When people think of a cat, most think of a tabby cat. Indeed, the tabby cat is the best known type of  cat. The reason behind this is that tabby cats are the most common of all domestic cats. Actually, the tabby pattern is believed to be the original pattern of the wild African cats, the domestic cat’s ancestors.

Interestingly, tabby is not a cat breed. And it is not a color either. In fact, the tabby pattern occurs in different cat breeds and it comes in a variety of colors.  Tabby refers to a distinct coat pattern.

Tabby patterns

The tabby pattern may include swirls, stripes, whorls, and spots. There are four tabby patterns:  the mackerel, the ticked, the classic, and the spotted.

Mackerel tabbies are the most common. Many in fact believe that this is the original pattern dating back to the wild African cats. Many cat enthusiasts argue that this pattern is the true classic tabby pattern. The mackerel pattern will display vertical stripes at the sides of the body and rings around the legs and tail.

Ticked tabbies are very interesting. At first glance they don’t seem to be tabby cats at all. These tabbies don’t come with the usual whorls, swirls and stripes. They would appear to be of a solid color. Upon a closer look, however, you will see that the fur of ticked tabbies has stripes and swirls.

Classic (also known as blotched) tabbies are one of the most common. This pattern will display swirls and clearly defined stripes all over the body. Usually, a thick band or stripe will run all the way from the neck to the tail.

The spotted tabby pattern is surrounded with controversy. Many experts believe that it is in fact a different version of the mackerel pattern – not a totally unique pattern. The spotted tabby has stripes that are broken into oval spots aligned in a single file.

Tabbies also come in different color variations: you will find red tabbies, silver tabbies, and brown tabbies – to name a few. The tabby pattern also occurs in different cat breeds, including the Bengal, the Bombay and the Egyptian Mau.



By: Claudia Escobar

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The living room is your common ground in your home, the one spot where everyone can come together to relax and enjoy themselves. This is why it is very important one makes this area comfortable, open, and inviting. Traditional and modern living room designs can be extremely different from one to the next and it is important you pick one which defines your individual nature at the same time making it open and available for the family. Modern living rooms tend to be more unique, artistic and stand out from the rest, while traditional living rooms may be more homy, comfortable and relaxing.

Modern living room furniture can differ wildly from piece to piece. Many modern sofas, sectionals and loveseats may be designed and imported from Spain, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, and other European countries. These modern living room pieces are generally upholstered in a number of different ways, mainly consisting of Italian & top grain leather, vinyl, suede, microfiber and microsuede. Many sofas and sectionals will actually feature built in end tables, storage space, cup holders, adjustable headrests & footrests and even architectural lighting or LED lighting incorporated right into the design. The designs are usually unique and beautiful, this includes many that are unsymmetrical, artsy, curved, boxy or feature straight contemporary lines. Modern living rooms tend to lay there focus around the sofa or sectional and also the entertainment unit. Modern entertainment centers may be wall units, which means they have a section of them that actually mounts on the wall itself instead of sitting on the ground, or just standard tv stands. The modloft irving is a great example of a modern wall unit. Popular finishes for modern living room furniture include high gloss lacquer, wood veneer, solid wood, and natural wood tiling. You can expect to see a lot of intricate glass work built into the coffee tables, cocktail tables and end tables.

Traditional living room furniture offers up a stark difference between its modern counterparts. Traditional furniture has a more “heavy” feel to it, and tends to have its focus around wooden entertainment centers and comfortable seating arrangements. Traditional sofas, couches, loveseats and sectionals will be heavily padded and comfortable. They will be upholstered from leather, vinyl, microsuede or microfiber and feature more subtle colors such as tan, sand, brown, black, cream and sometimes even floral or antiqued patterns. Many traditional pieces will offer intricate wood work and carvings in the details such as the armrests, legs, and other accents. Typically solid wood will be used in the entertainment centers and they will be large and center of attention. You can expect to find many 18th and 19th century as well as antiqued and victorian themes in traditional living rooms. The coffee, cocktail and end tables will be either all wood or wood with glass inserts with claw-legged feet a common accent.



By: Steve Jones

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