Cat fanciers have been known to construct elaborate abodes for their feline friends, from catios (patios made specifically for cats) to special walkways near the ceiling that let pets run from room to room high above their owners’ heads. But not all cats have a place to call home, and to help out some of Los Angeles’s 3 million feral cats and raise money for FixNation, which spays and neuters strays, Architects for Animals held a charity auction with cat houses and shelters designed by local firms.
The architects had a variety of styles when it came to their design. A collaboration between Formation Association, Arktura, and BuroHappold resulted in the Cat-à-Tête. It’s meant to provide both an outdoor hiding space for strays, as well as a seating area for humans. The slats let sunlight in and allow the cats to check out what’s going on outside.
“Through various openings, cats enter to the interior of Cat-à-Tête, protected from would-be predators,” according to the firm. “Inside, a circuit of sculptural spaces shaped in a continuous figure eight offers areas of refuge, rest, play, and observation.”
“Cat in a Fish Bowl” by Abramson Teiger Architects is also multifunctional: It works as a side table.
“I’ve always wanted to create a cathouse that really works,” Douglas Teiger tells Interior Design. “Most are gigantic and impractical. For this project I was inspired by the symbol for yin-yang, which is made up of two fish, and represents the dichotomy between opposite energies and how they are connected and interdependent, just like a cat and a fish.”
The participating firms include Abramson Teiger Architects, CallisonRTKL, DSH Architecture, Formation Association, HOK, KnowHow Shop, Lehrer Architects, Pfeiffer Partners Architects, Perkins+Will, RNL Design, Standard Architecture, and Word.
Outdoor security cameras are not always practical if you live in an apartment or rental. Drilling into an exterior wall may be off-limits, while pointing a regular indoor camera through a window can create another problem once reflections start showing up after dark.
Baseus is trying to solve both issues with the new PrimeSentinel W1, a $69.99 security camera designed specifically to monitor the outdoors through glass. It mounts directly to a window without drilling and uses a 4K Starlight sensor with an F1.0 aperture for full-color monitoring during the day and at night.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
Technology evolves every day, transforming how we live and work. Our devices are becoming more than tools we use. They are increasingly capable companions that help streamline day-to-day routines and spark creative ideas. If you have been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, the Discover Samsung Shopping Event offers an opportunity to explore what connected, AI-powered living can look like.
With AI progressing so fast, it's only a matter of time before we start getting AI companions like the ones we used to see in movies like R2-D2, Wall-E, or Baymax. Now, Singapore-based OKA Technology has unveiled Mori, a cute little AI companion that looks less like a conventional home robot and more like someone turned the Pokémon Foongus into a table lamp.
Mori isn't meant to clean your house or control your smart home, but to serve as what OKA calls a "Nature Companion." It uses subtle movements, warm lighting, nature-inspired sounds, and small reactions to make its presence around the house feel calming rather than distracting. Mori can sit quietly while you read, sway along to music, welcome you when you enter a room, or encourage you to slow down for a moment without requiring a screen or a conversation.