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 Jay Bearden

Find furniture at Patternmill

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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good as gold

Boutique Australian furniture brand opens first U.S. studio in Houston

Courtesy of En Gold

The Houston store has the full En Gold line as well as products from other Australian brands.

Say hello to En Gold! Diehard fans of the coveted Australian furniture brand finally have a stateside gallery, right in Houston’s Upper Kirby District (3330 Audley St.). Cool and crisp, the vintage-inspired, handcrafted collections shine a spotlight on the long-forgotten craft of Fossil Stone artistry.

Courtesy of En Gold

The Houston store has the full En Gold line as well as products from other Australian brands.

CultureMap caught up with En Gold founder Steffanie Ball in her new gallery space to talk vintage, Fossil Stone, and how En Gold has revitalized an all-but-extinct pocket industry in Cebu, The Philippines.

What began as a maternity-leave-induced search for quality vintage led to instantly-sold-out Instagram pop-up sales and a lively cult following that demanded more. The vintage Fossil Stone phenomenon drove En Gold founder Steffanie Ball to seek out the original artisans that produced these iconic pieces in the first place. Now, 45 years after making its debut, Fossil Stone furniture is being produced once again — by the same artisans who produced it the first time around. Only this time, the artisans are finally getting their flowers.

En Gold is the only brand in the world producing Fossil Stone furniture, and with their exclusive partnership with the artisans, it’s looking to stay that way. A form of limestone, Fossil Stone is native to the Philippines and contains organic inclusions that give it the appearance and character it’s known for. Quarried by hand, it’s then cut by hand into thin layers before being painstakingly sanded repeatedly until it is applied to a timber frame.

En Gold is all about sustainability, so any potential waste that comes from breakage is turned into a powder, then a putty, before finding new life as a decorative vessel, like the Laguna Vase or becoming a Paradis Mirror frame. “This craft is actually so beautiful because it has minimal wastage,” says Ball.

In 2018, the interior designer, turned industrialist, found herself in somewhat of a “nesting” quandary. “In Australia at the time, [furniture] was either mass-produced flat-pack, or crazy expensive and unattainable — there was nothing in the middle,” says Ball. “I couldn’t find anything interesting that had any kind of character to it, so that’s why I started to look at vintage.”

After more and more of the same pieces continued popping up on the secondhand market, questions about these beautiful stone works arose: “I couldn’t understand it,” she says. “Was it solid stone, was it faux marble? It was really hard for me to get any information about it.” All Ball knew was that she loved it, and kept buying all that came available. “I couldn’t pass them up! It needed a home. It needed to go where it’s appreciated,” she says.

Before long, Ball’s home started to resemble a warehouse. At the behest of a friend, the decision to part ways with some of these pieces had been made. She created an Instagram account to showcase vintage Fossil Stone pieces, and then two collections were dropped per week.

“The whole collection would sell out in three seconds — it was madness,” says Ball. “It grew into this engaged community with two-way communication. Customers would ask if we had more of certain things coming up. I could hear the things that they were looking for and really understand what I needed to be searching for.”

After countless hours of research, and discovering some dodgy European import practices of the 70s and 80s, Ball learned that every piece of Fossil Stone furniture had been made by skilled artisans in the Philippines, then stamped with either “Made in France” or “Made in Italy” once it had been unpacked abroad. Of the 80 Fossil Stone factories operating in Cebu during their heyday, only one remained.

“I found the last standing workshop that was creating furniture [back then]. He was not producing at all, but kind of still there — he said he didn’t know what he was still even holding on for,” says Ball. “Meanwhile, I’m searching all of Australia for this Fossil Stone furniture!”

For Ball, whose mother is Filipino, the discovery was kismet. Imagine the artisan’s surprise to learn that his creations were as popular today as they had been so many decades before. Ball struck an exclusive deal to get the factory operational once more and revitalize the industry, only this time with the craft as the main focus.

“Let’s tell the story about it. Where it comes from, whose hands make it. Let’s shine a light on the artisans who have been creating it this whole time,” she says.

They decided to reproduce three key pieces: the Tierra Petite, Isla Dining Table, and the best-selling Arena Coffee table. “We launched it online and the entire container sold out in one hour.”

Since that time, En Gold has expanded its offerings to include wooden, seagrass, and upholstery collections, but the ethos remains the same: “Always handmade, always traditional in its method. We try to use all natural materials,” says Ball. “All the timbers are native to The Philippines — native mahogany, seagrass, and another light timber called Gmelina.”

Ball is currently working on an iron collection as well. Fans of En Gold flock to the brand for its focus on craftsmanship, as well as the inherent individuality of each piece. Ball enjoys the love that En Gold clients have for the brand.

“When you’re working with handmade products and natural materials, there is an appreciation for the perfectly imperfect….you can see where they [artisans] were sanding,” she says. “When we talk about the fingerprints of our makers, that’s what we mean.”

The brand’s new Upper Kirby outpost will offer the entire En Gold line, as well as other female-owned Aussie favorites for shoppers to explore. Paintings and sculptures by Adele Naidoo, Karv Studio, White on Walls, and Denise Quah will be available for purchase, plus linen bedding by Cultiver. Australian-made skincare brand Gracious Minds will line the shelves along with top-tier Turkish linen bath sheets by En Gold’s luxe self-care sister-brand Yōli. Find dry-brushes next to Tiger’s Eye Gua Sha, essential oil dryer droppers, and hand-poured candles with En Gold’s signature blend of neroli, cedar leaf, and teak wood. A collection of Bordam candles will be on offer as well — everything one needs to tune into the Yōli playlist on Spotify and unwind at home.

En Gold has already opened their doors to fans looking to say hello, and invites fellow creatives, designers, and lovers of thoughtful design to celebrate the opening of their first U.S. gallery space on Friday, April 25 from 6-9 pm.

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