Barton Springs Nursery Debuts a New Austin Design Studio and Showroom
The new space pairs globally sourced furnishings and textiles with expert landscape design rooted in Texas living
For a year, Amy Hovis and her husband, Greg Thomas, lived in a trailer tucked behind Barton Springs Nursery, the West Austin oasis they co-own and operate. Their days began and ended among watering cans, bags of soil and the hum of outdoor life. It was busy, unconventional and entirely theirs.
When circumstances arose that prompted them to relocate to a more traditional residence, the couple swapped their backyard nursery life for a downtown high-rise. Through this transition, Hovis found her creative energy fully concentrated into their latest project: The Barton Springs Design Studio & Showroom located at 910 N. Lamar Blvd.
The showroom
The showroom serves as both a retail shop and a source of inspiration, inviting guests to browse curated goods or simply take in the design. Pieces available for purchase reflect a handful of Hovis’s favorites: specialty goods from Austin boutique Noah Marion; colorful tables and chairs from French outdoor furniture company Fermob; handwoven Oaxacan textiles; unique modular shelving systems and table legs from Paris-based design studio Tiptoe — for which the showroom is the only U.S. retailer — among other one-of-a-kind finds.
Hovis sources these items with determination. Committed to her craft, she often searches for smart design choices by scouring the internet, attending designer expos and traveling to global destinations, sometimes bringing along a colleague or two to share in the hunt. “I call it going down my rabbit hole. I’ll have something in my head that I just absolutely have to have, and I won’t give up,” she says.
The studio
With former career experience at a landscape design firm known for its large-scale, architect-driven projects, along with her hands-on work at Barton Springs Nursery, Hovis saw an opportunity to channel her expertise into a new venture: Barton Springs Design Studio. “The seed had been in my brain for many, many years,” she shares, excited to turn her vision into reality. Now, Hovis and her design team welcome projects of all sizes — from refreshing a backyard corner to designing an entirely new build.
What truly distinguishes the studio is the team behind it. Together, they craft greening plans grounded in a nuanced understanding of the Texas climate and its particular demands. Every decision evaluates environmental impact and anticipates the wildlife each planting may attract. “When we do projects, our entire design team goes on-site. Six to eight of us.
We feel the property. We collaborate. Then the lead designer builds the plan,” Hovis shares. Tapping into hands-on knowledge from Barton Springs Nursery, the team can select and care for each plant with confidence, ensuring landscapes that not only look beautiful but thrive season after season.
“We grow plants no one else has. Native plants people forgot about,” she explains about being able to source unique plants for clients’ tailored projects.
Amy Hovis and her team curate unique pieces in the new showroom, and also offer a fresh perspective on how outdoor living, intentional design and a little creativity can transform everyday spaces.
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