“We seek two things from our buildings. We want them to shelter us. And we want them to speak to us – to speak to us of whatever we find important and need to be reminded of.” – Alan De Botton.
Kelly Gale Amen has been an influential and eccentric designer and participant in the Houston arts & design community since 1974. His work has been described as shocking and deliciously enchanting and we can’t think of a better way to describe his downtown urban loft as well.
It’s a home that is filled with the juxtaposition of extremes that just seem to fit perfectly together. Amen’s home is humorous, dark, sentimental, eclectic, and erotic. Contemporary sculptures sit next to tribal artifacts. A child’s portrait of his pet Dalmatian, “Fire Hydrant”, sits next to a renaissance style religious oil painting. The home is filled with the unique furniture he designed and they sit next to a photo of his furniture, on fire. You can see his furniture anywhere from the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences to the Oklahoma State Capital to the Cosmonauts Museum of Moscow.
Kelly also a cancer survivor and the founder of the nonprofit, Cancer Below the Belt, which seeks to spread awareness and screening of the “Dirty Dozen” through humor. You can find information and photos about the CBB in the building lobby and don’t be surprised if you are asked to #GetCaughtWithYourPantsDown!
And you can only see his amazing home on the Weird Homes Tour by buying a ticket.
