Go big or go home is the Texas motto and Duffy Stone does the former, very well, with major color. Her minimalistically mod flavor which she has brought all around the country deeply resonates with The New Southern. Inherently refreshing and visually compelling, her creative energy is woven in and out of each one of her boutique retail and residential spaces. From the bright color palettes and modern curves of Olive NYC, the deconstructed vibe of Esby, to the sunny and sophisticated aesthetic of Beehive in Austin...each space that she designs has a flair of its own. In her world there are no boundaries, rules don’t exist, and imagination runs wild.

A little more fearless and a little less comfortable, Duffy is a woman after my own heart. She is the epitome of The New Southern’s playful self, catching national attention as an Austin trendsetter for her often bold, colorful interiors. Incorporating massive macro prints as wallpaper together with fringe, fresh new shapes, tastes, and eclectic pieces. She’s a modern day 70’s glam queen with an artfully curated eye. She allows those that step into her spaces to dream through thoughtfully and well-selected shape, texture, and scale. Charismatic and rebellious — from the choice of color to the nooks and crannies. Her interiors gracefully dance the line between whimsically modern and mid-century glam. Effortlessly chic and pulled together with an incredible ability to transport into a soulful escape. Her cheeky, spirited approach to design stems from a quirky boldness that I absolutely love to highlight.

We sat down with Duffy to chat about her take on modern Southern design (and hospitality) and how she’s creating live-in, layered spaces that are oozing with personality.

Alyssa Rosenheck: Tell me about yourself.

Duffy Stone: I’m a designer based in Austin, Texas specializing in retail design. I am rooted in Austin, but work all over including NY and LA designing retail spaces. I recently (6 weeks ago!) had a baby boy named Sonny. Work never slowed down during the pregnancy — and I’m still going strong even with a baby here. It’s fun to have a new partner in crime in the playful world of Interiors.

AR: How are you modernizing / updating Southern style when you design?

DS: Southern style is far from minimal. To me it is colorful, layered, warm and most importantly, inviting. I always include rich colors in my designs, and I love to push that on clients. I make sure to keep my projects clean but lived-in. It’s really important in my line of work that the spaces are welcoming to all sorts of folks. Making sure that people feel comfortable to come in is always the first priority in retail design. The experience is everything. It’s always a fun challenge for me, especially when designing spaces that are far from traditionally Southern, to have Southern hospitality with a modern twist on it — using specific materials, color combinations, and shapes.

Alyssa Rosenheck's The New Southern Designer Spotlight with Duffy Stone, Interior Design Studio of Austin, TX

AR: What are your favorite hometown design boutiques?

DS: My favorite Austin design boutiques are Wildflower Organics, Uptown Modern, Room Service Vintage, and Austin Antique Mall. They have the friendliest faces working there, so I always make sure to have time to shop and hang out. To my clients, don’t worry — I don’t bill for the hang out time.

AR: Favorite shade of white and black paint color?

DS: “Ultra Pure White” by Behr and “Tricorn Black” by Sherwin-Williams.

AR: What’s your life motto?

DS: Feeling nervous is a good sign you’re making something original. If you get too comfortable, you’re probably on repeat.

AR: The one shade that changes everything? Tell us what mood it evokes and when / how you’ve used it.

DS: Red! It’s so bold and moody. It instantly adds so much character to a space. I love to paint open doorway arches red for an unexpected color moment. In my own home, I did that heading into the nursery and I have a feeling that the baby really likes the color choice.

AR: The place you go to get inspired?

DS: I love walking around Mayfield Park or the Blanton Museum in Austin for inspiration. I think we are really lucky to have those two places in our city.

AR: Design advice you’ve gotten that made all the difference?

DS: I follow NOLA-based artist Ashley Longshore on Instagram and she’s a daily motivation to hustle. I find advice relayed via her social media. She has a really great attitude towards working for yourself, how to keep your chin up, and career moving up.

AR: What’s your advice for mixing old with new?

DS: Just do it! This only never works if you overthink it. It’s a really simple way to make a great design with lots of depth. People are always so hesitant to mix and find a million reasons why things don’t work or shouldn’t go together. I never get that — just let it roll.

AR: What’s your dream project / client?

DS: Retail design has always been my baby, but since a new little sheriff named Sonny has rolled into town, I have been naturally drawn to kids' spaces. I think the dream project now would be to design a really magical set for a children’s film. Something really over the top that I wouldn’t get a chance to do on a normal day-to-day basis. Something that my baby would think is really cool.

What happens when intention, inspiration, and a leap of faith all come together…. This brings you to a field in Round Top, Texas where Paige Hull once stood when she had a realization taking her from an extensive corporate background to pursue her creative compulsion towards design. This realization led her to create and design a home, now one of the most coveted spots in Round Top, where style names like Emily Henderson, Emily + Meritt, and Sea of Shoes have visited and applauded. Alongside her husband Smoot, Paige’s road took a strong pivot, and a return to the basics and simplicity, married with her passion for finding antique pieces that can tell a story and evoke an emotional response, attracted her to this Texas town famously known for vintage treasures.

Paige’s style is exquisitely laid-back—unfussy, relaxed, raw. A simplistic canvas sets the backdrop for her antique pieces, repurposed in a setting to give them a second or even third life. Her own jewel is The Vintage Round Top, a reno-farmhouse-venture-turned-modern-rental that beautifully fuses reclaimed building materials and found objects with modern, clean lines and an abundance of natural light. Beautifully white walls, restored wood beams, galvanized metal art, upcycled lighting, and vintage textiles intermix, as Paige weaves unfinished materials and one of a kind pieces throughout her design. This accompaniment catches our eye, as each vintage piece in the space seems to shine brighter placed among more modern pairings. A pioneer and strong female voice, Paige built The Vintage Round Top from the ground up, pursuing her mantra “live with intention” with grace and passion. Inspiring those both locally and nationally along her journey, she embodies the core of The New Southern, speaking on a platform that first started as a dream in a field.

Photo: ©Natalie Lacy Lange | The Vintage Round Top — Photo: ©Natalie Lacy Lange | The Vintage Round Top

We sat down with Paige to hear her thoughts on southern design, how she created her lifestyle brand, and her go-to places that spark inspiration.

Alyssa Rosenheck: Tell me about yourself.

Paige Hull: My husband, Smoot, and I thrive on creativity, hospitality, and design. We’ve been business partners since we married almost twenty years ago, and we’re parents to three wonderful children. Our previous careers as a model/talent agent and a night club/restaurant owner helped shape the “Modern Vintage” style we created in 2011 with our vacation home rental, located in Round Top, Texas. The home we call The Vintage Round Top, quickly grew into a lifestyle brand and has expanded with a second attached home and event space. Our antiques business, home goods collection, and hotel amenity line allow us to express our individuality, as well as collaborate with artisans and other imaginative people we admire. It’s the embodiment of our desire to live creatively, sustainably, and charitably.

Photo: ©Haylei Smith | The Vintage Round Top

Photo: ©TessaNeustadt for Emily Henderson | The Vintage Round Top

AR: How are you modernizing / updating southern style when you design?

PH: Our style is Southern at its core with a modern spirit. We take pieces we find locally and abroad, allowing them to shine against a backdrop of white walls to cultivate a feeling of airiness and light. It yields a warmth, balanced with an overall clean sensibility. The vintage pieces we use all have character and patina, each with a story to tell.

AR: What innovative trends are you seeing with southern design across the country?

PH: Southern design is being embraced with open arms. It has evolved into an uncluttered aesthetic that has room for personal interpretation. In our case, it’s grounded in a clean color palette that appeals to both men and women, representing a compromise between masculine lines and softer accessories with natural elements. People are allowing themselves to design for the life they live and to be comfortable in their own homes, while at the same time loving the look and vibe of their space.

© Alyssa Rosenheck's The New Southern Designer Spotlight with Paige Hull, The Vintage Round Top of Round Top, TX

AR: What are your favorite hometown design boutiques?

PH: In Houston: Renovate and Kuhl-Linscomb. In Round Top: The Compound, Marburger Farm, and Ex-Cess. In Austin: UnCommon Objects, Wildflower, and Mockingbird Domestics.

AR: Favorite shade of white and black paint color?

PH: “Pip” by Martha Stewart is my favorite shade of white, but you’ll have to color match since it’s discontinued. “Lincoln Cottage” by Valspar is my black shade of choice.

AR: What’s your life motto?

PH: “Live With Intention.” When we began our Modern Vintage journey we were having lunch in Round Top at Royer’s, and the owner, Bud, said the difference between the people that just talk about what they want to do and the people that act on it are people that “live with intention.” We took that advice to heart and have never looked back.

AR: The place you go to get inspired?

PH: France has our heart and Round Top has our soul. We go to France to wander the flea markets and find treasures to renew our vision. We go to Round Top to put it all together, to give it purpose, and to execute the ideas we dreamt up over croissants and coffee.

AR: What’s the best piece of business advice you could provide for creative entrepreneurs starting out?

PH: Trial and error. Don’t be afraid of mistakes. We love finding funky old pieces and turning them into something new, while mixing them with modern finishes. Turning cow feed sifters into sconces and putting brass counters in the boho kitchen embodies our Modern Vintage style. It’s old, it’s new, it’s unexpected.

Photo: ©TessaNeustadt for Emily Henderson with  Lauren Williams Art | The Vintage Round Top — Photo: ©TessaNeustadt for Emily Henderson with Lauren Williams Art | The Vintage Round Top

AR: Tell us something we probably don’t know.

PH: Smoot used to be a restaurant owner/nightclub promoter and I was the vice president of a modeling agency. We met working on a fashion show together and became friends. Fifteen years later, sparks flew when we ran into one another at an event. Since then (almost twenty years later), we have three children, two thriving businesses, and an appreciation that we get to do what we love together.

AR: What’s your dream project/client?

PH: Our dream project would be to design a boutique hotel. We love to travel and could not think of a more exciting and amazing project than designing the lobby, guest rooms, bathrooms and outdoor spaces for a hotel. We love focusing on the details, the often-overlooked elements that complete a room and putting our spin on it.

AR: The greatest color combination that ever existed?

PH: Black, brown, and white.