational cat furniture to fit well to architectural modernism or art museums," Neko writes on their website. The company is based in Japan and produces a limited run of 22 cat trees a year, fabricated from Japanese hardwood by craftspeople in Hida.

According to Michael Yarinsky, the idea to design a line of attractive cat furniture came about while he and friend Aelfie Oudghiri were "drinking a bit too much" and questioning why mainstream cat accessories were so ugly. Then and there, Yarinsky—an interdisciplinary designer who works in architecture, interiors, and furniture, and runs Brooklyn's Cooler Gallery—and Oudghiri, founder of the Aelfie rug and home goods company, decided to collaborate on their own cat furniture. "The idea with the series was to fall somewhere between cat furniture and sculpture," writes Yarinsky.

A built-in slatted oak panel seals off the kitchen, creating a peaceful and visually enchanting space for those first walking into the home.

Rectangular blue and white tiles are positioned at an angle in the loft's bathroom, and continue onto the floor and into the hallway, adding a vibrant, playful touch.