• What: AT Offline Design Meetup (info and signup here)
• Members: 718
Last Thursday we hosted our 15th meetup and our first one solely on pet design. The crowd and the speakers were intense, and it was clear to us that we'd dropped into an up and coming design niche that is changing before our eyes. The full roster of guests is below the jump and each one is getting a full post this week.
Next month, get ready for our first Color @ Home Meetup...
DESIGN PANEL:
• Dara Foster, founder of PupStyle.com
Will be posted Monday, 9.8.08
2 dogs & 5 chickens
One of the largest blogs devoted entirely to dogs as pets: "Pupstyle.com is a site devoted to dog luxuries, dog fashion and celebri-dog news and gossip." Dara spoke knowledgeably on the rise in demand for quality and design in the pet world.
• Jed Crystal of Hepper Home
Will be posted Tuesday, 9.9.08
3 cats
Just launched a year ago, Hepper Home is a hot new resource and Jed's answer to a pet design market that has zero style and poor quality. Modern and health conscious, Jed designs and sells a full range of chic pet beds inspired by his own life with pets.
• Bill Hilgendorf and Maria Rueda of Uhuru Design
Will be posted on Wednesday, 9.10.08
2 cats
Maria and Bill are part of Uhuru Design, and eco furniture design company based in Brooklyn. The were also stars in our 2006 Pet Design contest, and they followed up with a fabulous tour of their Brooklyn home, featuring their Cat Stairs.
• Julia Szabo, pet columnist and author of five books on pet lifestyle and design.
Will be posted Thursday, 9.11.08
6 cats & 6 dogs
Julia was an outspoken advocate of the need to protect pets from "kill shelters" and raise awareness for the remarkable roll that pets play in our lives. With a tremendous amount of experience in studying how design allows pets and their owners to live together in happier, healthier ways, Julia shared photos of her various books.
• Vanessa von Hessert, furniture designer & artist
Will be posted Friday, 9.12.08
2 cats
Vanessa originally came to us as a house tour, but since then her career has turned to furniture design and, in particular, a remarkably beautiful project that allows cats to get off the floor, climb up and rest or eat on your wall....
SHOUTOUT
• Josh Feinkind stood up and told us all about his company, The TheRefinedFeline.com, which makes and sells pet designs:
"The goal of RefinedKind Pet Products is to make pet products that are functional, aesthetic, and affordable. We do not cater to pampered pets, rather pet owners who love their pets as well as value style in their homes. Our products fill the gap between the cheap and unattractive, and the overpriced luxury."
Copyright © 2008 Apartment Therapy
Will there finally be an AT pets site? I'll bet non-pets people would like to get rid of all us goo-goo, nam-nam pet commenters.
view Pixie's profile
It was a great showing. Happy to have participated. I agree with "Pixie", a pet site only would be great!
I mentioned at the meeting that I am looking for volunteers to test new designs for Cats, Dogs, and Birds. I'll open that up to all the NYC readers. Take a look at our stuff TheRefinedFeline.com and email me at JoshF AT RefinedKind.com if you are interested. Thanks!
view RefinedKind's profile