Lila Paws is the brainchild of ex-milliner Anna Iskander and furniture designer Barnaby Reynolds (now Mr and Mrs Iskander-Reynolds).
“Our inspiration was ‘Charlie Brown’ our gorgeous dog who continually made his home on our small sofa leaving no room for us!”
Being more used to designing for clients who could ‘talk’, the pair decided to try to woo ‘Charlie’ from their sofa with a bed of his own. But being a particularly head strong terrier Charlie proved to be a worthy opponent…”I think he gets his sense of style and craftsmanship from me!” laughs Barnaby.
“But finally by raising the bed up on legs we won and reclaimed our sofa!"
Both practical and stylish, the resulting miniature chaise longue was such a success that Charlie soon had to compete with ‘Mischief’ (our cat) who having been lured down from his perch also agreed that it was the perfect place for a snooze! Anna added “We still ‘field test’ all our products in the same way”.
Looking back it was a classic case of ‘small beginnings’; neither imagining what was to follow. But the word was soon out, and as demand increased they were soon employing friends and family around the clock. One year on they now supply their pet furniture and accessories internationally…. all still thoroughly tested by animals!
