A New Thoughtfully Designed Hideaway Opens in Round Top, Texas
Austin-based interior designer Emily Seiders on designing a quiet Round Top retreat inspired by ranch life, local history and the land
Round Top is known for its antique hunts, with treasures tucked inside tents, barns and fields that draw thousands to the small Texas town each year. Beyond the bustle of the show, a quieter destination has emerged: Hideaway Round Top, a place rooted in heritage, land and considered design.
From Austin-based interior designer Emily Seiders and her husband, Rick, the new Round Top retreat offers a place to unwind just steps from the action. A collaboration between Studio Seiders and Sam Burch Architect, the 21-acre property near Marburger Farm and The Compound feels removed from the sensory overload of the antiques fair.
A personal project
For Emily Seiders, founder of Studio Seiders, the project is personal. Though she grew up in Houston, some of her formative memories were spent between a family farm in Schulenburg and a working cattle ranch in West Texas, experiences that shaped her creative sensibility and respect for place.
“Every project needs a story,” she says regarding The Hideaway in Round Top. “This one started with my own memories of ranch and farm life.”
Those memories informed every decision, from the layout of the buildings to the smallest handmade detail. Rather than imposing a stylized vision of Texas, Seiders prioritized authenticity, designing structures that appear grounded in the landscape. The architecture references traditional Central Texas forms, including a modern interpretation of a dogtrot breezeway enclosed in glass and reimagined as a gallery-like hall. Expansive porches and limestone details nod to early settler buildings.
Interiors guided by heritage
Inside, the spaces are layered and intentional. Seiders notes, “Everything in the house had to meet a few design principles: historical context, craftsmanship rooted in heritage, and a personal connection to my memories of growing up on a farm and ranch.”
Nothing is mass-produced or overly precious. In the farmhouse kitchen, hand-painted tiles feature motifs inspired by the region’s flora and fauna — oak trees, native grasses, horses and birds — created by an Austin ceramic artist specifically for the project. “Wildflowers appear throughout the house in subtle ways, inspired by memories of picking and pressing flowers as a kid,” says Seiders. The blue-and-white palette references early stoneware once common on Texas farms, serving as a quiet homage rather than a trend-driven choice.
Throughout the property, antiques and artisan-made pieces sit alongside contemporary furnishings. The result is warm, tactile and grounded. “We wanted a Texas farmhouse feel without being kitschy — no cowhides, no longhorns. It was a fine balance, says Seiders.
The property includes a main farmhouse and two cottages, all designed around a shared set of principles rather than distinct themes. That cohesion allows guests to experience the property in multiple ways, from a quiet stay in a single cottage to group gatherings with friends or family. The flexibility has made it a popular option during antiques season, as well as for small gatherings and family reunions.
Preserving the land was also a priority for Seiders. When the property came up for sale, it had been slated for a large condominium development, an outcome she said would have eroded Round Top’s character. Instead, the project is unfolding gradually, with plans to add only a few additional small structures and an event barn over time. “We wanted to understand what the land could support,” she said.
Holding onto Round Top’s charm
At its heart, this retreat shows Seiders’ belief that Round Top’s future relies on respecting its past. As the town grows, she hopes projects like this will help keep its true character.
Seiders says, “It’s a place rich with history, especially German settler culture, that deserves to be preserved. Growth is exciting, but authenticity matters. I hope Round Top can keep one foot in the past as it moves forward.”
For guests, Seiders hopes that the experience offers a place to slow down, feel inspired and reconnect with the land, with history and with one another. In a town that’s always buzzing with discovery, this new hideaway aims to offer just a bit of peace and quiet.
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