taken from…
A Passion for Pets
“Houston interior designer and furniture artist Kelly Amen loves his Dalmatian, Fire Hydrant III, so much that he designed a lavish dog bed out of leather and silk on a throne like perch for his pooch.
“My relationship with my dog allowed me the privilege to pamper him in every conceivable way,” says Amen. “So not only did I create a dog bed for him, he has one in every room. My parents also have one, my brother has one, and my friends have one just in case he might drop by for a sip of water and his favorite dog biscuit.”
The beds, which start at $2,000, have become such a hit that they are featured at art galleries in Atlanta, Miami, San Francisco, Chicago and Houston, where they are at Gremillion & Co.
Most of the dog beds are square, but Amen will custom-make a round bed “in case they want to go in circles,” he says. He also designed a smaller bed for cats. Prices start at $1,500 each.
“You can’t really look at a pet as just an animal, but as someone who is truly intricate in your space,” Amen says. “If you’re going to say ‘Get in the corner, go on the floor, get out of the way,’ that’s probably how you’re going to also treat human beings.”
Amen, whose answering machine instructs callers to leave a message for him or his dog, says the Dalmatian has made him more flexible and easygoing.
“I used to be so frantic I couldn’t stand a hair on my linen pants,” he says. “Fire has made me realize there isn’t anything so important you can’t take a little time to take care of something that is special to you.”
