Beautiful dog crate.

I know the term “beautiful dog crate” sounds like an oxymoron, but late last night while obsessively Googling for non-hideous dog beds and houses, I came across the eiCrate from designGO!.

This is the Bertoia chair of dog crates, seriously. Even if I didn’t have a dog, I think I might want this in my house. It’s funny, because when we bought the chairs for our garden, I commented to Evan that they were essentially the same material as a dog crate—but that a dog crate costs $50, not $400. (I realize, of course, that the price is not based on materials alone, and that good design does frequently come with a high price. I accept that.)

Enter the $320 dog crate ($575 if you buy the starter package, which includes a beautiful cover and a shaped bed insert).

I’m pretty sure Bruno needs one, especially since he’ll be getting a little brother in a couple of weeks. (!) He loves his crate (we don’t close the door, he just likes to go inside and be in his little cave when he feels like it), but it’s a real eyesore. I try not to have anything visible in the house that isn’t well-designed, and the shin-killing crate is usually relegated to the basement unless we need it for some reason.

I’ll start rolling spare change now!

22 Comments so far

  1. zee April 3rd, 2008 1:54 pm

    Wow, that crate really is beautiful, although I’m sure if you went for the basic one, you could craft a cover and bed yourself (with beautiful fabrics!). You’re lucky at least that Bruno is a smally and doesn’t need a huuuge ugly crate like bigger dogs.

    And yippppeeeee for getting a new dog!! We were warned when we got Polly that 1 dog = pet, and 2 dogs = hobby, and it’s true, but it’s a rewarding hobby. I can’t wait to see the gazillions of photos you’ll take of him and Bruno when he arrives :-)

  2. DawnMarie April 3rd, 2008 2:07 pm

    Beautiful crates. Congrats on your new addition to the family.

  3. Belinda April 3rd, 2008 2:17 pm

    that crate is so beautiful. alfie has the bog standard run of the mill eyesore crate which he likes to hide in with his talking vampire toy. bless. oh how i want one of these for him!.

    also, so excited for you about the new wee one!.

  4. Adam April 3rd, 2008 3:54 pm

    Wow! I would love one of those for Chloe, but I will need to roll A LOT of pennies! And new addition?? How exciting!!

  5. read me... April 3rd, 2008 4:26 pm

    oh, I love this… would be perfect for my 2 girls!! and that’s cats, not actual girls…

  6. km April 3rd, 2008 4:54 pm

    check out these cool pet beds by jed crystal at hepper:
    http://www.hepperhome.com/index.htm

  7. jennifer in sf April 3rd, 2008 5:35 pm

    I wish well-designed pet stuff wasn’t soooo expensive. We need Ikea to step up their pet offerings.

  8. Ginny April 4th, 2008 12:05 am

    oh! a new dog! what kind is he?

  9. jana April 4th, 2008 4:48 am

    Looking forward to seeing your new dog!
    We discuss that with my husband a lot: we have one dog already, and sometimes we really want a second one. But since our first guy is quite a big one, it´s much more work, place, a lot of food… it would be hard. Two small ones is a different thing! Good luck!

  10. lindsay April 4th, 2008 7:20 am

    very cool, and I love the stuff at hepper!

  11. cecilie April 4th, 2008 7:52 am

    Have you seen this http://www.trixieandpeanut.com/beds/bh1010.html.
    I love it, but I don’t love the price.
    How exciting you’re getting one more puppy. Yay!

  12. nicole April 4th, 2008 7:55 am

    gasp! it’s beautiful. and a dome, which you know would go over quite well in my home.

    so excited that you’re adding to your family and can’t wait to hear more details.

  13. Anna at D16 April 4th, 2008 1:12 pm

    Cecilie, I have seen the Bow Haus (I don’t think it’s still in production, though) and it’s definitely cool, but I don’t like how solid it is. I love the airy look of the eiCrate, and the fact that it is sculpturally beautiful beyond its functional purpose. It looks like a drawing!

  14. Anna (a different one!) April 4th, 2008 1:33 pm

    Man, my puppies - all three of them- would wreck this.

    The best advice I can give out is, just like babies, you spend a TON on your first then realize they’ll just ruin it anyway. Go cheap and sturdy. Pick pieces that will last awhile and can be stashed quick!

  15. Anna at D16 April 4th, 2008 3:03 pm

    Different Anna, I’m lucky in that regard! My dog (who we’ve had for 5 years) is only 10 pounds, and he’s actually not destructive at all. Well, he does like to disembowel his stuffed toys, but that’s allowed. :) The new puppy will only be about 5 pounds fully grown, so I’m not too worried about him being able to destroy a steel crate. :)

  16. Jennfier April 4th, 2008 7:01 pm

    Love it! Mine would lvoe it, too… they wouldn’t destroy it at 50 lbs and 30 lbs, either… they might chew up the bedding, but that is easily removed. Retriever mixes and their mouthiness!

  17. David May 28th, 2008 12:32 pm

    I tried to enjoy your site but that yellow text is painful to the eyes. I would think most people would prefer a darker font color..perhaps a little larger font too.The dog crates were cool but I wasn’t going to strain my eyes to read anything in yellow.I’m trying to be constructive here..and not insulting.

  18. Anna at D16 May 28th, 2008 12:45 pm

    Yellow? Hmmm. Weird!

    The primary text should appear on your browser as black, with the links in a mustard color. As far as I know, this site renders properly cross-platform. Try refreshing your browser — perhaps the style sheet is not loading properly for you.

  19. Rodent Of Unusual Size June 4th, 2008 9:21 am

    It looks kind of like a geodesic dome, but it’s not. Definitely a snazzy design!

  20. Quan June 5th, 2008 4:00 pm

    Interesting look create, I hope it’s sturdy.

    Maybe they should make a foldable crate?

    Quan

  21. houstondog November 29th, 2008 4:56 pm

    Great idea for the Holidays!

  22. Rachel December 30th, 2008 9:16 pm

    Hiya I am Wanting to buy a first time lurchur cage lyk them could you please reply bk the price x Rachel

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