The New Southern | Designer Spotlight: Paige Hull, Founder of The Vintage Round Top

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 

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: ©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.

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

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

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. 

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

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 | 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.

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Elle Decor: A Beautiful Washington Home Sprinkled with Southern Moments

I'm often blown away at the creative ways traditional interiors elements can be elevated and brought forth into the contemporary design movement.

My latest project with Malibu-based Taylor Anne Interiors was one of those moments. This shoot and styling session was my second with Taylor, and hearing her inspirations and design process for this family home in Washington state is very much in line with The New Southern's ethos and aesthetic. She typically leans toward clean lines, touches of stone, and lots of natural and soft leather upholstery, but here, Taylor's work was influenced by very classic, and in many ways, very Southern decor moments. I took her design elements and let them influence my styling decisions prior to our shoot. Think: blue and white ginger gars filled with fresh blooms, a handsome bar strewn with traditional decanters and glassware, a traditionally set outdoor table meant for gathering and above all else fresh soft layers to accentuate this elevated take on the traditional home. 

Throughout, you'll notice historic oil paintings (dating back to the Mayflower, literally!) now tucked into clean-lined, gilded frames instead of stuffy, ornate ones. Taylor strived to acknowledge the family's heritage with these pieces, conveying that special feeling of the home as a sacred place, full of memories and all your own. This mix of old and new, and ultimately the way she's ushered these unique, carefully collected heirlooms into a bright, inviting, thoughtfully layered space, is certainly a tentpole of The New Southern movement. These tiny touches foster that je n'ais se quoi that is so indelibly Southern... all the way in the Pacific Northwest!

To see the entire space, find the portfolio on ElleDecor.com, and special thanks to the ED team for featuring this beautiful space! Xx - AR

Photo: ©AlyssaRosenheck

Photo: ©AlyssaRosenheck

Photo: ©AlyssaRosenheck

Photo: ©AlyssaRosenheck

Photo: ©AlyssaRosenheck

Photo: ©AlyssaRosenheck

Photo: ©AlyssaRosenheck

Photo: ©AlyssaRosenheck

Photo: ©AlyssaRosenheck

Photo: ©AlyssaRosenheck

The New Southern | Fall Color Round Up

The transition to fall carries a fullness and welcoming, yielding cool, crisp air, the crunch of leaves beneath our feet, and the setting of  casual comforts amongst friends and loved ones. This is a season filled with connection ... returning back to basics with our fireplaces burning and our homes filled with love and warmth. We feel these sentimental moments  as the sun sets earlier and the moon shines longer, as we begin to seek light in darker spaces. Essentially the neutrals of this season, the colors that surround us - cool navies, forest greens, muddy taupes, warm camels, and striking blacks - provide a stunning contrast to light-filled spaces, acting as neutrals themselves when reflected in the home. When these colors touch the walls, trim and ceiling... enveloping a space, highlights the homeowners’ found and sacred treasures, shedding new light and visual interest by grounding the sentimental finds in a backdrop of focus and drama. As a lover of light-filled rooms and white walls, I intuitively seek out a lighter palette in my work styling and photographing interiors, however as I discover evidence of these darker shades, I admire how these colors showcase beloved belongings. In a similar sentimentality to how we feel as the warmer months come to an end, deep tone walls and dark, saturated hues provide an almost magical entrance, setting the tone for a new season. Sending you all light and love this week. Xx

The New Southern | Artist Spotlight: Katie Craig Keyworth

Like a mirror to her abstract colorful paintings, Katie Craig Keyworth radiates a beautiful and electric energy. For The New Southern, we seek out artists with this kind of energy - an energy that’s not afraid of coloring outside the lines and breaking the rules. 

Admired for her intriguing brush strokes, her work swirls with motion, color, and texture. You’ll find her jaw dropping originals created into prints on her corner of Minted, but she also has the artistic eye for commissions - painting in a color palette and pattern unique to each client. “Katie Craig Art captures the collision of movement and color to evoke emotion. It’s most often marked by lots of brushstrokes or dots – more of a therapeutic release when creating rather than an intentional piece,” she says. If her thoughts are busy, her work reflects the more wild and layered pieces she paints. If her days are more peaceful and calm, simpler, more streamlined brushstrokes emerge. Rule-based, structured, and static often describes traditional Southern style, yet women like Katie are paving a movement that speaks to the core of The New Southern; a movement marked by an emotional release, uninhibited and free. 

The New Southern’s ethos is using art and creativity as unifiers not only in communities but nationally. Highlighting artists that elicit emotion, we select those who can connect with not only their immediate community, but those who can touch lives on a national scale. Right now, we’re living in a world where this is so important. Coming off a week where national unity is at the forefront of our minds, we especially want to feature artists like Katie who dig deeper, throwing off the bow lines of what was once considered “right” or accepted and bridging differences to ultimately create something that connects our souls. 

Photo: ©Domino

We sat down with Katie to chat about her thoughts on goal-setting, her current color preferences, and how she’s modernizing Southern style.

Alyssa Rosenheck: Tell me about yourself. 

Katie Keyworth: I am an abstract artist and new mom. I’m a California girl through and through, but I’ve lived in Dallas for the past six years. Thank goodness In-N-Out and Trader Joe’s expanded to Texas!

AR: How are you modernizing / updating Southern style with your art?

KK: I find a lot of Southern art to be bold and bright! While a good chunk of my work does fall into the colorful category, some of my favorite and most popular pieces (like “Full Moon” and “In All Things”) are deep, dark, and full of emotion. In my eyes, there is an instant sophistication to these dark pieces, especially when perfectly framed. I hand frame most of my work in oak.

©Domino

Photo: ©ChaneyWilmer

Photo: ©ChaneyWilmer

AR: What innovative trends are you seeing with Southern style across the country?

KK: I’ve been seeing a lot of lucite/acrylic framing, whether it’s with original work, photographs, or gallery walls. The look is ultra stylish and clean. While I don’t particularly love the style for my own home, this is certainly a huge style trend right now!

AR: What are your favorite hometown design interior boutiques?

KK: Homeology in downtown McKinney – they have great style and fabulous art.

AR: Favorite shade of white and black paint color?

KK: “Wimborne White” and “Railings” by Farrow & Ball. Their colors have such a unique richness that you can’t find anywhere else!

Man in the Moon

©Domino

©Domino

AR: What’s your life motto?

KK: Don’t quit your day dream! Now, my day dream may change from day to day, but still, dreaming big and having goals is a big motivating part of my life. It helps me at least feel organized!

AR: What’s the one shade that changes everything?

KK: Hands down, “Paynes Grey” by Golden. Deep and rich, it’s the perfect navy/grey that is my go-to. It’s the perfect base, but the color can also be the perfect dark pop in more colorful pieces.

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

KK: Do it. The juxtaposition of new and old is always a winner. The warmth and story of old pieces highlights facets of newer pieces you may not have seen if it were among a sea of new.

AR: My momma always said…

KK: “Make good decisions.” She would yell this out of the minivan at middle school drop off. I only now see the humor in this, but it’s true. Every day you have the choice to make decisions that lead you one way or another. Hard or easy, it’s your choice, so make the good one.

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

KK: I’m six feet tall without shoes or heels. I don’t post many photos of myself, so I’m sure not many people know it, but I’m a bonafide giant by “normal” female standards!

AR: What’s your dream project/client? 

KK: I’m dying to have a few solo art shows in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, but with a one-month-old, that dream is probably a little ways off! Babies are demanding! I would also love to partner with a brick-and-mortar, such as Serena & Lily or a local Anthropologie.

AR: What’s currently on your nightstand?

KK: A huge hospital water cup (complete with a bendy straw!) and nipple cream – all flanked by some of my favorite original art pieces by my favorite artists. It’s all about balance, right?

AR: The greatest color combination that ever existed?

KK: Black and white. You can’t beat the contrast and boldness. I especially love black and white in home design, rather than in artwork. Think white brick and black windows – swoon! Don’t even get me started on black and white patterned floors!

Saturday Morning

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