Editor’s note: Have you seen the new Dogster print magazine in stores? Or in the waiting room of your vet’s office? This article appeared in our April/May issue. Subscribe to Dogster and get the bi-monthly magazine delivered to your home.
In case you were wondering, it is entirely possible to fly your dog-lover freak flag high without hoarding porcelain Poodles or smothering your car bumper with stickers that scream “Dog Is My Copilot.” Today’s dog owner is a master of balancing the quirky with the minimalist, and it helps that there is a smorgasbord to select from these days when it comes to well-crafted accessories for pets and people that satisfy both sensibilities. Here, for your perusal, are some of my current favorites that do exactly that.
1. Animal borders pouch by Jonathan Adler
Jonathan Adler has long been sneaking stylish pets into his home décor by way of minimal-yet-cheeky ceramics designed in New York and made in Peru. He recently lent his eye to a collection of purses, and I was excited to see the Whippet I’d had on my shelf for years featured prominently on this quirky PVC pouch and a matching handbag. It checks two important boxes in my mental checklist: punchy prints and pups present.
$68; jonathanadler.com
2. Geode food mat by Wildebeest
Wildebeest, the San Francisco-based pet lifestyle brand best known for the brilliantly designed “starter kit” for dogs, consistently puts out covetable products. Its new dog food mats, composed of water-resistant cotton canvas, are high on my wish list.
The mats feature raised edges to keep the inevitable spills in place, and their shape makes them a good fit for whatever strangely angled nook you’ve picked for your pup’s chow area.
$39; wildebeest.co
3. Dog tea towels (set of three) by Gingiber, via Etsy
The kitchen is a subtle spot to fly that aforementioned dog-obsessed flag. I like to do that with these screen-printed cotton tea towels from Etsy purveyor Gingiber. The set, which features a Boston Terrier, Poodle, and Dalmatian in illustrator Stacie Bloomfield’s playful style, brings instant cheer to the space.
4. All you need is love and a dog print by Pretty Fluffy
Australia’s top dogs and design blog, Pretty Fluffy, has long offered readers free downloadable computer backgrounds featuring dog-centric sayings and excellent typography. After much clamoring, it has turned these pieces of digital art into pretty prints you can display in your home — or at your desk at work, where I keep my favorite from the set, the one that completes the thought the Beatles started.
$20 AUD; Pretty Fluffy
5. The Greyhound collar by MADZAG
As a sighthound owner, I spend a lot of time hunting for collars my dog will not slip out of on the street. Budapest-based MADZAG has come up with a gorgeous leather version — modeled here by the designer’s Whippet, Habok — that accomplishes that while elegantly appointing those long, lovely hound necks with simple geometry.
42 eu; MADZAG
6. Ceramic dog bowls by Cloud 7
Berlin-based Cloud 7, brainchild of former Tommy Hilfiger and Liz Claiborne designer Petra Jungebluth, has somehow managed to turn dog bowls into an art form. On a trip to Dogster HQ sometime back, Petra gifted me with one of her bowls (each is handmade by a local craftsman), and it was so beautiful I didn’t want to share it with my dog — it sits on my dresser and houses my favorite necklaces.
Starts at 59 euro; Cloud 7
Read about more obsessions:
- Dogster Obsessions: Pops of Color in Pet Gear and Accessories
- Editor’s Picks: Dogs of SkyMall Edition
- Editor’s Picks: Custom Paco Collars and Scarves That Benefit Dog Rescue
About the author: Janine is the digital content operations lead for Lumina Media, Dogster magazine’s parent company. She was formerly editor-in-chief of Dogster’s online magazine program, which she founded in 2011 to bring varied points of view to the pet space. Janine is sighthound obsessive, sporting four tattoos of her Italian Greyhound, Mr. Moxie.
