Round Top's Massive Antique Show

What to know about Round Top's 43-acre Marburger Farm Antique Show

The rodeo may be over, but don’t be too quick to pack away those boots. Round Top, Texas, population 93, is a year round destination for lovers of all things antique. The town’s Spring Antiques Fair is currently underway, but my particular favorite event is just about to get started.

Open since 1997, the Marburger Farm Antique Show is truly my favorite destination for sourcing antiques for both myself and for clients. When I crack open the spine of a new datebook — yes, I still use those — I highlight the dates of the spring and fall shows right along with my loved ones’ birthdays. This year’s show, which takes place March 26-30, is highlighted in pink.

Vendors unveil the best of their best for Marburger, and all of the country’s top designers come out to play and shop for clients. With more than 300 vendors spread across 43 acres, the selection is essentially limitless. Also, it’s worth noting that some vendors can be flexible on pricing — at least on the last day. I once snatched a pair of beautiful chain-link lamps that I only agreed to take home after a $300 price adjustment.

Just a 90 minute drive from Houston, even people who aren’t looking for antiques could make the day trip just to people-watch. Choosing a cowboy cosplay outfit for Marburger is no small task, and the semi-inadvertent fashion show taking place amongst show-goers is a thing.

Emily Cotton Camp Round Top Our author sporting her finest cowboy cosplay.Courtesy of Emily Cotton

Marburger’s own Mallory Culbert gave CultureMap the scoop on what to expect, as well as some other fun facts. With so many permanent vendors to shop year round, what makes Marburger so special: “Scarcity psychology,” she says.

Photo by Jenny Antill

Top designers like Kelly Wearstler and Sheila Youngblood shop at Marburger Farm.

Vendors spend months scouring the globe for incredible finds just to show at Marburger, and she’s not lying when she adds that “this stuff doesn’t grow on trees.”

Read on for more insight into the show.

CultureMap: In terms of space, how large is the actual show?
Mallory Culbert: 43 acres! And it is the halfway point between Round Top and Warrenton — precisely two miles in on the four-mile stretch.

CM: How many vendors will there be this year, and what’s the approximate ratio of new and return vendors?
MC: Between all of the tents and buildings, we have over 300 dealers, and the space for new dealers is largely determined by the number of retirees because, thankfully, most dealers who set up at Marburger want to come back! We have some devoted (and equally treasured) dealers who have never missed a show in now over fifty shows!

CM: In terms of a day trip, how long would you say someone can expect to spend roaming the tents?
MC: Marburger is worth visiting for a sprint or a marathon, but it's such a feast that I would say a whole day. We have people who come back every day of the five days because our dealers change up their displays and spaces each day with yet-to-be-seen finds!

CM: Every year famous designers flock to your show. I know I lost my absolute chill when I once came face-to-face with Kelly Wearstler. What is it about Marburger that makes it so irresistible?
MC: I agree; Kelly is the coolest. A true visionary.

I think Marburger draws a lot of independent thinkers because the merchandise runs such a tremendous gamut — so many centuries, so many styles. I, for one, find Marburger worth visiting just for "inspo" alone. The presentation skills are mad genius. I see what these spaces are like before they arrive, and the jump from blank canvas to what they put together by Opening Morning is simply marvelous.

Most of our dealers are artists, even if they don't say they are. I think that really sets Marburger apart as well. We also have dealers who do no other show in the entire year but ours, and their clients know that they can only find them then and there.

CM: Not withstanding never-ending attempts, the show has no sponsors or affiliates. Do you think that add to the show's authenticity?
MC: Certain sponsors and collaborations could be a great fit, but it certainly doesn't hurt the objective of giving both our exhibitors and shoppers an experience that is truly immersive.

CM: Apart from the vendor tents, there is a quaint, frontier-style village at the entrance. Were those moved onto the property for aesthetics, or are they original to the farm? What’s the story there?
MC: Thank you for mentioning this as it is one of my favorite aspects of the show. The Marburger Farm House is original to the farm, and one of Marburger's co-founders Ed Gage (who can still be found set up in Tent A!) helped take care of Mrs. Leona Marburger in the earliest days of the show.

The buildings that make up the rest of the village were purchased over the course of many years and moved from various places around Texas. The Dance Hall which hails from nearby Plum, Texas, is under consideration for historic preservation status, and if you look around at the names — the Bingo Hall, Blacksmith Shop, Silver Dollar Saloon — it makes entering the buildings that much more interesting, knowing what the spaces were originally used for while seeing them filled with beautiful, juxtaposing displays and new life.

CM: I know the cafe options are something of a local affair. Can you tell us a little about the vendors?
MC: Every provider of food and drink at Marburger is a small business, in most cases literally a mom-and-pop. That's Gail and her company Blue House (who also keep us fed on-site throughout set-up), and then there's The Soda Shoppe (the adorable ice cream trailer), and Clementine Coffee & Cream, the historic Kenney Store which was founded in 1887 (!), Courtney and her beloved Simply D'lish out of Brenham, and the wonderful Blackmore family's delicious Duende from Smithville.

CM: Aside from the cafe, is there a lounge area or a respite place for shoppers to rest their boots?
MC: Yes, we recently added a tent between the Clementine trailer and the Kettle Corn (which by the way some people come to Marburger just for that!) that has a bunch of picnic tables and is also the drop-off/pick-up point for the parking shuttle. (I'm partial to this tent because it has cute white pole flags atop the tentpoles 🙂).

CM: There is a permanent restroom facility near the “village,” and a few polo field style facility trailers sprinkling the property. Is there anything someone with mobility issues should keep in mind if they plan to visit the show?
MC: Great question. We have a range of facilities scattered around the show to suit a variety of mobility needs and constraints. We also offer golf carts for rent that allow for traversing the show much more smoothly for anyone, and those can be reserved in advance or, if one is available, rented day-of on-site.

CM: Okay, I’ve run the gauntlet and have all of my fabulous antiques…will someone help carry them to my car? And what about that Chesterfield sofa I just had to have, how can I get that home?
MC: I'll help you, Emily! Just kidding. We all know Chesterfields need trucks so unless you're driving an XL with a tarp for the bed (please prove me wrong and tell me you are, Miss Cotton!), I would suggest enlisting Distinguished Transport, our preferred on-site shipping and portering team, or do like the REAL pros do and roll in on an empty box truck. Fill 'er up!

More Round Top tips

Can’t make it to Marburger Farm? Rest assured that many of the permanent shops and showrooms around town have incredible finds that are available year-round. Market Hill and The Compound are two of my absolute favorites, and I’ve never left Round Top Antiques & Design Center or the Humble Donkey Studio (be sure to pickup a “Camp Round Top” patch while they last!) empty handed after attempting to walk off a slice of pie from Royer’s — lemon-blueberry crumble for the win!

If traveling with a group and not planning to keep track of the Ellis Motel margaritas, I highly recommend Hostie and their Sprinter van services. Round trip to Round Top is also an option, with luxury Sprinter van services to and from surrounding major cities like Houston and Austin. They handle accommodations and have a concierge service as well. Hostie is based in Round Top, so they know everything and everyone. I cannot recommend a better service for anyone seeking a turnkey-style Round Top experience. See y’all out there!

For more details about the show, including tickets and a complete list of vendors, visit the Marburger Farm website.

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What are you hoping to find at Round Top this year? Tell Emily at emilycharlottecotton@gmail.com.

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artist to entrepreneur

Houston artist rolls out new Hawaii-inspired wallpaper collection

Kristen Leigh Studio Island Collection wallpaper

Courtesy of Kristen Leigh Studio

The Island Collection introduces Mili, Lana, Meadow Check, and Kiko to the Kristen Leigh Studio line of textiles and wallpapers.

Houston watercolor artist Kristen Steen, founder and artist at Kristen Leigh Studio in West University Place, is set to make a colorful splash next month with her latest textile and wallpaper collection. Inspired by a family vacation to Hawaii, The Island Collection features four new patterns in shades like soft seafoam, muted blue, terracotta coral, and crisp white.

The collection unfolds across four patterns, each offered in a range of colorways. Mili anchors the group and is the only pattern to come through in both fabric and wallpaper, moving through chambray, lakeside, terracotta, olive, and shades of blue and green. Lana follows in a similar range of chambray, lakeside, blue and green, and terracotta, while Meadow Check and Kiko round out the offering with the addition of forest and, for Meadow Check, olive green. Fabric is woven on French linen and linen cotton canvas, with wallpaper finished in a premium matte.

The Island Collection brings the Kristen Leigh Studio line to approximately 85 fabrics and 30 wallpapers — quite an accomplishment for a studio that, like many, was created during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Relying on what Steen refers to as “the power of Instagram,” Connecticut-based Cailini Coastal tapped Steen to design her first wallpaper, a delicate herringbone pattern named Parker that is available to this day.

Courtesy of Kristen Leigh Studio

The Island Collection introduces Mili, Lana, Meadow Check, and Kiko to the Kristen Leigh Studio line of textiles and wallpapers.

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The success of her first wallpaper commission inspired Steen to design collections of her own, which have become designer favorites for providing classically-relaxed, nonchalant refinement elevated through their quality craftsmanship and sophisticated finishes. Fabrics are woven in either French linen or a linen cotton canvas, while wallpapers are premium matte, paper weave, or premium grasscloth. As with anything, trial and error ensued, but Steen quickly found a community that she credits with offering continuous support throughout the evolution of Kristen Leigh Studio.

“I just jumped in and learned everything I could about manufacturing wallpaper. I tried out a few here and there; it’s just a lot of research,” explains Steen. “Now that I am in it and have friends who are wallpaper and textile designers, we talk and get together. For being such a singular and solo industry, it’s so valuable to have other designers to bounce ideas off of: what’s working, what isn’t, and what swings in the industry.”

A family health scare kept Steen from creating anything new for a couple of seasons, until a wayward family vacation forced her hand. What was meant to be a week on the beaches of Hawaii ended up being a week indoors during a tropical storm.

“You just kind of had to make the most of it. We couldn’t just sit there and complain — that doesn’t do any good,” says Steen. “There was a lot of sketch time — a lot of just doodling — then afterwards I was playing with color and thought ‘this could be fun.’”

As a studio that mainly markets to designers and showrooms, the pressure to create a new collection each season can grind the gears of the creative process to a halt. After an 18-month hiatus, Steen credits the lack of pressure she felt while just passing time on vacation, while admiring the local flora and fauna, for the inspiration she needed to accumulate enough sketches for a complete collection.

“It sounds really cliché, but just being able to draw and sketch without any end game in mind, being able to not really care about it, is where this collection came from,” explains Steen. “I’m biased, because it’s one of my favorites now, because that’s how it was created.”

Lush botanicals, winding vines, and the easy, unhurried rhythm of island life came into focus, not as literal tropical motifs but filtered through a quieter, more classic point of view. As a watercolor artist, Steen’s work often maintains a traditional, serene dialect. However, her occasional use of bold, saturated color can feel electric and dramatic — something entirely foreign to those who speak in watercolor.

“I do love how the watercolor will have variations in the tones and the shades. You can’t mimic that, you can’t fake it,” says Steen. “There are some patterns — like the Kate, or even the new Mili — that all started with just sketches and brushstrokes, but it just didn’t translate as well to pack that color punch that I wanted. So, when I was editing, I ended up really pushing the saturation to where it almost felt like a solid. But everything is done by hand, for sure.”

More consumers than ever before are seeking out niche studios like Steen’s. Kristen Leigh Studio is not exclusively to-the-trade, a distinction that once made products nearly irresistible. Steen’s collections are available through her Houston studio, website, numerous trade studios throughout the country, through interior designers, and even through select pop-ups. So, with that being said, who is a Kristen Leigh Studio client?

“Someone who wants to have something that feels warm and joyful. Something that feels special and authentic, but not necessarily fussy,” says Steen. “They want to feel proud of it, ‘This is a designer fabric. This is a designer wallpaper. This is something special that I don’t see in my neighbor’s house all the time.’ They want to feel like this is something special, but I’m also a mom of three kids. I realize that the fabrics have to be durable. They have to be something you can touch and live in and it’s not like a museum. Something that’s approachable and sophisticated. Just approachable design—something that’s everyday, but still special.”

Kristen Leigh Studio’s The Island Collection will be available beginning October 1.

home-design wallpaper kristen leigh studio