Pet’s Place: She Couldn’t Find a Perfect Cat Bed, so She Made One
A San Francisco mom and cat owner designs pet products that function and look great in the family’s small apartment
Brenna Malmberg
August 14, 2017
Photos by Kristen Cella, except where noted
Pets at a Glance
Pets: Roxie, an orange tabby, and Bollini, a Snowshoe-Siamese mix
Ages: 12 and 16, respectively
Location: San Francisco
Owners: Kristen Cella; her husband, Matt; and their 1-year-old daughter, Eloise
Meet Roxie and Bollini: They’ve lived together for a long time (11 years), but they couldn’t be more different, owner Kristen Cella says. Roxie is more temperamental and always needs her own space. Bollini, on the other hand, sticks his nose into everything and socializes with everyone.
Inspiration to create: About four years ago, Cella started to redecorate the family’s 500-square-foot San Francisco apartment. This space refresh called for new cat beds for Roxie and Bollini, but Cella struggled to find the perfect fit for their home. Eventually, she gave up searching and decided to create the beds herself. She then spent a year learning bed-making techniques and made prototypes.
Pets at a Glance
Pets: Roxie, an orange tabby, and Bollini, a Snowshoe-Siamese mix
Ages: 12 and 16, respectively
Location: San Francisco
Owners: Kristen Cella; her husband, Matt; and their 1-year-old daughter, Eloise
Meet Roxie and Bollini: They’ve lived together for a long time (11 years), but they couldn’t be more different, owner Kristen Cella says. Roxie is more temperamental and always needs her own space. Bollini, on the other hand, sticks his nose into everything and socializes with everyone.
Inspiration to create: About four years ago, Cella started to redecorate the family’s 500-square-foot San Francisco apartment. This space refresh called for new cat beds for Roxie and Bollini, but Cella struggled to find the perfect fit for their home. Eventually, she gave up searching and decided to create the beds herself. She then spent a year learning bed-making techniques and made prototypes.
Bed design: One of the test beds was a coiled rope version, like the ones seen here. “Both myself and the cats instantly fell in love with it,” Cella says. “Ever since then I have been obsessed with creating beautiful things for cats and their people.”
The search for the perfect cat bed morphed into a pet product company called Siamese Social Club. Cella creates everything herself, working from home.
She also has Bollini to thank for the company name. “Since Bollini is part Siamese and so much like a dog, I’ve always joked about starting a social club for cats so he could make some friends,” she says.
The search for the perfect cat bed morphed into a pet product company called Siamese Social Club. Cella creates everything herself, working from home.
She also has Bollini to thank for the company name. “Since Bollini is part Siamese and so much like a dog, I’ve always joked about starting a social club for cats so he could make some friends,” she says.
Design process: Cella’s formal education is in biology; all her pet-company skills are self-taught. She starts by designing each product, including beds, mats and toys, then learns the skills needed to complete the product. So far she’s learned sewing, felting, leatherworking and some woodworking. “I probably could have gone straight to a manufacturer,” Cella says, “but instead I enjoyed the challenge of figuring it out on my own and learning new skills and techniques.”
The beds have a shell made from cotton rope. Inside is a linen-cotton cushion that’s machine-washable.
The beds have a shell made from cotton rope. Inside is a linen-cotton cushion that’s machine-washable.
Photo by Matt Cella
Work-life balance: Cella takes care of daughter Eloise full time and squeezes in work during Eloise’s nap times, at night and on the weekends.
Time commitment: Each bed takes about 2½ hours.
Space commitment: Because Cella works from home and home is only 500 square feet, it’s no surprise that her worktable is part of the living room. She spends a lot of time here sewing, and Bollini is never far away. Where’s Roxie? “Usually hiding somewhere, asleep,” Cella says.
Work-life balance: Cella takes care of daughter Eloise full time and squeezes in work during Eloise’s nap times, at night and on the weekends.
Time commitment: Each bed takes about 2½ hours.
Space commitment: Because Cella works from home and home is only 500 square feet, it’s no surprise that her worktable is part of the living room. She spends a lot of time here sewing, and Bollini is never far away. Where’s Roxie? “Usually hiding somewhere, asleep,” Cella says.
Workday companions: Bollini, seen here, and Roxie also test out ideas and final products. Bollini seems to enjoy these wool and catnip fish made by Cella.
The fish also come attached to a string and stick, turning catnip into a more interactive toy.
The cats are “great when I need someone to test something out or model for a photo shoot but difficult when I’m in the middle of making a bed and a cat comes over and plops down on a freshly sewn cushion,” Cella says. “Even though they each have several of their own, I have to keep all of my finished beds hidden away from them; otherwise they try and sleep on those too.”
The cats are “great when I need someone to test something out or model for a photo shoot but difficult when I’m in the middle of making a bed and a cat comes over and plops down on a freshly sewn cushion,” Cella says. “Even though they each have several of their own, I have to keep all of my finished beds hidden away from them; otherwise they try and sleep on those too.”
Photo by Kayleigh Kosmas
Photo time: Roxie and Bollini model for most of Cella’s product photos on her website and social media, but occasionally other feline friends get in on the act, such as Kayleigh Kosmas’ cat, Bisou. Roxie and Bollini get treats for modeling, which is why Cella thinks they never hesitate to get in front of the camera.
Photo time: Roxie and Bollini model for most of Cella’s product photos on her website and social media, but occasionally other feline friends get in on the act, such as Kayleigh Kosmas’ cat, Bisou. Roxie and Bollini get treats for modeling, which is why Cella thinks they never hesitate to get in front of the camera.
Break time: When Bollini isn’t following Cella from spot to spot, he’s curled up somewhere napping. Here, he’s on one of Cella’s cat mats, which also perfectly matches the fabric of the furniture.
Pro tip: When picking a cat bed, choose a fabric that matches or hides your cat’s hair. “As amazing as a black cat looks in a white bed,” Cella says, “that bed really isn’t going to look that great when there’s no cat in it and all that is left is a gray smudge of cat hair.”
Pro tip: When picking a cat bed, choose a fabric that matches or hides your cat’s hair. “As amazing as a black cat looks in a white bed,” Cella says, “that bed really isn’t going to look that great when there’s no cat in it and all that is left is a gray smudge of cat hair.”
Cleaning advice: Even cats with custom beds like to sleep on chairs and beds meant for humans.
No matter where they sleep, Cella’s trick for cleaning up their hair is rubber gloves, like the kind you might use for washing dishes. “Rub your hands over anything covered in pet hair,” she says. “It pulls the hair off like magic!”
Apartment building adventures: Occasionally, when they aren’t napping, Roxie and Bollini get to explore the hallway beyond their front door. Under supervision, “they can sniff under all my neighbors’ doors, like weirdos,” Cella says.
Photo by Matt Cella
Life and cats: Anytime Cella sits down, the cats appear and hop onto her lap. “The cats are so woven into my job and home,” she says. “I can’t even imagine a life without them.”
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Life and cats: Anytime Cella sits down, the cats appear and hop onto her lap. “The cats are so woven into my job and home,” she says. “I can’t even imagine a life without them.”
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They do tend to get a bit perturbed when I recross my legs after awhile. Such selfish insolence!
@dreamdoctor, you summed up the feline feelings for their human care givers! I actually laughed out loud:)! Kitties are truly creatures of comfort...but all jokes aside a lot can be learned from them. Love the pet features, and personalities that shine through, says so much about the families. Houzz gets to the Heart of homes with these post. Amazing how much people shine when they share about their babies 2 legs or 4!
Mary - I still have some training to go - my spouse says I am their pet-in-training (course that describes her role with me as husband/pet too I suppose) - got woken up last night twice - figured out he wanted to go outside to do his business at 4AM! He dislikes the cat box - as It were I dislike cleaning it out. But when it is this cold I can't leave him out, but luckily since it is so cold he is not out there long. He is a big sweetie - he finally got our new adoptee cat to come down stairs and run around a bit after I asked him to (seriously - they are anything but dumb animals from my experience - they do like to pretend like they don't understand though).
I think that sums it up nicely. When I have client and they treat their pets well I know we will get along just fine.