We usually call it “dog basket” even though it is so much more than that, as proved – in a very stylish way –by today’s project. Designer Alessandra Fagnani took kennels to a new level by creating an actual house for dogs, to be put inside our home as a caring but also decorative item. El Me Cagneto is tightly tied to the designer’s background, born in 1976 near Verona: on the one hand the name of this design item (that literally means “My puppy”) recalls the typical dialect of her hometown; on the other, the crochet-like texture pays homage to the local Burano’s tradition.

Tradition is not the only interesting feature of this dog house, as its manufacturing combines past and present together through a unique use of materials, like laser-cut varnished wood panels that recalls both current technology and ancient decorations. Elegant, funny and refined, El Me Cagneto features golden metal legs and a inner velvet cushion to make your pet fell comfy. The designer’s dog, Biba, was one of the sources of inspiration for this project, designed on the occasion of Disclosed, a contest challenging designers to create a design item that could mix introspection and the outside world together. Fagnani chose to merge the elements of the territory she comes from with her private life: since 2014, El Me Cagneto has been displayed at several events and exhibitions such as Milan’s 2015 Fuorisalone and Macao International Design Show. Available in three sizes and strictly produced by Italian firms’ craftsmen, the item is on show at our new TID showroom.

INFO: alessandrafagnani.wix.com

PHOTO COURTESY: Alessandra Fagnani