Round Top Antiques Fair Guide

Living

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

April 3, 2025

The Round Top Antiques Fair isn’t just one of the largest antique shows in the country—it’s 11 miles of pure interior design heaven, lining both sides of Texas State Highway 237. This year, our Interiors team scoured the sprawling fair, uncovering one-of-a-kind finds for their clients. We’re thrilled to report that their haul was a success—and we even got them to share their top tips and must-visit spots from the iconic event.

A travel guide cover for Round Top, Texas, featuring vintage wooden chairs, a rustic lamp, and cozy seating in a warmly lit interior. Text reads: A Travel Guide to Round Top by the Jenni Kayne Interiors Team.

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!

A rustic Round Top room with wooden furniture, pottery on a round table, vintage lamps, a large basket, and decorative objects like a metal boot sculpture. A mirror reflects two people in the background.

A cozy living room with striped sofas, a light wooden coffee table, and charming Round Top-inspired side tables. Decorative vases add warmth, while a cursive quote about home decor graces the wooden floor.

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.

A cozy living room with beige mid-century modern furniture, a Round Top-inspired black coffee table, a sculptural floor lamp, and wooden walls. The space has a warm, vintage atmosphere.

A vintage furniture shop inspired by Round Top, with a curved beige sofa in the foreground and shelves stacked with various wooden chairs and cabinets. Handwritten text is overlaid on the image’s lower right corner.

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!

A table set with two glasses of white wine, crackers, and herb-garnished ceviche. The text reads WHERE TO EAT in Round Top, TEXAS with the JENNI KAYNE TRAVEL GUIDE.

People sit at wooden tables and chairs under white umbrellas at a charming Round Top outdoor café with red planters and greenery, enjoying food and conversation on a sunny day in a cozy, relaxed atmosphere.

A plate with three small bite-sized appetizers topped with cilantro sits beside two cocktails garnished with lime wedges on a white tablecloth at Round Top. Fork, knife, and black plates are partially visible.

A bed with decorative pillows, a brown suede bag, and a gray sweater on top. Patterned headboard and neutral tones set the scene. Text reads: ROUND TOP, TEXAS. WHERE TO STAY. JENNI KAYNE TRAVEL GUIDE—explore charming Round Top style.

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.

Softly lit lounge with patterned armchairs and sofas, small round marble tables, single pink flowers in vases, and candles on each table; floral wallpaper and sheer curtains evoke a cozy, vintage Round Top atmosphere.

A modern lounge area with two black armchairs, a black chaise lounge, and a glass coffee table on a wooden floor, next to tall windows with striped light filtering in—perfect for relaxing after browsing Round Top finds.

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.