It’s nice to walk into a house that is designed for those who live in it, without obvious things like cat furniture. We need to trust that cats, like kids, will find their way.

Bonnie in her place. Picture credit: minim

 

The house I grew up in had a large cupboard that almost reached the ceiling. Each of us sisters had a shelf for our clothes, according to our height and, at the time, age (the shortest and youngest had the lowest shelf). On the top shelf my mother stored biscuits.

 

Robert at the Urbs Indis Library. Picture credit: minim
Robert at the Urbs Indis Library. Picture credit: minim

Come afternoon, the minute she fell asleep, one of us would climb up the shelf, open the stainless steel containers without removing them from the cupboard and climb back down, cookie firmly held between lips. Depending on how close she was to stirring out of slumber, we hid under the bed or ran out to the garden. So we ensured there was always room between the under-bed suitcases to fit our little bodies in.

Sometimes we had to share with the dog who was already there. 

 

 

 

We didn’t need furniture designed for play. As a grown up with too much interior design imagery on Instagram, I asked Robert how his son gets on to his bed. He climbs the bookshelf, he said.

 

A child's room. Picture credit: Tina Nandi A child’s room. Picture credit: Tina Nandi

 

Cat ears for the dog-eared. Picture credit: Robert Stephens
Cat ears for the dog-eared. Picture credit: Robert Stephens

Architect and author Robert Stephens designed a house that we can all learn from (like how to make not-so-obvious cat furniture). And, it has a private-public library too.