{"id":402301,"date":"2026-08-10T04:34:35","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T04:34:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/402301\/"},"modified":"2026-08-10T04:34:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T04:34:35","slug":"houstons-marlene-inn-now-sells-french-antiques-and-vintage-decor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/402301\/","title":{"rendered":"Houston’s Marlene Inn now sells French antiques and vintage d\u00e9cor"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lily Barfield can barely keep furniture in the rooms, or on the walls, of her charming boutique hotel, the Marlene Inn<\/a>, in Montrose.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople ask to purchase antiques from the hotel all the time,\u201d she told the Chronicle.<\/a> \u201cMost memorably, a luxury designer clothing brand really wanted to purchase the antique blue pastry cabinet from Paris that anchors our lounge. They wanted to use it in their showroom.\u201d<\/p>\n

What visitors don\u2019t understand is that some of the larger pieces tucked into the Marlene\u2019s public spaces, and even across its nine guest rooms, fit their spaces to the inch. Not to mention, they\u2019re one of a kind.\u00a0Barfield, well-known on\u00a0Instagram as @LilysVintageFinds, <\/a>and her mother, Tracie Aguillard, spent years sourcing objets d\u2019art\u00a0in the South of France.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople walk in here and say, ‘I love the art. I love the table. I love the commode. Can I buy it? ‘\u201d Barfield explained.<\/p>\n

She fends off weekly offers from guests wanting to buy the furniture in their suites or around the grounds. Barfield declines, though a couple of proposals were so tempting she nearly couldn\u2019t refuse.<\/p>\n

As a compromise, she reimagined the Marlene\u2019s former lobby and check-in space as an antiques shop roughly six weeks ago. The mini-emporium is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Other public areas are accessible until 11 p.m. on weekends.\u00a0There\u2019s a rotation of framed artwork for sale, too. It was an elegant solution\u00a0\u2014 in theory.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On Wednesday evening, the shoppable space was flush with vintage table linens, chairs, French oak commodes, mirrors and more for a New Orleans-inspired lifestyle pop-up.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had someone come in and purchase several pieces this morning, so it\u2019s super empty,\u201d Barfield said on Thursday. \u201cI\u2019m working on getting the pieces replaced ASAP.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fortunately, she has storage units filled with goodies from mother-daughter buying sprees abroad, plus finds from Round Top and River Oaks resale boutiques. Barfield somewhat famously struggles to pass up an antiques mall or flea market when traveling with her husband as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She curates and prices these treasures thoughtfully in the Marlene\u2019s gift shop. Some items are a steal; others will cost a pretty penny. It makes no difference. After a couple of cocktails in the hotel\u2019s Art Deco-influenced Bar Madonna, merchandise tends to move quickly. People just start buying.<\/p>\n

So much so that Barfield no longer posts antique drops on social media. Sometimes the turnover is only a few hours before she has to replenish the goods.<\/p>\n

Aguillard chimed in, reminding her daughter of the 30 French olive grabbers they sourced during a buying trip. They sold out in three days.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want you to feel like you\u2019re discovering something,\u201d Barfield said. \u201cAnd find a piece that was meant for ya.\u201d<\/p>\n