Your guide to Round Top
Antiques fair is a home-goods dream spot
Each fall and spring, as she readies for antiques shopping in Round Top, Jana Erwin forms a list in her head: Blue Hills is her first stop because she can get in and out quickly; then she hits the Excess Fields for bargains. From there, she stops at Bader Ranch, Courtney Barton’s year-round shop, then Market Hill and the Arbors. The bigger venues, the Original Round Top Antiques Fair and Marburger Farm Antique Show, get several hours each, with Tuesday of Texas Antiques Week reserved for the big opening at Marburger — a day filled with shopping and socializing. While smaller venues have been open for a week or more, this is the big week for antiques shopping in Round Top, with shows shutting down on Oct.29.
Erwin, who owns Nest Design Group, loves Round Top shopping so much she bought a farmhouse and guest house, fixed them up and now uses the property for her own family’s vacations and shortterm rentals on Airbnb.
She’s one of thousands of interior designers and avid shoppers who converge on the antiques venues that set up along Texas 237 between Carmine and LaGrange. The first show launched more than 50 years ago and became the Original Round Top Antiques Fair, a venue purchased last summer by Paul Layne, founder of Houston-based Layne Property Partners. In 2021, Marburger Farm was bought by a group led by Dallas-based Brook Partners.
If you’re new to Round Top antiques shopping, here’s some advice from Erwin and other Houston interior designers, who visit twice a year to shop their favorite vendors. First tip: Don’t overlook the smaller venues, they’re packed with interesting things, too.
The big dogs
The Original Round Top Antiques Fair, also known as the Big Red Barn, the Continental Tent and the Annex, is known for high-end antiques and is open Monday through Saturday. The Big Red Barn has primarily American antiques, while smaller tents have European antiques. The other major venue, Marburger, has everything you can imagine in antique and midcentury home furnishings. While you’re here, stop in the Bingo Hall to see the midcentury goods brought in by Rob Willey of Galerie Novella in Houston.
A new fave
If you’ve never shopped the Blue Hills tents and outbuildings, you might want to add that to your list this year. Designer Katie Davis of Katie Davis Design stops here for the affordable vintage maps, old botanical art and French watercolors sold by Maps and Art. If you’re looking for old wooden bowls or dough bowls, you’ll find them for $50 to $100 at Old World Antieks. Designer Aileen Warren of Jackson Warren Interiors always stops to look for bedding and to check out the Murano glass and other antiques at Sourced by Janet Wiebe. (Wiebe is a former Houston antiques dealer who fell in love, moved to Italy and now works independently, sourcing Italian and European goods for clients.)
On your way in
Courtney Barton’s sweet bedding and home goods store (603 N. Washington, Suite B,
Round Top) is a must-stop place for designers. She has bedding made of block-print fabric, Dohar blankets, pretty stationery and a steady supply of vintage Lassi cups and other things you didn’t know you needed until you saw them here. If you’re not in a hurry, stop in Bella’s Candles next door (609 N. Washington) for a hand-poured candle ($32 and up.) The so-good French Quarter Gardenia candles just might be the signature scent of Round Top.
Collectibles and more
The Compound opened several years ago as an event space and hosts antiques vendors for two-week runs in the spring and fall. You’ll find a little bit of everything here, including a few vendors who cater to very specific audiences: Axe Antiques with antique arms and armor, Big Blue Treasures with coins, dubloons and other ancient treasures from sunken ships and archaeological digs and Seeing Pink Elephants with midcentury barware for those who want to drink like “Mad Men.” For home furnishings, check out Suzanne Coppola’s Laurier Blanc antiques from France and Belgium, Erwin says. Davis always checks out the original midcentury furniture brought in by Nashvillebased Eneby Home.
Small but strong
Just south of Round Top proper, you’ll find Bader Ranch, a 10,000-square-foot venue with European antiques hand-picked by Cyril Clerc and Patrice Watine, whom Houstonians know from his Jardin de France shop in the Heights with antiques for the garden and home. This site also has midcentury furnishings from Houston interior designer Mary Patton, who recently opened her own Mary Patton Design shop on Bissonnet in
Houston. If you’re thirsty, head for the vintage Airstream, where Marfa-based Lady Elaine Company serves tasty adult beverages.
A quick stop
The Arbors now has a lot of fashion, jewelry and lifestyle vendors, but Erwin still stops here for Moroccan rugs at Heja Home, Lucca & Sofia for clothing made in Italy and to Delamora Designs to visit her friend, Leslie de la Mora, who makes and sells jewelry. (Erwin, too, is a jewelry designer.)
Food
You will be here long enough to get hungry or thirsty, so contemplate your options. The small town’s three main restaurants are Royer’s Café, Lulu’s and Mandito’s, and are all good but usually have long waits. (Mandito’s and Lulu’s are both owned by Houston restaurateur Armando Palacios.) If you just want pie, try Royer’s Pie Haven on Henkel Square for coffee and baked goods. Round Top wine bar Prost on Block 29 — which also serves pizza and other food — will be open 3-9 p.m. daily during the show. Each shopping site will have its own food vendors, too. Truth BBQ, an award-winning Brenham barbecue joint usually only open on weekends, will be a standout at Marburger. Blue Hills has drawn raves for great food by Austin-based chef Nick Middleton.