Our Interiors Team’s Guide To The Round Top Antiques Fair

Rip & Tan: What are your top tips for someone planning their first trip to the Round Top Antiques Fair? 

Linnea Schooley and Ella Wathne: Do some research on when the markets that you most want to go to open. They all open at different times so it requires a bit of coordination and planning ahead. Some of our favorite markets were Market Hill, The Compound, Excess II, Marbuger, and The Horseshoe. We spent 3 days there, but now that we know the lay of the land I think you need 2 solid days to hit your favorite markets.

Have a shipper lined up and ready to pick up as soon as you’re done shopping. Some of the markets close sooner than others and need your pieces to be picked up before they leave!

Rip & Tan: As an interior designer, how do you approach sourcing pieces while at Round Top? 

Linnea Schooley and Ella Wathne: We made a list of everything we were looking for for our clients with dimensions to easily reference in our notes app–this was a game changer! It’s so easy to get overwhelmed when sourcing in general, but especially when you’re navigating through endless vintage at an antique market. Having a quick and easy reference guide to help you stay on track is a must!

Rip & Tan: Are there certain items or styles you gravitate toward? How do you decide what’s right for your clients or projects? 

Linnea Schooley and Ella Wathne: We tend to gravitate towards pieces with a great patina–a beautiful, lived in wood or metal brings a soulful element to your space that’s very hard to replicate! Each client has a unique perspective and we try to find pieces that reflect their personal taste.

Rip & Tan: When it comes to incorporating vintage into modern spaces, what advice do you have for people who may be hesitant?

Linnea Schooley and Ella Wathne: Vintage doesn’t necessarily mean ornate or out of character for a modern space. Finding pieces that compliment your home while incorporating some soulful charm is key. If you get the chance to visit Round Top, it really is such a treasure trove of pieces that you can incorporate into any type of space to add depth and interest. 

Restaurants, Bars & Cafes

In the morning, we stopped by Swedish Hill for amazing coffee and pastries. We stayed in Austin and experienced the incredible food scene. We loved Clark’s Oyster Bar, Rosie’s Wine Bar, ATX Cocina, and Mattie’s! Ella went to design school in Austin, so it was fun for us to go back to some of her favorite spots from when she studied there. 

Near Round Top, we loved Lulu’s for an elevated dining experience at a beautiful hotel. Royer’s is perfect for lunch serving delicious comfort food and pie if you’re in the mood for a sweet treat! You must go to Mandito’s for the best Tex-Mex—when in Rome, right!

Hotels

We stayed at the Austin Proper Hotel and felt so inspired by the design. You can’t go wrong with any of Austin’s hotels, but the Proper Hotel will always hold a special place on our list.

You can stay in Round Top, but we recommend booking early to ensure a spot at one of the handful of hotels surrounding the area. We recommend staying at Hotel Lulu or The Vintage Round Top.

A Day in the Life

We suggest waking up early and wearing comfortable shoes before heading to Round Top. It’s about an hour’s drive from Austin, and we fueled up at Swedish Hill before heading to Round Top for the day.

Once on the grounds, we had a list of the markets we wanted to shop and took many photos of moments we were inspired by while sourcing for upcoming projects. We made a pit stop at Royer’s for lunch and finished out the afternoon walking the grounds, stumbling into beautifully curated markets.