Kate Benjamin is a model of the adage, "Do what you love and everything else will follow."
After meeting her cat-loving boyfriend, Benjamin developed a love for felines, and now owns nine of her own. She soon realized that there were a lot of resources for stylish dog owners online, but little (if anything) for cats.
"Cats are stylish animals," she reasoned and sought to fill the void with ModernCat.net, a site featuring product reviews for the style savvy cat owner.
The next logical step for the crafter with experience in marketing and PR; starting her own line of attractive items for cats with a modern aesthetic.
About a year ago, she started an Etsy store with batting and catnip toys in fabrics and shapes "you wouldn't be embarrassed to have strewn about your house."
As her business ramped up, she outgrew her 700 square-foot work space.
In December she made the move to a giant 2,000 square-foot studio within Bragg's Pie Factory. Her space is a part of the original bakery built in 1945.
Read more about Kate Benjamin's studio after the jump.
The new-to-her space has a sitting room, sewing/construction workspace, staging and photo area, a place to package her products and loads of storage.
Eco-consciousness is a big theme in her studio, and many of her products are created from recycled materials, sourced locally where possible. Benjamin then works her magic in the studio.
She's warmed up the industrial building with an eco-friendly philosophy. The space features a cozy sitting area with a giant portrait of a Fancy Feast-esque cat, which she received as a gift from her vet, and she says her sofa and chair came from Goodwill on half-off day.
The resulting look: a work space that is functional and inspiring.
(You'll believe us when you see the slideshow ...)
The public can visit the Modern Cat studio space every First Friday from 6 - 10 p.m. at Bragg's Pie Factory, 1301 W. Grand Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85007.
She sells her products locally at Made, Noble Beast, Blueberry Deluxe, and Central Slope -- and online in an Etsy store, appropriately titled Modern Cat.
