We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kelly Gale Amen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kelly Gale thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

Fifty years and counting, that is how long I’ve been doing what I do. I could call it working, but I’ve never worked a day in my life. But work or not, one inevitably evolves during any process, let alone one they enjoy as much as I enjoy mine. The most valuable lesson I’ve learned throughout my life as an interior designer, and the one I hope I will leave behind as my legacy, is that while there is nothing new under the sun, constant change, innovation, and above all disruption, are essential to a successful and happy existence. I want to be remembered as a disruptor.

This being my fiftieth year of activity, I spent quite some time looking back and reorganising my archives – which, by the way, are now available digitally on my website. When I started designing interiors, no one had computers. They were not even used as decor. Phones were still attached to walls or sitting still on tables – and my God you could do wonders with a pink telephone on a coffee table. I developed my approach to design then and there, and it remained unchanged. I first get to know my client, then I get to know their space, and only afterwards do I start redesigning it. It’s a very intimate process, one that I would not change for the world. But that intimacy is probably the only thing that did not change in these fifty years.

I started innovating and re-inventing myself when I designed my first piece of furniture. A dear friend of mine told me that when you’re unhappy with what’s available, you simply must build your own thing. Dissatisfaction is a universal testament to freedom of creation – it’s the universe forcing you to create. So I created. I launched several collections of furniture which, at the time, were outrageous. I put brutalist, cast metal tables in pristine homes and everyone was questioning my sanity – everyone but the clients, who loved it. Once I even designed a window for Tiffany’s, and I filled it with condoms. It got banned, then they got scolded for censorship. And that’s when I learned that if you are brave enough to be authentic, the world will eventually shift in your favour despite any resistance.

Then came my more commercially-viable years, the 90’s, when I started designing patterns and pillows and cushions. I tried to take the client-friendly path and designed pillows that looked good but not too daring. That worked for about a week, after which I designed and launched my vagina pillow that is, until today, a phenomenon in everyone’s home. Years passed and now I have extensive collections of furniture and decor, from pillows to custom made patterns to commemorative benches. None of them conforms to anything. They all have a message, a story, and they all disrupt a tradition.

My work has been recognised internationally for its attention-grabbing activity. Only recently I was titled “Houston Treasure” by the Social Book, and I’ve been collaborating with some incredible up-and-coming artists in 2021 that have the same innovative ambitions as me. So in a way, I’ve already created a legacy of disruption.

However, the most disruptive thing I’ve ever done came in the last years, when I’ve gone digital. Everything happens in the digital world nowadays, and I am never one to miss out on a trend. So while all my work is now in the digital field, I am currently working with my team towards extending in the Metaverse. If you told me years ago that I’d now be working on turning my collections into digital non-fungible tokens, I’d have told you that you’re totally insane – and that I want to get started right away. And that’s what I’m doing right now. If until now I’ve disrupted traditions through my work, I’m currently disrupting my own work through new technologies. And you know what? There’s nothing else I’d rather do.

I am, after all, a disruptor. And this is the legacy I want to leave behind.

Kelly Gale, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Kelly Gale Amen, and I am the owner of KGA Design. I suppose you could call me an interior designer, but I’ve become so much more than that. My creative endeavours are constantly focused on interiors, but I not only re-arrange and re-design spaces – I create them.

Factually, I have been creating spaces, furniture and decor both physically and digitally for fifty years. I started designing stores and family homes in Houston in the 70’s, and over the years had projects all around the world, from India to China and all around the United States.

Early on in my career I was dissatisfied with the pieces available – they did not complete my vision as exhaustively as I wanted. So as early as the 80’s, I started creating cast metal furniture pieces. I then extended onto custom-patterns and bespoke pillows & cushions, and now have an extensive catalogue of hundreds of pieces to fit any room or client need.

Recently, as I’m expanding into new and exciting markets, I started working on turning my collections from physical to digital in the shape of Non Fungible Tokens. These will soon be available, and it is a project for which I am beyond excited.

All my work can be found on my website, www.kga.net, and I invite you to stroll patiently through the pages, as they are all filled with projects and ideas.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice

They are the future of creativity, for sure. The digital space brings a never-seen-before freedom of creation. You can make pieces that float, you are not bound by gravity or space limitations. You can extend and expand as much or as little as you wish. They are without a doubt a treasure.

I am currently working on turning all my physical collections into NFT’s, of course with due digital upgrades. I think it is something every artist should consider – it is a fantastic way to be boundlessly creative while also maintaining excellent business acumen.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Nothing builds reputation as well as quality and dedication. It’s a very simple thing – just be excellent. Make the effort, put in the work, and be dedicated to your work. That is what I did, and my efforts have been rewarded not only by an extensive portfolio of projects and clients, but also by numerous accolades and awards.

I’ve never, in my life, focused on reputation. Never. I’ve never done something for the sake of pleasing people or impressing them. What I always do, however, is give 100% of myself to every project. I create with my entire being, and never skip any details. Meticulousness is key, leaving a fingerprint on every little detail in the creative process. That creates excellence, which in turn creates reputation. Nothing could be easier.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://kga.net/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellygaleamen/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellygaleamen
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellygaleamen/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/kgadesign