A maximalist interior is not complete without a cabinet of curiosities. Serving to reflect particular hobbies and interests of the curator, these “cabinets” have evolved to include bookcases and floating shelves in modern times. Those looking to populate these spaces with bits and bobs in any and every variety of kitsch, odd, and weird, but find themselves at a loss for where to begin, will be delighted to learn that Houston is home to a perfect place to get started.
In Houston’s East End, those seeking curiosities will find a historically-registered Art Deco building that opened in the 1930s as The Houston Coffin Company — spooky, yet intriguing. Since 2013, the building has been home to Texas Art Asylum, a creative reuse center that still bears the former coffin factory’s golden grieving angel medallion above the doorway. Beyond these doors lies a collection of donated items and trinkets from every era of the last century.
Owner Ramona Brady, a self-proclaimed “hoarder,” started the business when she realized that she couldn’t find the types of items that she required for certain crafts and hobbies, like collage making, and lamented that what she wanted was most likely wasting away in a landfill.
“I was looking for stuff for myself when I opened this, and it seemed like there should be such a place here, and there wasn’t, so I just made one!” says Brady. “I get to help people like myself who want to do good stuff and want to try things and don’t always want to keep doing the same things.”
Brady acknowledges that people oftentimes begin hobbies that aren’t always a good fit. This is why she accepts donations of unfinished projects, like needlepoint work, etc. There are tools and materials for every variety of arts and crafts, especially the non-traditional.
“It’s cyclical,” she says. “Sometimes we will get someone’s whole lifetime of projects.”
While the name may be Texas Art Asylum, the space is more like a Mecca of upcycling. The idea is for items found inside to be used to create something “new,” but that’s not always the case — although this author did leave with a cache of antique glass test tubes of every size to repurpose into a plant propagation station. Many things, like vintage glass medicine bottles, leather suitcases, blueprints, and even matchbooks work well as standalone decor. That’s the beauty of the place.
Need a small amount of interior paint to add some pizazz to bookcase backing? Pick up one of the many opened paint samples. Break a panel in a stained glass window? They’ve got you. Want to retrofit a pendant light with a vintage or antique shade — guess who?! Have a show-stopping hat to display? Try one of the many vintage wooden wig blocks on offer. Going rustic? Reach for the bowl of antlers or acorns, perhaps.
Bowls and jars populate just about every surface and contain just about everything. Think buttons, keys, mixed poker chips, stray playing cards, beads, beans, you name it. Shoppers will also find antique door knobs, decorative letters and numbers, doll and mannequin parts, cigar boxes, even holiday chocolate and treat tins. Vintage frames, glass block, mirror scraps, tile samples, salvaged lamp parts, wheels, castors, and even vintage classroom chalkboards find their way onto the shelves. Fabric fills one room.
“We want the rusty hardware, or the stuff that’s more interesting,” says Brady. “Stuff that has more of a story than a brand name.”
Brady accepts donations by appointment three days a week, 18 appointments per day, and takes in 1.5 tons of items per week. That’s 3,000 pounds of items saved from the landfill every single week — what a notion.
Wishing she could accept more, Brady concedes that they just don’t have the space. That means that larger salvaged items don’t make the cut: “As much as I would love to have like three pink toilets lined up, we have to save room for stuff that people will actually buy and not just what I think is funny.”
Donations of school-appropriate art supplies like markers, crayons, pencils, etc. are shared with The Houston Center for Creative Reuse and help to supply the Teacher’s Warehouse, where educators can find items free of charge. Texas Art Asylum also has a dedicated area in the front of the store with bins of free items for teachers.
The broad selection can overwhelm newcomers, which is fair, considering its ambiguous identity. “I think people don’t really know what to expect, and I think they are amazed at the breadth of what’s available,” says Brady. Luckily, Shuug and Johnny Cash, the two shop cats (because, obviously) are on hand if shoppers need any emotional support.
Brady offers some advice to potential shoppers or collectors who may not know where to begin. “Just focus on the stuff that you are interested in — it’s all here! You don’t have to consume it all the first day. You can kind of get a general idea that you’re not interested in the hardware stuff, or you’re not interested in a bunch of old crayons or whatever. Then there are the parts [of the store] you are interested in, and you just have to take a breath. There are people who are here for hours at a time.”
So, the next time a junk drawer or workbench clutter gets purged, consider making an appointment at Texas Art Asylum to donate one-off earrings, kid’s meal toys, and other random objects instead of condemning them to a landfill. And give our best to Shuug and Johnny Cash.
Photo by Emily Cotton
Texas Art Asylum is housed in a historically-recognized Art Deco building.
