{"id":220497,"date":"2026-03-25T23:05:06","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T23:05:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/220497\/"},"modified":"2026-03-25T23:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T23:05:06","slug":"annual-tour-peeks-inside-10-historic-austin-homes-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/220497\/","title":{"rendered":"Annual tour peeks inside 10 historic Austin homes in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Round Top Spring Antiques & Design Show<\/a> is rounding out its 2026 dates with a few days left. In recent years, the diversity of vendors has grown from mom-and-pop shops selling classic Texas items to international purveyors of imported European wares with provenance spanning multiple centuries. Whether a shopper partakes of the festival as a mere spectator, or is genuinely seeking an \u201cI\u2019ll know it when I see it\u201d opportunity, the question always remains: what\u2019s worth buying?<\/p>\n

One person who can answer that question is Alfredo Paredes<\/a>. Known locally as the interior designer<\/a> for Houston restaurant Latuli<\/a>, Paredes served as creative director for Ralph Lauren for three decades, designing all stores, restaurants, and Ralph Lauren Home collections.<\/p>\n

Recently, Paredes traveled to Round Top in search of antique and vintage finds for his private clients as well as his forthcoming store in Hudson, New York. CultureMap tagged along for an afternoon of learning a thing or two about shopping vintage like Ralph Lauren\u2019s right hand man.<\/p>\n

While the jovial Paredes readily acknowledges that he loves items from every corner of the globe, the design guru was particularly drawn to Brutalist wooden consoles, wicker, and organic woven pieces. This is only the second trip to Round Top for Paredes, and certainly not the last.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I\u2019ve started to notice in the last 10 years is \u2014 I used to go to Europe a lot, London and the Paris flea market \u2014 now a lot of it is here. People are coming now because it\u2019s a more varied experience. It\u2019s not all western, or all cowboy, or all whatever. It\u2019s all eclectic and you never know what you\u2019re going to find, and that\u2019s why it\u2019s more interesting now I think. It\u2019s just interesting that it\u2019s all here \u2014 you just have to know where to look.\u201d<\/p>\n

At Market Hill, Paredes found things he couldn\u2019t pass up for his store and for his clients. Bulky wooden pieces, low-slung leather chairs, and paintings showcasing deep umbers and blues seemed to be a draw. Saltillo tile-topped tables received high praise, as did bisque-fired ceramic works and artistic wooden carvings.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy eye goes to things that appeal to me. Not necessarily to a client, but just things I\u2019m liking right now,\u201d explains Paredes. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to articulate what I\u2019m loving, but I\u2019m drawn to this sort of masculine, French, midcentury country house, but not Parisian [aesthetic]. You know \u2014 rugged stuff. I\u2019ve always liked that, but I\u2019m really attracted to it now. It just appeals to me. I like soulful things. I like woods that have patina, woods that have a story. I don\u2019t like things too polished.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is something endearing about witnessing Paredes in action, in his element. When he sees something he likes \u2014 say a chair, or a sofa \u2014 he makes a beeline for it and plops the seat of his Ralph Lauren vintage label blue-jeans right on it. Next, the hands get going, patting and rubbing the materials. Is it soft, is it sturdy, what are the tactile qualities, is it comfortable; an invisible sea of datapoints striking and firing in a single shot. How to know if it passed his tests? He wants the price.<\/p>\n

The afternoon is spent weaving through the well-organized mess of vendors getting ready for the spring show before it officially opens the next day. Boxes are being broken down and carried off, and telltale terrycloth squares peek out of back pockets \u2014 it\u2019s nearly showtime. Paredes is recognized and greeted by vintage vendors he\u2019s known since his days at Ralph Lauren. The genuine warmth of their greetings confirms a suspicion that\u2019s been lingering since lunchtime \u2014 he\u2019s the real deal.<\/p>\n

Favorites from the day come from Architectural Anarchy<\/a>, Alma Gallery<\/a>, and Amelia Tarbet Studios<\/a>. Earlier in the day, Kansas City-based vendor Prize<\/a> was also a great source for the style Paredes is currently curating.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like this sort of \u2014 let\u2019s call it \u2018Old Hollywood Mogul.\u2019 Something you\u2019d see in Robert Redford\u2019s house or an old movie star\u2019s house; something of a period. I like that. I lean into old movies,\u201d he explains<\/p>\n

Paredes shops with an air of confidence reserved for those who have long since forgotten to second guess themselves, but he remains all too aware that shopping vintage can intimidate the types of people who find solace in the arms of a robust and generous return policy.<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting people to be comfortable with the sort of pace of shopping for vintage, and sort of collecting and owning [is tricky],\u201d says Paredes. \u201cBeing okay that this is the one you selected \u2014 you know what I mean? If you miss it, you regret it. You need to know it\u2019s a good investment, because you can always sell it. You can always move on. These pieces have been in people\u2019s homes for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

With his private clients, Paredes stays hard at work helping people understand the stewardship that goes along with collecting vintage pieces. It\u2019s not about designer names with the things he\u2019s drawn to, it\u2019s about durability and craftsmanship \u2014 \u201cartistry,\u201d as he calls it. People shy away from the unfamiliar at times, then once they have had the time to consider rare vintage pieces long enough to fall in love with the idea, the piece is usually gone. And that\u2019s something Paredes finds regrettable.<\/p>\n

\u201cVintage is a tricky thing for clients because you have to decide. Otherwise, it vanishes and it\u2019s like hunt-and-peck. Then you\u2019re not finished. A lot of people shy away from it because they can\u2019t commit. That\u2019s why you have an empty dining room, because you didn\u2019t commit. We saw 30 tables and you didn\u2019t commit. Missing out on things is a combination. People think they\u2019re getting ripped off, or that it\u2019s not the best one, or it\u2019s \u2018Can I see more options [of the same vintage piece]?\u2019 The answer is no, no, and no. This is what it is \u2014 it\u2019s collecting!\u201d<\/p>\n

The new store in Hudson will be 60 percent vintage finds and 40 percent items from his private label. His pieces are bench-crafted in North Carolina and are inspired by his vintage finds. He loves that his line is made in the United States and inspired by pieces from across the globe. He doesn\u2019t copy, he just lifts ideas.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see this Parisian Art Deco chair that\u2019s been upholstered in Mohair, and I\u2019ll decide that we need a piece in Mohair. And that\u2019s all I\u2019ll take away from it,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Textiles and other tactile materials are a big draw for Paredes, which is how he came to have a line with Kravet Fabrics. The line is mostly made of vintage-inspired patterns in classic, Americana colorways. This makes them easy to pair with vintage frames and materials plucked from anything from vintage fairs like the Round Top show to something inherited from a beloved family member.<\/p>\n

In his book, Alfredo Paredes at Home<\/a>, he invites readers to explore the interiors of four homes he\u2019s had throughout the years, showcasing his idea that inspired rooms can be built around the love of something as simple \u2014 yet unique \u2014 as a tassel.<\/p>\n

During his visit to Round Top, Paredes took the time to sign books and visit with vintage enthusiasts at gallerist Shelli Alter\u2019s Round Top pop-up \u201cdinnerpARTy<\/a>.\u201d Alter finds great success in mixing simplistic contemporary artworks by international artists like Riera Arago with ornate antique frames from the 18th century. The mix and juxtaposition is something very in line with the Paredes aesthetic.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s most important to Paredes is the idea that people should just be having fun, loving the thrill of the hunt, and not putting too much pressure on themselves. As he says: \u201cIt\u2019s someone\u2019s own home \u2014 they need to enjoy it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Explore the thrill of vintage at these top spots in Round Top<\/p>\n

Market Hill: March 9\u201329
The Horseshoe: March 12\u201328
Bader Ranch: March 13\u201328
Zapp Hall: March 13\u201328
Blue Hills: March 14\u201328
McLaren\u2019s: March 14\u201328
The Arbors: March 14\u201328
The Compound: March 14\u201328
The Halles: March 14\u201328
Big Red Barn: March 22\u201328
550 Market: March 14\u201328
Marburger Farm: March 24\u201328
Cisco Village: March 20\u2013April 6<\/p>\n