Animal Magic: cats and dogs of The Modern House
The cat’s out the bag: we’re big fans of your four-legged friends. Our first love might be beautifully designed homes, but a visit to one is all the more pleasing when we’re greeted with a wagging tail or two. We’ve had the treat of meeting our fair share of fabulous felines and handsome hounds over the years, from well-behaved Bengals to trouble-making pups. And so, as a homage to the pets of The Modern House, we’ve picked a handful of our favourites, so you, reader, can get to know them too. Meow!
Alice Saunders and John Sinclair’s vizsla, Clemmie
Alice Saunders and John Sinclair, a textile and digital designer respectively, were one of many households to adopt a furry friend amid the pandemic – and it was love at first sight when they laid eyes on Clemmie, the honey-hued vizsla. But, as the couple admitted when we popped by to tour their Victorian home in Clapton, east London, they nearly bit off more than they can chew. “Clemmie is always causing havoc,” said Alice. When the couple goes out for dinner, for example, they “have to look for restaurants you can take dogs to, because we can’t leave her alone. We’ll come back and the door will be gnawed off!” All is forgiven, however, when Clemmie comes for cuddles. How could anyone resist?
Clemmie loves: being cosy under the covers and chasing birds
Pet peeves: getting wet and muddy puddles
Alessandra Taccia’s British shorthair, Chi
Alessandra Taccia, a still-life artist specialising in painting everyday objects in muted tones, knows a thing or two about purr-fecting a colour palette – even her puss matches the soft-grey scheme of her home in Cambridge. Although British shorthair Chi can’t quite understand why Alessandra would rather paint pots than her pretty whiskered face, she’s happy to watch her nonetheless. Chi is a happy, sociable and smart cat. She might not be the most talkative of felines, but when she meows, as Alessandra explains, she is very clear about what she wants. She’s rather playful too: this kitty likes hiding in the bathroom behind the towel rack, ready to startle unaware guests.
Chi loves: dozing off in the garden among the lavender, making her smell divine
Pet peeves: getting wet when Alessandria waters said garden
Ronan Mckenzie’s dalmatian cross German shepherd and lurcher, Imani
The large-scale dalmatian painting that hangs in Ronan Mckenzie’s stairwell is a homage to her pooch’s heritage. Imani is a dalmatian cross German shepherd and lurcher – a remarkable mix that has resulted in one bouncy and beautiful pup indeed. So much so, he almost stole the show in our sophomore episode of Seven Wonders. As we discovered when the photographer and gallerist showed us around her Clapton apartment, Imani is a natural in front of the camera. When he’s not busy barking at the skylight – “when he sees his reflection,” Ronan explains, “he thinks he’s got friends in the sky” – the ever-playful Imani likes to sit in the shower in the black-and-white bathroom that matches his monochrome coat.
Imani loves: plantain
Pet peeves: rain
Barny Read and Becky Nolan’s labradoodle, Cooper
“We were in Finsbury Park before, not far from our old shop on Newington Green Road,” says Becky Nolan, who founded Peanut Vendor with her partner, Barny Read. “We lived in a flat in a Victorian building with huge windows, lots of light and spacious rooms. It was great but we needed a garden, mostly for our dog, Cooper.” A few years ago, the couple made the switch from their former period home to a flat with outdoor space in Bow, east London, a short stroll from the green expanses of Victoria Park. The move delighted their labradoodle: although she’s typically a well-behaved canine, one of her most loved pastimes involves picking at other people’s park food – children’s lunch boxes. Ham sandwich, anyone?
Cooper loves: sandy beaches in Cornwall and pizza
Pet peeves: vets and suitcases
Corinna Dean’s mongrel cat, Thibault
When we visited the modernist home of architectural curator and lecturer Corinna Dean, which she shares with her partner, architect Marcus Lee, we fell in love with it for many reasons. The couple had lovingly renovated the 1960s house originally designed by Peter Moiret, opening up the living spaces and lining it with Douglas fir. The cherry on top, however, was meeting her friendly mongrel cat, Thibault, who brings warmth to the space of a different kind to the wood. When the weather cools, Thibault enjoys curling up on the sofa in front of the fire, but in the height of summer, this puss is more of a social beast. Thibault has a friend in the neighbour’s Bengal, Mogali, and the two like nothing more than spending balmier evenings out on the town in Camberwell, south-east London.
Thibault purrs when: with best bud Mogali
Pet peeves: frequent car journeys up to Scotland
Holly Hay’s Scottish fold, Prawn
Named after the shrimpy shape she makes when she curls up to snooze, this Scottish fold is, as owner Holly Hay describes, “timid, sleepy and sweet as hell”. An expert catnapper, Prawn can even slumber sitting upright – as she often likes to do. When she’s not getting her beauty sleep, Prawn takes pleasure in perching on the arm of the sofa, where the light streams in for the best part of the day. All bright-orange-eyed and bushy tailed, Prawn has a love-hate relationship with her over-friendly and heavy-handed flatmate, British shorthair Merlin, who was all too busy out on the prowl when we visited Holly’s Camberwell home.
Prawn loves: eating the long grass on the balcony, chasing flies and drinking cold tea left on the bedside table
Pet peeves: Whiskers cat food and when Mungo, Holly’s three-year-old son, has his friends round
Steven Ackroyd and Laura Goulden’s Jack chi, Ronnie
Now for a pocket-sized pooch with a big personality: Ronnie is the Jack chi (a cross between a Jack Russell and a chihuahua, also known as a jackhuahua) who lives in a converted synagogue in Hackney, east London. His owners, Steven Ackroyd and Laura Goulden, describe him as a “tiny arthritic oddball” and love taking him for walks along the canal and to local parks. In fact, the couple enjoy it more than Ronnie does: like the kooky canine he is, Ronnie dislikes conventional dog stuff – most of all, bumping into other mutts in a muddy field.
Ronnie loves: hot-water bottles and squeaking at stones
Pet peeves: dog treats and head pats
Charlotte Taylor’s short-haired tabby cats, Dante and Wolfgang
They say opposites attract – and that’s certainly the case with Charlotte Taylor‘s short-haired tabby cats. Dante, all soft ginger hair with white patches, is partial to the spotlight; he’ll take any opportunity he can get to make a guest appearance on Zoom, for instance. His smoky-grey best friend, Wolfgang, is more of a wallflower and prizes his alone time. Except, that is, when he likes to sneak around his neighbours’ houses to play. But like all good felines, he always makes it home in time for one of his favourite pastimes: 5am cuddles with his owner.
Dante loves: eating anything and everything and wine corks
Pet peeves: change
Wolfgang loves: climbing doors and claiming new furniture as his own.
Pet peeves: sneezing.
Della Burnside’s dalmatian, Percy, and whippet, Arthur
“I was looking for a home with more light, a modern layout, outdoor spaces – and a house that could accommodate my dogs,” lawyer Della Burnside told us when we visited her David Adjaye-designed home in Clerkenwell. “This house is not necessarily a child-friendly place,” she says, “but my dogs, Percy and Arthur, have great fun racing around the open spaces here.” Arthur, the impish whippet, follows dalmatian Percy wherever he goes. This copycat is particularly keen on clambering on top of his big brother when he’s sleeping to join him for a snooze, double-decker style. Percy doesn’t mind, of course: although he can be high maintenance, he’s also a loving and loyal hound.
Arthur loves: swimming and hurling himself into water
Pet peeves: men in hats
Percy loves: mirrors. He’s proud of his spots and can’t resist his own reflection
Pet peeves: being told what to do – and he’s very vocal about it. Albeit obliging in the end, generally
Jasmine Hemsley and Nick Hopper’s desi dog, Mr Bims
Jasmine Hemsley and Nick Hopper bought their 1970s WSA Williams-designed house in Bromley, on the fringes of south-east London, via The Modern House in 2018. Although they have three resident canines, we were particularly smitten with Mr Bims, who the couple rescued from the streets of Hyderabad in India. Given the climate of his former home, it comes as no surprise to learn that this equally awkward and charming dog digs sunbathing in his lush garden. The surrounding countryside and nearby parks have many perks, but one downside for Mr Bims is the abundance of foxes and squirrels he quarrels with. Woof!
Mr Bims loves: soft furnishings and going through handbags in search of snacks
Pet peeves: baths and skateboards
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