For Susan Horne, it all began at Round Top.
“I have been showing in Round Top since 2013 but have been shopping the fields for the last 20 years,” she says.
Raised in southern Georgia, Susan moved to Dallas then Houston where she met her husband, Houston-native Chip Horne, 25 years ago. A newlywed, she and her girlfriends, all recently married as well, would make the trip to Round Top to shop and to help each other decorate their new homes. It was out in the fields that Susan said that she would have a store out here one day, a booth in Round Top. It’s something her friends remind her of to this day. She is now a vendor at Market Hill.
“The experience Paul Michael has created for us is amazing in so many ways,” Susan says.
In the past, Susan says she would only be able to take some of the pieces from her collection to Round Top because of being outside, being in a tent and being exposed to the elements in the heat, wind or rain. Now, all of it comes to Market Hill.
“Our containers arrive right to our space, and Market Hill provides help with the unloading, the installation of lighting and the placement of heavy items,” she says.
More than the amenities, she talks about the people.
“The relationships we build and the business we generate at Market Hill makes it worthwhile. The friendship and support we receive means a great deal to us.”
It’s also a part of her creative process.
“Our creative process starts the minute we finish each show. We take into account what our clients have expressed, the pieces they are looking for and the feedback we get. We make lots of written notes, and we keep all these ideas in mind as we start our buying trips,” Susan says. Other inspiration comes from her daughter Meghan as they work and travel together.
“She has really helped me expand my taste into more pop culture and mixing antique pieces with modern and new pieces from market. It is very exciting to see what the young people like buying,” Susan says.
On their buying trips, the beauty and history of Europe also inspire Susan and adds to that creative process as well.
Among the pieces they have curated for the spring show include an 18th century Italian mirror with a beautiful crest and crown on top.
“This beautiful mirror is from Villa Armiento in Sorrento,” Susan says. “It is thought that the coat of arms was awarded to the family by Napoleon as a reward for their loyalty during his occupation of Naples.”
“We also have a love for hotel silver and silver plate trophies, and we have a lot to showcase at the spring show as well as antique furniture upholstered in our favorite hue of royal blue,” she says. “It truly is a joy to call this work.”
For more information, visit susanhorneantiques.com where you can very soon shop online for antiques and a special line of candles sourced from the U.K.