Distinctive house highlights Henderson man’s thought process

Each room in Gary Solomon’s home is designed with purpose.

As a psychologist, he has studied how space can affect people and their environment.

“Walking into your house should be a safe space,” Solomon said. “You should be able to shut the door behind you and be in another world.”

Solomon’s house is in a subdivision near Lake Las Vegas. It stands out, with multiple 15- to 20-foot saguaros in the front yard.

But it’s the interior Solomon takes the most pride in.

Inside, tattered doors are used as tabletops, hung as chandeliers and mounted as art on walls. In one room, a table hangs from the ceiling. In another, the skeleton of a cactus is the centerpiece.

The hub of the house is a music room with more than 150 instruments, including pianos, drums, saxophones and guitars.

There are 11 televisions throughout the house, each turned on.

“I think television is art,” he said.

Solomon said people tend to lean heavily on designs provided by furniture companies or home-furnishing businesses.

“They say, ‘I like the way they have that set up, so I’ll just do it that way,’” he said. “In my opinion, people are afraid to be creative sometimes. … Your home should reflect who you are.”

Before Solomon retired as a college professor, he would invite students over for a Christmas party.

Janell Olson, a former student who is friends with Solomon’s family, has returned to the house several times. She has even taken friends and family members over to the house.

“There is so much to see,” she said. “You always find something new each time.”

Solomon said people often knock on his door and ask to peek inside.

It has taken Solomon eight years to design every room of his house. He and his wife frequent yard sales and consignment stores. Some days, they find items and know exactly how to use them.

“It will go from the car right onto its right spot,” he said.

Other days, they find items and don’t use them for months.

But all good things must come to an end. A for-sale stands in front of the Solomons’ house. Maintaining the house is a full-time job that has become difficult as he and his wife get older. Solomon said he also is out of ideas for it.

“I don’t have any imagination left,” he said. “It’s time to move on. As painful as it might be.”