At home with Sam and Nina

If you live with a cat, you know the struggle: keeping a home that feels beautiful and works for the little creature sprinting across your furniture. For Nina Mastiff and Sam—a ceramicist and illustrator, and a specialty coffee pro—that balance is part of the everyday. These two live in Highland Park with Poopy (their confident, orange cat) and Gubbe (a sweet, sensitive pup who thinks he’s a cat), in a home that’s equal parts cozy, curated, and completely pet-inclusive.

Smalls Creative Director Janis Ahn stopped by to chat about Smallserve and how Poopy has shaped not just their routines, but the way they live and curate their space.

All photos courtesy of Jason Lecras.

Janis: For those who don’t know you, who are Sam and Nina?

Nina: We’re a couple living in Highland Park. Sam’s from LA originally. I grew up in Korea, but my family’s split between Korea, Hawaii, and Sweden. I’m a freelance illustrator and ceramicist, and Sam works in specialty coffee. We actually met through a shared love of coffee about eight years ago, and we’ve been building a life together in Highland Park ever since. We curate our apartment together and he's the kind of person who’s really thoughtful about what he brings into a space. He’ll easily spend hours sourcing vintage furniture on Facebook Marketplace.

Janis: Can you tell me about Poopy? How did she enter your life?

Nina: I was living in Hawaii with my sister and grandma during COVID. My sister fostered cats through the Humane Society, and they reached out asking if she could take in a litter—six cats. One of them was Poopy. She was eight months old and already a mom.

Janis: What was it like living with Sam at first?

Nina: Neither of us grew up with cats. It took some time to learn each other’s habits. But she’s so dog-like—really confident and outgoing. We even took her camping once. So she made things easy.

Janis: And Gubbe?

Nina: He’s the opposite of Poopy. She’s assertive, very alpha, totally in charge. Gubbe’s sensitive, sweet, flinchy. If there’s a loud noise, she runs toward it. He hides. But he looks up to her like an older sister.

Janis: How do your pets shape your home and routines?

Nina: They’re part of everything. Especially our mornings. When I was living with my sister in Hawaii, she had a big orange cat named Eggo. He passed away last year, but during that time, I used to have coffee with him in the morning before work or on my days off. We’d sit together and look out the window. My sister was really protective and never let me open the blinds. She was afraid Eggo might fall out, but if I was with him, I’d sneak them open. It kind of became our little ritual.

When I got Poopy, she slipped into that same rhythm. She expected the blinds to be open just like Eggo did, and that became our quiet morning time together. During COVID, when I was home every day, we really leaned into that ritual. Now in LA, the routine is: Sam takes Gubbe out, I make a coffee, and Poopy and I have that moment again. She loves when Gubbe leaves—it’s like, “Okay, girl time.” As soon as she hears the door lock, she runs out. It’s funny, but really sweet.

Janis: How has living with pets changed your creative practice?

Nina: My creative process is like stress relief or meditation. I usually start with a plan and a strong feeling I want to express. Sometimes I even cry while sculpting because I’m pouring emotion into the piece. But by the time I’m firing or painting at home, Gubbe and Poopy are around being silly, and that totally shifts my perspective. The final piece often ends up very different from what I intended: less serious, more spontaneous, shaped by the energy around me.

Janis: How has your experience with Smallserve been? How do you like it?

Nina: I love how easy it is to pack, and how lightweight it is. We took it on a few camping trips, and the ability to take it apart and reassemble it was so convenient. It’s easy to clean, and it can be used with or without its stand. It’s also so sturdy and never tips over, no matter what environment we set it up in.

Janis: Is there a detail in Smallserve—whether it's the shape, finish, or design—that makes it feel different from other pet bowls you’ve experienced?

Nina: I love that it can be deconstructed! It may not be intentional, but over the past few months, I’ve noticed it helps tremendously with keeping things tidy. Poopy is unique in that she’s an ‘affectionate eater,’ which means she only eats with company. This usually leads to her mealtimes moving to random places around the apartment where Sam and I settle in. The fact that we can reassemble it and set it up on different surfaces is really nice! She’s also a messy eater—she pushes her food, scoops it out, and sometimes even brings items to cover it. The height of the bowl and the sturdy platform have eased a lot of the mess she tends to make!

Janis: I’m so glad Smallserve has been able to make the overall eating experience so much better for all of you.

Janis: Okay, this question’s a little different—but if you could design the perfect piece of pet furniture, what would it be?

Nina: That’s such a fun question—it actually ties into Sam’s interest in design. He does woodworking, so we’ve talked a lot about making functional but beautiful cat furniture. Like a food cabinet that doesn’t look ugly, or custom shelves Poopy can jump on that blend into the space. Most cat furniture looks weird or out of place, so we’ve always wanted to create pieces that serve our cat but still feel intentional and stylish in our home.

Janis: Speaking of ugly—what’s one cat product you think is screaming for a redesign?

Nina: Sam and I have tried so many different cat backpacks, strollers, and carriers for easy transport and safety. Poopy loves to go out on walks, join Sam on his outdoor excursions, and explore when we’re camping. The lack of safe, structured, comfortable, and affordable transport options has always been something we struggle with—especially since Poopy leans toward being a larger and fidgety cat! Most of the products we stick with are designed for dogs, which makes them easy to lug around but not particularly well-suited for a cat’s sensitive body.

Janis: This was so fun. Thank you both for letting me into your home (and your morning routine).