WE HAVE BIG NEWS!!! The modern cat design world was devastated last year when Ikea announced they were discontinuing the Stolmen system, which had been used for years to create elegant, floating modern cat trees like the Hollywood Franklin Cat Tree from Franklin Cat Furniture. But don’t worry, there’s a solution! Ikea just launched a new tension-pole system, the Elvarli system, and Franklin Cat Furniture created a new line of gorgeous can shelves to be used with it. Announcing the all-new Hollywood Franklin Cat Tree!
A you can see, the Elvarli system works the same way that the Stolmen system did, but the support poles are now rectangular instead of round and the mounting brackets are different. The mounting brackets actually look more substantial, so this seems promising.
One of the issues with the Stolmen system when using it to create a freestanding cat tower was that the two sections of the pole would rotate. You could insert set screws to prevent the rotation, but it was a bit of a pain. With the new rectangular pole this shouldn’t be a problem.
The new Hollywood Franklin Cat Tower system offers shelves in two sizes, a medium platform that functions more as a step and a large platform that can serve as a lounging surface. The medium platform measures 10″ by 14.5″ and the large platform measures a generous 23.25″ by 17″.
When purchasing the new Hollywood Franklin Cat Tower you have lots of options for customizing the platforms to match your decor. The platforms are made from MDF (medium density fiberboard), which can be painted flat black, dark brown, bleached white or stone grey. You can also order the DIY version, which comes with plain MDF so you can paint or stain it yourself.
There are several colors and patterns of FLOR carpet tiles available for the tops of the platforms. FLOR carpet tiles are one of my favorite materials for Catification, since they come in a huge range of gorgeous colors and patterns, they are easy to work with, easy to clean, very durable and they are totally recyclable. If you visit the FLOR website you can see the wide variety of options. For an extra charge, Franklin does offer custom carpets in addition to the standard selections.
The Hollywood Franklin Cat Tower platforms come with all of the hardware you need to attach the platforms to the Elvarli bracket. You need to purchase the brackets and pole separately, either from Franklin Cat Furniture or directly from Ikea.
The platforms are available individually, the medium finished platforms are $45.50 each and the DIY unfinished platforms are $35.50 each. The large platforms are $67.50 for the finished version and $55.50 for the DIY. DIY platforms come with the carpet tiles unattached and you have to glue them in place after you paint the MDF.
You can also purchase the platforms in combo kits. Combo Kit 1 includes 6 medium platforms and 3 large platforms for $429 finished and $341.50 DIY, a 10% discount. Combo Kit 2 includes 5 medium platforms and 2 large platforms for $362 finished and $288.50 DIY.
You can pre-order the new Hollywood Franklin Cat Tower now for shipping next week. Visit FranklinCatFurniture.com for more info.
Catification Paradise! *Go forth and CATIFY!*
Also, if you don’t mind being surprised, Flor has an outlet site where you can pick up random tiles for $1 apiece. I’ve done this a few times and there’s always a variety in the order. It’s a great deal.