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If you love paging through Dwell Magazine or Architectural Digest with a cat on your lap or sitting nearby, then these two books are a must-have for your coffee table. Photographer Paul Barbera started capturing images of the cats living with people he was photographing for a different project, when he realized just how much the cats were adding to the home.
The first book, Where They Purr: Inspirational Interiors and the Cats Who Call Them Home was shot in Australia and features twenty-eight stunning modern interiors paired with the stories of the cats who live in them. In the introduction Paul writes:
“One day, I was shooting Swiss artist Olaf Breuning in the New York City loft where he lived and worked, when I spotted his two regal British shorthairs lounging on a table. The cats instantly made the place feel more intimate, yet they possessed an air of entitlement–inhabiting the space as if they owned it. Within this human realm, the cats seemed like living, breathing deities; earthly yet mystical. I felt compelled to immortalize their elusive energy with my camera before the moment was gone. From that time on, I have continued to explore and document the intriguing and indefinable quality that cats bring to a home.”
The second book, House Cat, continues with the same theme, featuring fifty-seven cats and their homes in the United States. These homes include various styles from modern to traditional, rustic to eclectic. Both books are not about actual Catification, as Jackson Galaxy and I discuss in our two books Catification and Catify to Satisfy. I have to say, I’d like to see some cat scratchers, beds, litter boxes, toys and cat trees in these homes. If designed well, you can certainly provide your cats with enrichment without sacrificing your style, but Paul Barbera’s breathtaking photos do show how cats will certainly make themselves at home in any interior, adding a touch of elegance and style.
Both books were published by Thames & Hudson and are available on Amazon.
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Lovely! But I would also like to see some proof that these cats live in and enjoy their homes — cats are all works of living art, but they are also wonderful living beings!
Opening your emails is always both interesting, and fun! The products you feature are unique, affordable, and must-haves for my cats. Thank you for sharing a high standard of excellence in all that you suggest. We love Hauspanther!
Oh my…😍😻 that barn-like eclectic home? Me and Dr Kitty Leela would be in heaven! 😹
I currently rent an apt in a 180yr old home with 12ft ceilings. My girls said if we can’t find me a place near them this year, they’re going to help me put more “pathways” in..although, to be honest, Dr Leela is perfectly happy with all of her platforms, trees and tables under her MANY windows