The biggest surprise about IKEA's newest product line is that it has taken this long to debut. This week, the North American arm of the Swedish furniture giant unveiled a new assortment of furniture designed specifically for four-legged customers. Dubbed LURVIG (Swedish for “hairy”), pet owners can now browse IKEA aisles for everything from dog beds to cat scratching posts—many of which have a distinct IKEA twist.
Their pet couch ($49.95), for example, folds out into a bed; another bed is small enough to slide under a human-sized mattress. Their “cat house on legs” ($54.95) looks like a retro TV and allows space for a cat to stalk you from behind a screen.
The retailer solicited advice from veterinarians on product design that would be functional while sitting comfortably within the IKEA aesthetic. “It is quite important for IKEA to have a pet range that fits into our normal furniture range,” Barbara Schäfer, IKEA’s product risk assessment leader, told Curbed. “As a pet owner I can say, so far, the normal pet products are quite ugly.” (Don't hold back, Barbara.)
The LURVIG line is currently being rolled out to IKEA stores, but you’ll have to be willing to be your furry pal’s personal shopper; the company doesn’t allow pets in their stores, save for service animals.