This year, Barkitecture’s astronomical theme has blessed us with ingenious entries like Moon Dog and K-9 Cave, where dogs, design, and imagination coalesce. For Kit Kemp Design Studio, an interior design firm, the event brings an opportunity to make something genuinely rigorous and joyful. The result is the Legend of Diego, Astro Dog, space dog kennel, featuring a 6-foot sculpted wooden structure standing on a plinth that also converts into a dog bed. The structure honors the designer’s late dog named Diego.
It is crafted entirely from British-grown timbers – including walnut from Dorset, Cherry from the Isle of Man, and spalted beech from the Cotswolds – by a master woodworker, Henry Neville Wood from the Isle of Man. This collaboration brought together unparalleled craftsmanship and a love for art under one roof. Henry, with his exceptional skill, makes the piece artistic, functional, and spirited, while Kemp, with her passion for unique design ideas, brings the structure to life.
Defined by material integrity and a deep reverence for the craft, the piece is given a life and a cosmic personality. The kennel is both functional and aesthetic, celebrating British craftsmanship, while telling a legend of Diego the dog.
The designer imagines Diego cruising through the stars, hunting cosmic rodents, finally landing on the distant planet Beef Bourguignon. On this planet, he settles down and builds his home with his hooman and guide. This sculpted human figure echoes the tales of adventures Diego undertakes, carved in intriguing details and meticulous woodwork.
At the heart of it, there’s a Diego’s resting spot where he snuggles each night in his plinth bed under a watchful gaze of his hooman. The cherry on top is the ‘Rock Star’ curtains, made using Chelsea Textiles, making the kennel a comfortable and welcoming space for furry friends. The curtains feature embroidered galaxies, planets, stars, and imaginative planets yet to be explored by beloved canines, bringing the idea to life through colors, texture, and craft.
The design of the Legend of Diego, Astro Dog draws on the Arts and Crafts movement, honoring craftsmanship, organic material, and the genius of the artist. Along with timbers, pear, lime, field maple, and sycamore have also been widely used to bring this piece of art to life.
According to the designer, the composition is a reflection of a solar system, where each element is placed to bring balance. This design will surely uplift the spirits at the 2026 Goodwoof Barkitecture.
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