Everything you see in your Flophouze is available for purchase, or you can buy one of your own, and it can be shipped to you. Photos courtesy of venues & by Ashlee Nobel — Everything you see in your Flophouze is available for purchase, or you can buy one of your own, and it can be shipped to you.
Photos courtesy of venues & by Ashlee Nobel

From Austin, Texas, Round Top, the state’s smallest incorporated town, is about 75 miles away. In the springtime, the road to Round Top is dotted with bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush. It’s easy to spot cattle – and iconic Texas longhorns – grazing in the pastures. It is calm, idyllic. It’s only after passing the sign that reads: “Round Top City Limit (Pop.: 90)” that you truly enter the wonderfully wild world of Texas Antiques Week. White tents line the highway as far as the eye can see. You pass landmarks like Zapp Hall, which famously hosts the Junk Gypsy Prom, and Punkie’s Place as you make your way through the spectacle. It’s a lot to take in, and most people don’t know where to start or where to stay. For the uninitiated, the biggest question we field after telling people about Round Top is – where do you stay? So, here are a few tried-and-true places to hang your hat and kick off your boots after a long day.

Black Bird Farm

A series of historic properties in nearby Fayetteville comprises the Black Bird Farm lodging experience. Here, you’ll find romantic, well-appointed interiors in an early Americana style. Choose from accommodations at the Grand Fayette Hotel, Market Street Inn, Red & White Inn, Bird House, 1850 House, Sealy House, or Blackbird Cabins. Herring Hall, the event space, hosts live performances. Take a tour online at BlackBirdTexas.com.

The Carmine Coop

Five minutes from downtown Round Top, the Carmine Coop offers three different lodging options – The Farmhouse, The Cottage, and The Airstream. Located on two acres and surrounded by corn fields, your neighbors are horses and cows, and your alarm clock is a rooster. While the lodges are appointed with rustic country charm, they do offer modern luxuries like HDTV and WiFi. For photos and more info, visit TheCarmineCoop.com.

Flophouze

Matt White and his team, Recycling the Past, offer six flophouzes (“funky little outposts”), old shipping containers-turned-overnight-accommodations, all accented with salvaged materials, antiques, original art, and vintage touches such as a record player and vinyl records. All décor inside the flophouzes is for sale. If you like your flophouze so much you want to keep it, the company can custom build one to your specifications and ship it to you anywhere in the world. Also on the property is Beachhouze, a mid-century-modern loft located on the banks of a pond that sleeps eight; the Farmhouze, a 1900s farmhouse that sleeps 10 and features a Viking kitchen suite and Matteo brand linens; the modpool, an above-ground swimming pool made from a shipping container; and, the Round Top Ballroom, a large event space outfitted with antiques, artifacts, and odds and ends from Recycling the Past. See more at Flophouze.com.

The Glamp Inn

This indoor “glampsite” has all of the fun of camping but in comfort and style with 10 brightly colored vintage glampers, each with their own theme, and 18 teepees to choose from. The place sleeps up to 56 people in two separate buildings, The Glamp Inn and The Glamp Inn Cadillac, located inside a former car museum. Each unit is equipped with two twin beds. Restroom and shower facilities are centrally located (think: bathhouse-style but indoors). The glampers are equipped with their own mini-fridge, fan, and outlets. The teepees are all fully furnished with seating areas and a fan in each one. Guests have access to multiple seating areas, a big screen TV, an outdoor grill, a microwave, a coffee maker, and, of course, A/C and WiFi. Book your stay at LoneStarGlampInn.com.

Madelyn’s Rusty Bike Inn

Madelyn's Rusty Bike Inn formerly served as barracks for soldiers at Camp Swift in the early 1900s and was moved to its current Round Top location in the 1940s. The main house consists of two guest suites, each with two bedrooms (queen beds), private bath, and living room. Out back, a converted buggy barn is now a large one-room cabin with two queen beds, dining area, comfy living room, and an original rustic interior decorated in the primitive style. All rooms have ceiling fans and free WiFi. The inn is just two blocks from the square and sleeps up to 15 people, so it’s a good spot for groups wanting a great location. See more at RustyBikeInn.com.

The Prairie at Round Top

Formerly The Prairie by Rachel Ashwell, founder of Shabby Chic, The Prairie at Round Top is a new chapter for this 46-acre property dating back to the 1880s. There are five houses on the property. Holly has added her own signature style to The Prairie while keeping design elements added by previous owners, all with the help of dedicated Property Manager Danny Riebeling. Danny was one of the original contractors who renovated it. His love of this place is evident in every nail and board. He is fun-loving, enjoys hosting guests, and cooks a tasty breakfast. Book your stay at ThePrairieatRoundTop.com.

Rancho Pillow

This 20-acre compound features multiple overnight options on the property, including four main lodges and a well-appointed, air-conditioned teepee. Each dwelling showcases hand-picked furnishings, paintings, books of poetry, and other thoughtful touches. Outside, there’s plenty of room to roam and make new discoveries, like neon signs, a playground with a zipline, hammocks, a bathhouse, a swimming pool, and a fire pit. Formerly available by invite-only for friends-of-friends, it’s now a more inclusive space where all are welcome to tap into the spirit found here. It’s heartfelt, soulful, mystical, and intentional where cool people go and good vibes flow. Feast in the Field takes place March 30 and 31. Fantastic chefs prepare the family-style meal served outdoors on the ranch. Purchase your ticket, or book your stay online at RanchoPillow.com.

The Raleigh

Shane Brown of Big Daddy’s Antiques offers this 2,650-SF 1890s Victorian farmhouse with a new 30-foot pool and huge deck. It comes equipped with a full kitchen, four bedrooms (including a master suite), and two bathrooms. It sleeps nine people. The interior design is exceptional throughout with a beautiful mix of modern and antiques, and a Paul Michael Company piece or two. Book your stay on VRBO.com.

Round Top Inn

The history of this place is evident in its many existing structures, including the only remaining building from the state’s once-thriving cigar industry. Three of the guest cottages are 1880s originals built by prominent Round Top resident Charles Henry Schiege of Schiege Cigar Factory. The property includes the gate house, a collection of farm houses, the little cottage, the loft, and other rooms for rent. Explore it for yourself at RoundTopInn.com.

The Vintage Round Top

Paige and Smoot Hull developed The Vintage Round Top in 2012 when they opened their first renovated cottage, No. 1450. The 2,400-SF home was designed with sustainability in mind and is comprised of reclaimed materials and vintage finds creatively repurposed into light fixtures, furniture, and decor. In 2016, the second cottage named Boho was built in the style of an industrial farmhouse. Both properties are available for rent. The Hulls also host private parties, weddings, special events, and workshops year-round. Be inspired by their modern vintage aesthetic at TheVintageRoundTop.com.

Wander Inn

Previously available only to friends such as country singer Miranda Lambert, Junk Gypsies Amie Sikes and Jolie Sikes-Smith have opened their guesthouse to the public. Wander Inn is luxurious but not about luxury. It’s about the land, the road, the magic of Round Top, and the feeling of arriving at a place, taking your boots off and staying awhile. Designed with comfort in mind, sink into a velvet sofa or slide into a rocking chair on the porch for views of longhorns in the pasture and the sun hanging low in the sky. Choose from eight beautifully appointed rooms at Gypsyville.com/wander-inn.