An Insider's Guide to Round Top, Texas

About This Episode

Designer Casey Brand hits the winding paths of Round Top, Texas, this time with a spirited group of fellow designers in tow: Melody Clifford of Franklin, Tennessee, Jillian Downham of Nashville, and Lisa Mende of Charlotte, North Carolina. Each works in a different city with a different style, and nobody is in a hurry, which is exactly the point.

From antique lighting and French copper to embroidered artwork and one-of-a-kind curiosities, the day captures the magic of Round Top when you follow your curiosity. Casey and Melody linger over mushrooms, mismatched oyster plates and copper pieces that could anchor a tablescape mixing modern and legacy pieces. A longtime lighting dealer walks them through French copper fixtures, solid bronze Italian ones and old French street lights in three sizes, and recalls years of showing at Marburger before settling into his current venue.

Casey meets Ashley, a first-year exhibitor from Wimberley who paints portraits and then embroiders into them, re-stitching one canvas with magnolias after changing her mind about the faces. She also stops to talk with Justin, a dealer of French imports who has been coming to Round Top for 15 years, has recently moved to Greenville, South Carolina, and passes the slow afternoons stitching leather chaps finished with conchos from his last three horses.

The evening ends at the house where the group is staying, comparing notes. Jillian, on her fourth trip and her first since starting her own business, found a Moroccan rug source that can do custom work. The group talks through shipping from the market, why vendor relationships matter year-round, and how pieces sourced in Europe take on a different look once Americans curate them. More than an antiques market, it is a celebration of creativity, connection and the stories hidden in every object.

“It was just a really beautiful way to spend a day. It always is, but this one had a little special sauce to it for sure.”

Casey Brand

What You’ll See

• Oyster plates and French copper styled for a mix-and-match tablescape
• French street lights, copper fixtures and solid bronze Italian lighting
• A first-time exhibitor who embroiders directly into her paintings
• A French-import dealer's handmade leather chaps with horse conchos
• Designers on Moroccan rugs, shipping logistics and year-round vendor relationships
• Why European finds look different once they are curated in an American setting