April Journal: Round Top
Welcome to our April Journal! This month we’re bringing you along on our recent trip to Round Top, TX. Located about an hour and a half southeast of Austin, Round Top is a humble town with a boisterous antique fair that started in the 1960s. Every spring, fall, and winter, over a hundred thousand shoppers visit to source the best and most unique vintage finds.
Under the Texan Sun
After flying in and spending a day in Austin, we drove out of the city to Round Top and timed our arrival with the opening of a few venues. Most opened between 9am and 11am and we started at The Compound to get a last glimpse of Eneby Home at their final Round Top show. Obsessed is an understatement and we'll be visiting them in Nashville at their permanent showroom in the future. The Compound had several other vendors worth seeing and it was easy to navigate and walk through at a good pace.
Following, we drove into "downtown" Round Top to have lunch at The Garden Co and sat outside on the deck under their large oak tree. Following, we headed to Marburger Farm which housed many more vendors and was not the easiest to navigate, but well worth the visit. We spent several hours here wandering tent after tent, ensuring we didn't miss a corner of the venue. Finally, we ended our day at Excess where vendors had set up in warehouses and had more on display. Our favorite find here was an introduction to Box Road, a vendor out of Albuquerque, NM. They had a few buildings in a row, all packed with the most beautifully curated antique furniture, rugs, artwork, and home wares.
We stayed in Round Top the second and third night at Farmstead, a quaint boutique hotel just off the main road and not far from the venues or downtown. For dinner, we went to Lulu's off the main street and enjoyed pasta and wine on their enchanting patio after a long day of walking around in the Texan sun. The first day was very sunny and windy, so make sure to dress accordingly and bring water.
Before leaving Austin, we’d stopped by Tiny Grocer to grab a few snacks and drinks for the remainder of the weekend. Round Top doesn't have many markets, so stock up on sustenance beforehand or plan to eat out!
On our second and final day at Round Top, our first stop was for coffee and a lite bite at Mill Street Cafe. We then began our sourcing at Market Hill, one of the larger venues. This was very well organized and the two vendors that stood out to us were Architectural Anarchy and Amelia Nourse Tarbet for their incredible collections and unique, yet timeless pieces. We ended the day at Blue Hills, not far up the road from the other venues. All in all, you can drive from each end of town in about 10 minutes, however all but the downtown area we would consider to be unwalkable.
Some common themes we saw across vendors were incredible detail in wood furniture from scalloped edging on chairs to old French farmhouse tables. We drooled over the many luxurious fabrics on display from velvets and mohair to jacquards and leathers. Tapestries were a trending piece, and we adore the rich vibrancy they add to a room. Lastly, we saw a heavy incorporation of metals including iron and brass candlesticks, silver serve ware, and copper lanterns. The styles were timeless and relevant yet beckoning to earlier centuries.
Round Top will certainly be on our future calendar, and we came home with loads of inspiration we hope to implement into our future projects. Until next time!
