Which Architectural Style is Your Pet?
Pets are part of the family, aren’t they? So they deserve their own inspirational spaces, designed just for them! Here’s a fun little quiz: Which architectural style matches your cat or dog’s personality?
Questions:
- Does your cat like to hide inside boxes or furniture with clean lines?
- Does your dog enjoy camping in simple structures made from natural materials, without complicated features?

Left: Missy Cave by Pup & Kit / Right: Tipi Pup Tent by Camp Cloon
If you answered yes to one or both questions, your pet may be a
Minimalist
Preferring simplicity over bells and whistles, your cat or dog enjoys the pleasures of life without all the trappings of possessions. The Missy Cave by Pup & Kit can house a cat or small dog, and be used as a side table simultaneously. A Tipi Pup Tent by Camp Cloon is the perfect getaway for your minimalist (indoors) pet camping companion, with a comfy wigwam cushion inside simple white fabric, and a pine wood structure that easily packs flat. Minimalism allows freedom, prized by any pet!
Questions:
- Do you frequently find your dog or cat using human furniture, especially those with strong lines and post-WWII materials?
- Does your dog like modern art that doubles as a shelter?

Left: Cloud by Zaha Hadid Architects / Right: Dogchitecture by Kenya Hara
If your answers were yes, your pet is a
Modernist
The 1960s were abuzz with designs even pets can appreciate. Zaha Hadid Architects borrow inspiration from a mod 60s bubble chair for their take on a modern pet bed that’s sure to gain a-paws. Your art-appreciating dog or cat will enjoy this pink recycled plastic house-shaped extrusion that becomes a fun modern structure enclosed from the elements., made with thermal curtains to retain heat in the winter, plus the beds boast UV-resistant surfaces. You might even refer to your beatnik pets as “hep cats” when they use this!
Questions:
- Whatever the weather, does your dog love looking out the window?
- Does a gabled roof with skylight catch your pup’s fancy?
- Are they attracted to a geometric shape with no ornamentation?

Left: MKD9 Haus by RAH:Design / Right: Cubix Large by Best Friends Home
Yes to the questions, then your pet is a
Mid-Century Modernist
Joseph Eichler wasn’t an architect, but he created a design movement when he developed hundreds of homes across Northern and Southern California between 1949 and 1956 with his signature style of gabled roof and a mix of private and public views through high windows and courtyards. Dogs with taste will certainly appreciate the floor-to-ceiling opening and warm teak wood contrasted with powder-coated steel siding of the MKD9 Haus by RAH:Design, clearly influenced by Eichler. Another midcentury modernizing force, the Bauhaus movement captured the idea that form follows function with simple, unadorned geometric designs. Now your dog can live their dream in a Bow-Haus! The Cubix by Best Friends Home comes in 3 sizes to suit any mid-century-modern dog.
Questions:
- Does your dog play with fur toys like coonskin?
- Do they enjoy laying by a warm fire inside a home built from wood?

Left: Acme Rufus log cabin-style dog house / Right: Handmade log cabin pet home, courtesy Pinterest user Elena Swinney
Yes, then your pet appreciates
Cabin Style
Log cabins reached their peak with the Adirondack-style cabins of the mid-19th century. Designed to fit with their rustic surroundings, hewn from the wood of local forests, part of the appeal is that no two log cabins are alike. The modern version of a log cabin is the log home, which is a house built from milled logs, visible on the exterior and sometimes interior of the house. Your dog “wood” love the Acme Rufus log cabin-style doghouse. They might appreciate a handmade log cabin even more!

Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Eric Rorer
If a custom architecturally-styled pet home doesn’t work for your family, why not honor your pets with personal portraits? Let’s design a space that will give your pets pride of place!
Kimball Starr designs homes with pets in mind throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Contact us to create a space dedicated to your furry companions!