Back in the 1980’s, American trend expert Faith Popcorn observed a shift in human behaviour. Instead of choosing to be prolifically social, people were choosing to stay in. She noted that this was a way of cultivating a sense of peace and avoiding overstimulation. She named this behavioural shift cocooning; an animal-nature term now applied to human-nature. Faith Popcorn proposed that cocooning was also a way we could protect ourselves from the “harsh, unpredictable realities of the outside world.”
Versions of cocooning emerge everywhere. The Danish word hygge is defined as the “quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.” The Swedish version is mysig. Nesting describes “the tendency to arrange one’s immediate surroundings…to create a place where one feels secure, comfortable, or in control.” Author Katherine May uses the term Wintering to describe the “power of rest and retreat” to deal with difficult times.
The concept of creating cosy places and orientating one’s lifestyle around home-life has increasingly spread to the realm of pets – especially over the past decade. Post Covid19, many people have continued to work from home, making it logistically and financially possible to own pets. With money that would normally be allocated to commuting and eating out, people have chosen to spend their time and funds on curating their interiors and their lives – including those areas designated for their beloved pets. In the USA alone, 57% of Millennials own a cat or dog, and 63% agree that pets should be pampered.
The proof of this particular pudding can be found when you pop on to Pinterest and type “pet décor” into the search bar. When you do so, you’ll be rewarded with hundreds of images of beautifully decorated nooks, all dedicated to pets. From bespoke dog and cat beds to custom-made feeding bowls; from elegant kibble storage to cute, pet artwork. All these feature in astonishing and inspiring style.
With this in mind, Chrissi (our co-founder and bed-designer maestro) imagined our gorgeous new Love Nest. Chrissi’s original intention was to design a round bed, encircled by a raised panel. While looking for inspiration online, she stumbled on a quilted, velvet scatter cushion. She fell in love with the detail and effect that the quilting created – it was a subtle design element that created a plush sense of comfort and luxury. Chrissi’s vision was that the new bed should be super-soft and almost envelop the pet – so that they feel ‘hugged’ while lying on it. Using quilted velvet became a key feature of the new Love Nest bed design.
Chrissi worked on refining the prototypes and made samples of various versions, but wasn’t 100% convinced of the outcome. While standing in the office pondering the design, it suddenly clicked; Why not make the bed heart-shape? After all, who doesn’t utterly LOVE their pets? Here’s what Chrissi said about her “heartfelt” moment of inspiration:
“It was such an exciting moment for me! That’s how the Love Nest ‘arrived’. Now it’s probably my favourite bed! When I look at my dogs lying in the middle of ‘my heart’ it fills me with so much joy and love – because that is where they live… in my heart.”
A 2016 article in The New Yorker suggested that “hygge” gained traction because “Our homes have become projects, a counterpoint to the many hours spent working in our home offices and an alternative to the outside world. This has brought structure back into our new everyday lives and given us a sense of control.”
We can all agree that our pets and the (beautiful) places they occupy in our hearts and our homes are the most precious and enriching “projects” that we could ever undertake in our lives.
Dogs and decor: by Design
Back in the 1980’s, American trend expert Faith Popcorn observed a shift in human behaviour. Instead of choosing to be prolifically social, people were choosing to stay in. She noted that this was a way of cultivating a sense of peace and avoiding overstimulation. She named this behavioural shift cocooning; an animal-nature term now applied to human-nature. Faith Popcorn proposed that cocooning was also a way we could protect ourselves from the “harsh, unpredictable realities of the outside world.”
Versions of cocooning emerge everywhere. The Danish word hygge is defined as the “quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.” The Swedish version is mysig. Nesting describes “the tendency to arrange one’s immediate surroundings…to create a place where one feels secure, comfortable, or in control.” Author Katherine May uses the term Wintering to describe the “power of rest and retreat” to deal with difficult times.
The concept of creating cosy places and orientating one’s lifestyle around home-life has increasingly spread to the realm of pets – especially over the past decade. Post Covid19, many people have continued to work from home, making it logistically and financially possible to own pets. With money that would normally be allocated to commuting and eating out, people have chosen to spend their time and funds on curating their interiors and their lives – including those areas designated for their beloved pets. In the USA alone, 57% of Millennials own a cat or dog, and 63% agree that pets should be pampered.
The proof of this particular pudding can be found when you pop on to Pinterest and type “pet décor” into the search bar. When you do so, you’ll be rewarded with hundreds of images of beautifully decorated nooks, all dedicated to pets. From bespoke dog and cat beds to custom-made feeding bowls; from elegant kibble storage to cute, pet artwork. All these feature in astonishing and inspiring style.
With this in mind, Chrissi (our co-founder and bed-designer maestro) imagined our gorgeous new Love Nest. Chrissi’s original intention was to design a round bed, encircled by a raised panel. While looking for inspiration online, she stumbled on a quilted, velvet scatter cushion. She fell in love with the detail and effect that the quilting created – it was a subtle design element that created a plush sense of comfort and luxury. Chrissi’s vision was that the new bed should be super-soft and almost envelop the pet – so that they feel ‘hugged’ while lying on it. Using quilted velvet became a key feature of the new Love Nest bed design.
Chrissi worked on refining the prototypes and made samples of various versions, but wasn’t 100% convinced of the outcome. While standing in the office pondering the design, it suddenly clicked; Why not make the bed heart-shape? After all, who doesn’t utterly LOVE their pets? Here’s what Chrissi said about her “heartfelt” moment of inspiration:
“It was such an exciting moment for me! That’s how the Love Nest ‘arrived’. Now it’s probably my favourite bed! When I look at my dogs lying in the middle of ‘my heart’ it fills me with so much joy and love – because that is where they live… in my heart.”
A 2016 article in The New Yorker suggested that “hygge” gained traction because “Our homes have become projects, a counterpoint to the many hours spent working in our home offices and an alternative to the outside world. This has brought structure back into our new everyday lives and given us a sense of control.”
We can all agree that our pets and the (beautiful) places they occupy in our hearts and our homes are the most precious and enriching “projects” that we could ever undertake in our lives.
Sources:
https://www.imm-cologne.com/magazine/design-and-architecture/cocooning-trend/
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-year-of-hygge-the-danish-obsession-with-getting-cozy
https://faithpopcorn.com/trendbank/cocooning/
https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/hygge
https://www.gfk.com/en-us/insights/marketing-to-millennials-the-new-generation-of-pet-owners