Each year in Dallas, there is a fund-raiser called Paws Cause that benefits Texas' Village Fair Clinic which is associated with the Humane Society of the United States, the SPCA. This is the first facility in the state to provide affordable spay/neuter procedures to combat the heartbreaking problem of unwanted litters. Last year, the clinic served 24,000 pets. In 2004, the chairperson for the event was nationally known Dallas decorator Cathy Kincaid who organized a group that included Bunny Williams, John Rosselli, and The Devoted Classicist to create a pet bed to be specially made and donated to be auctioned with the proceeds going to this charity. My design is shown above and all are shown below, with the exception of the one by Ms Williams and Mr Rosselli which was not ready by the photography deadline for the October, 2004, issue of D Home magazine, the source for all these images.
The design was based on a line of occasional furniture that I developed starting in 1987 with the finish being a covering of leather or fabric held by nailhead trim. I had a supply of cherry red split leather that I decided to use when I happened to see plush terry cloth towels on sale that exactly matched the color of the heavy suede. The towels were woven in a fretwork design that were particulary attractive as well as a comfortable and practical removable cover for the loose pad. Titled the "Red Bed", it was suitable for either a small dog or a cat. Fabrication was done by my frequent collaborator Hector Alexander, who donated his labor for the worthy cause.
