The Hot Rod Luxury Dog Bed Project

Hot Rod Dog Bed: Episode 1

Every design project begins with a purpose and inspiration.

The purpose: Build a dog bed.
My inspiration: Barley, my 2 1/2 year old, 45 lb., Wheaten Terrier.

Barley’s a cool dog, meaning he’s handsome, adorable, affectionate and athletic. He always stands out at the dog park and he’s sure to enamor at least one or two visitors each trip. Mostly, he’s calm and collected and can charm his way into, or out of, anything. He’s athletic, even as he prances around the yard, but more evident when he’s chasing a tennis ball, squirrel or flying disc. He’s a bit of a show off, preferring to make every catch dramatic, even the easy ones. He’s polite, even with other bossy dogs. He’ll never take a ball or a toy from another dog, even if it’s his own. And one last thing...he’s very fast, maybe faster than any dog I know. Most problematic, is he’s much faster than me.

So, what type of dog bed is inspired by such a dog as Barley? Considering his speed, his charm and showmanship, only a designer Hot Rod Dog Bed is fitting!

Barley’s character has inspired the concept, a hot rod theme dog bed. At this stage I have a fuzzy concept of the bed. The challenge is to fully conceptualize the bed, taking it from a fuzzy picture in my head to a finished dog bed.

Each design project takes on a life of its own, and this one is leading me into what I call “Improvisational Design.” In this approach, I find an existing item, and use it as the central design element for the bed concept and let the item’s functional and aesthetic characteristics drive the design.

For example, I created the iBed when I disassembled an Apple Computer Monitor, removed the tube and electronics and made a bed inside the shell.

In the Hot Rod Dog Bed project, I decided to find an automobile grill at the auto salvage yard and use it as the driver for my improvisational piece.

There was just one problem. I could not make that trip until I had the right set of tools. Unlike most of my projects, this piece requires a set of auto mechanic tools. Most of my projects involve woodworking tools and materials, upholstery tools and materials or sewing tools and materials. I have all the stuff for those projects.

So guess what? Right. I had to buy more tools. I suppose I could have bought a small set, but I ended up getting the 260-piece set...just in case. (Turns out if they would’ve had a 4-pc set, that would have worked!) But now, if I need to rebuild my engine or something, no problem.

When you watch the video “The Hot Rod Dog Bed: Episode 1” you’ll see that after a quick stop at Sears for a tool set, I made the 10 minute drive to the auto salvage yard. It’s a do-it-yourself salvage yard, where you bring your own tools and remove the parts yourself. Pretty cool!

After rigging my toolbox to a dolly to make it portable, I began my search. Cars are arranged in rows with their headlights facing into the row. All I had to do was walk the yard until something struck me. It was a big yard and it was limestone. That means a lot of walking and a lot of bumping. I’m glad I wasn’t in the tool chest!

After what seemed like miles, I found a nice grill. It was the right size, had a nice design and was in good condition. Within a few minutes, the grill was free and off we went to the pay counter.

The price was right, about $28.82, I believe. That’s cheap! My only regret? I only got a chance to use four of my new tools.

After loading up I headed to the workshop where I cleaned up the grill and set it aside for the next step, the chassis and frame build.

In Episode 2 of the Hot Rod Dog Bed, I’ll begin building the hot rod bed frame and chassis, using the grill’s to guide the basic shape and size of the frame.

Stay tuned for Episode 2!

Hot Rod Dog Bed - Inside the Imagination of the Dog Designer

It's an extraordinary thing to spend $10,000 or $20,000 or more on a luxury dog bed. However, it's not unusual for an art collector to spend much more on a sculpture or painting. I consider the work I do as the Dog Designer® works of art. It's functional art that can be enjoyed by both dogs and people!

So what is it that makes a dog bed a work of art? What's the difference? This blog is meant to illustrate what goes into a Molle Tache creation. I'll present a play-by-play, insiders perspective of how a design project unfolds as I create the Hot Rod Designer Dog Bed.

You'll discover how Molle Tache and the Dog Designer® emerged and what goes into a production. First let me set forth a few background points. Three years ago I started making dog beds for my own dogs, simply because there was nothing interesting or well designed in the marketplace. It was a great creative outlet for me, and it was incredibly satisfying to makes something special for my dogs!

The popularity of my work among my dog friends was overwhelming. So I started making beds for others. Soon making stuff for dogs and their people became an obsession. Even today, three years later, once an idea strikes me, the compulsion is overwhelming. A simple dog bed is no longer enough to satisfy my imagination. Simply taking the idea out of my head and on to paper is no longer enough. Extraordinary, epic productions, of theatrical measure, of ridiculous proportions may be enough to satisfy my obsession.

Some might only describe it as madness, given a look inside of my head, or once one has gazed upon the Stage Coach dog bed or the Queen's Obsession dog bed. On the exterior, I'm a pretty ordinary guy that loves his three dogs, Barley, Posh and Sk8r.

The following posts will reveal the madness, the obsession, the compulsion in grand form. Who knows what may follow. You might witness the project that drives me into bankruptcy, insanity, as my obsession drives the project over the top. You might witness my rise to stardom as The Dog Designer®, host of an wildly popular dog style and fashion TV program. Either is possible, and unless the bank repos my computer, you'll get a front row seat.

Stay tuned for Episode 1: Hot Rod Dog Bed - A Trip to the Junk Yard