Let me be perfectly candid: the state of cat furniture on the market when I first went looking was nothing short of appalling. Beige carpet towers. Nylon tents in faux-neon colors. Scratching posts that appeared to have been designed by someone who had never actually seen a cat, let alone understood one. I knew we could do better.
I'm Anastasia Sterling-Crane. I've spent two decades as an interior designer on the Upper East Side, helping clients create homes that are elegant, layered, and deeply personal. When I adopted Bijou — a Persian cat of impeccable lineage and even more impeccable posture — I assumed I would find cat accessories that met my standards. I was wrong.
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A pristine, light-filled Upper East Side living room with soaring floor-to-ceiling windows. A white Persian cat with a luxuriously fluffy coat and a characteristic flattened face lounges regally on a sculptural designer cat tree made of pale birch wood and cream-colored wool felt. The room is impeccably styled: a mid-century teak sideboard, a deep charcoal velvet sofa, fresh white orchids in a hand-thrown ceramic vase, and a single piece of large-scale abstract art on the wall. Golden afternoon light streams through the windows, casting long elegant shadows across wide-plank oak floors. Style: architectural digest editorial, aspirational, immaculate.
What You'll Find Here
Bijou & Beau Monde is a site for those of us who refuse to choose between beautiful design and happy cats. I review designer cat trees that could pass for gallery installations, hand-thrown ceramic feeding bowls from independent potters, and litter box enclosures that look more like mid-century credenzas than pet supplies.
Every product featured here has been evaluated by both Bijou and myself. Bijou assesses comfort, texture, and nap-ability. I assess proportions, materials, craftsmanship, and whether an object can hold its own in a thoughtfully designed room. If something fails either of our tests, you won't read about it here.
A Philosophy of Luxe Living
I should clarify what I mean by "luxe." I don't mean ostentatious. I don't mean expensive for the sake of it. Luxe, to me, is about intentionality. It's about choosing fewer things, but choosing them well. It's about the pleasure of a perfectly weighted ceramic bowl, the quiet satisfaction of a cat tree that doesn't make you wince when guests walk into the room.
Bijou, for her part, defines luxe as: a warm spot in a sunbeam, a bowl of food served at precisely 7:15 AM (not 7:14, not 7:16), and the exclusive right to the center cushion of the sofa. She is a creature of refined tastes and she settles for nothing less. I admire that about her.
Whether you live in a penthouse or a studio apartment, whether your cat is a pedigreed Persian or a beloved shelter tabby, I hope you'll find something here that elevates your shared space. Because our cats deserve beautiful things — and so do we.
— Anastasia