Key Takeaways
- One-of-a-kind home pieces add emotion, story, and character to a space — not just style.
- Markets like Round Top offer soulful discoveries that can’t be sourced from a catalog.
- Thoughtful curation blends old + new, elevating homes with unique home décor that feels personal.
- Anita’s first Round Top visit reveals how designers identify special pieces that transform a room.
- Arizona homeowners can apply these principles to infuse individuality, depth, and soul in their homes.
The Joy of Discovery and the Art of a Soulful Home
For IMI Design founder and creative principal, Anita Lang, true luxury is woven into the narratives that occupy spaces. While sculptural silhouettes and architectural craftsmanship provide the backdrop for refined living, it’s often the unexpected, one-of-a-kind pieces that truly make a home sing. These are the items that hold the patina of a well-loved life—objects that spark conversation and evoke emotion in a way that catalog-sourced pieces simply cannot.
These eclectic, albeit soulful, elements can elevate a home from being merely decorated to one that’s thoughtfully curated. Recently, Anita went on a hunt to the dusty, storied fields of the Round Top Antiques Fair in Texas on a quest to unearth these soulful elements.
Behind the Scenes at Round Top: A Designer’s First-Time Perspective
To describe it as merely an antique fair would be a vast understatement. It is a phenomenon—stretching over 11 miles along Highway 237, Round Top transforms dusty cow pastures into a treasure trove for collectors and design enthusiasts – one that welcomes over 100,000 visitors each year 1. For a first-time visitor, the scale is staggering.
“While I’d heard the stories, nothing quite prepares you for the experience of walking through such an abundance of creativity, history, and craftsmanship.” – Anita Lang
The atmosphere is a unique collision of worlds that, under any other circumstances, would not have anything to do with the other. Sprawling fields dotted with white tents sit alongside historic dance halls turned into curated showrooms. Here, the air is thick not just with the Texas heat, but with the thrill of the hunt.
What began decades ago as a modest gathering of dealers has evolved into one of the most significant design events in the country. It’s a place where centuries-old French linens sit atop industrial workbenches, and museum-quality art rests against weathered barn wood. This earthy backdrop allows the true soul of the objects to shine, enabling visitors to reimagine them in a contemporary space.
What Makes a Piece Soulful?
Soul in design is less about aesthetic perfection and more about emotional resonance. It is the elusive quality often found in objects that bear the marks of time, such as the patina of a 19th-century apothecary chest or Persian rug whose threads whisper of generations past.
It is this depth of character that allows an object to transcend its function, becoming not just a piece of furniture but a guardian of memory and a spark for the imagination. These items possess a distinct vibration, a narrative that serves as an emotional anchor, transforming a space into a dwelling with character.
Discovery Over Sourcing
For a luxury home designer, sourcing often requires working with established ateliers, heritage brands, and trusted artisans. We rely on vetted networks of galleries, showrooms, and bespoke makers to select pieces that align with the client’s brand of sophistication.
In contrast, Round Top encourages serendipitous treasure-hunting, chance encounters, and stumbling upon pieces that speak to you. Each find comes with a story—the journey of the object, the character of the dealer, the atmosphere of discovery—adding layers of meaning to the spaces it will eventually inhabit.
The Designer’s Intuition
Navigating the sheer volume of hidden gems at Round Top requires more than stamina and patience. While a casual shopper might see a rusted industrial workbench, a designer with a discerning eye sees the sculptural foundation for a modern kitchen island. This intuitive vision enables curators like Anita to envision how a singular piece will inhabit a specific space.
Beyond intuition, this involves assessing scale, proportion, and materiality to recognize the pieces that possess the right energy to complement contemporary architecture. This acumen allows the IMI Design team to offer clients functional design elements that ignite conversations, emotions, or fond memories.
“When everything falls into place, these unexpected pieces can make a home sing with character and emotional resonance.” – Anita Lang
For Arizona Homeowners:
For luxury homes in Arizona, which are often defined by expansive glass, clean lines, and fluid indoor-outdoor flow, sculptural pieces with organic textures provide asymmetrical counterpoints that give desert modernism soul.
Whether it’s a weathered wood console grounding a glass-walled entry or an antique stone vessel softening a sharp architectural corner, these elements introduce warmth and humanity to the rugged beauty of the desert. In a landscape where sunlight carves shadows across stone and glass, these tactile accents can facilitate the dialogue between nature and design.
The Finds: One-of-a-Kind Pieces That Spoke the Loudest
True to her design philosophy, Anita did not go to Round Top seeking the ordinary. Instead, she gravitated toward forms that were sculptural, soulful, and slightly unexpected—objects that hold their own as art. From the playful to the brutalist, here’s a look at five finds that stopped her in her tracks and demanded to be brought back to the IMI Design studio.
1. Brutalist Brass-Plated Modernist Candelabras (Gene Byron, 1965)
Gene Byron was a Canadian-born artist who became a central figure in the Mexican Modernist movement of the mid-20th century. After settling in Guanajuato, she became celebrated for her ability to elevate humble materials like tin and wrought iron into high design. Her work combined modernist forms with artisanal techniques, creating pieces that were both functional and deeply sculptural 2.
This specific pair of candelabras captures the essence of Byron’s genius. Standing nearly two feet tall, they feature hand-hammered tin beneath a layer of brass plating—a technique that creates a rugged, light-catching surface that feels ancient and avant-garde all at once. There is a weight to them, a “crookedness” that speaks to the hand of the maker rather than the precision of a machine.
They’ll live at Anita’s residence, The Onion Tower, where they’ll add to the ongoing narrative of art and architecture she’s been shaping.
2. Mid-Century Lucite Grape Clusters
Popularized in the 1960s, these acrylic orbs were once a staple of the American coffee table. The translucency of the Lucite captures and refracts light, creating an installation that adds kinetic energy to a room.
“These sculptural, playful mid-century pieces will make the most joyful and unexpected holiday table centerpiece. They’re both nostalgic and completely unique.” – Anita Lang
It’s a reminder that soulful dwellings always have space for a sense of play.
3. Vintage Glass Flower Frogs
Often hidden at the bottom of a vase, flower frogs were originally designed to hold stems in place. Yet, stripped of their blooms and viewed in isolation, they reveal themselves as marvels of miniature architecture. Anita discovered a set in various sizes, drawn to the heavy, molded glass and geometric grids. They read as delicate yet structural, capturing light in a way that feels almost industrial.
“I often love these as standalone objects just as much as functional vessels. They are delicate, architectural, and versatile.” – Antia Lang
Whether stacked on a bookshelf or placed on a console to catch the afternoon sun, they prove that even the smallest utilitarian object can possess a quiet, captivating soul.
4. Adirondack–Chinese–Skeleton Influence Chairs
One of the greatest thrills of the hunt is finding an object that defies classification. The two chairs represent the fascinating collision of design languages; the relaxed profile of the American Adirondack merged with the symmetry of Chinese joinery and the stripped-back frame of modernist minimalism.
“Truly unique in structure and spirit,” Anita says. “They’re statement pieces that will read as functional art in the right space.”
5. Kidney-Shaped Parquetry Coffee Table
The kidney-shaped parquetry coffee table embodies mid-century whimsy and artisanal rigor. Its organic silhouette is softened by geometric wood mosaics, creating a sculptural centerpiece that bridges modernist playfulness with timeless craft. This piece offers a lesson in craftsmanship and proportion.
“It’s those quiet details that reveal themselves over time, and that’s the kind of layering I love to bring into my clients’ homes.” – Anita Lang
The Heartbreaks: The Ones That Got Away
In a room filled with bold architecture, a piece like this provides the necessary texture interior design needs to ground the space.
At Round Top, hesitation is a luxury not even seasoned pros can afford. With no stock in the back and no catalog to reorder from, once a piece is sold, it’s likely gone forever. For Anita, these missed connections became lingering ghosts of the trip, poignant reminders that intuition can also require immediate action.
1. Green Enamel Coffee Table
With its jewel-toned surface and sculptural base, this piece embodies mid-century modernism’s love of bold color and industrial craft. Unfortunately for Anita, she took too long to pull the trigger. “I lingered too long,” she admits. “By the time I circled back, it was gone. It still stings.”
2. Exposed Aggregate Outdoor Chairs
Anita passed exposed aggregate outdoor chairs that she describes as “architectural and raw in the best way.” They possessed a structural grit that would have perfectly grounded a pristine outdoor living space. “I’m still holding out hope that those might make their way to me yet,” she says.
3. Modern Gothic Wood + Glossed White Overmantel
This is a piece that haunts Anita to this day: a bold overmantel that fused warm wood with high-gloss white. It was a modern reinterpretation of a traditional Gothic form – quirky, sculptural, and visually arresting. “Completely unforgettable,” Anita reflects. “I’ll probably be dreaming about it for a while.”
Why It Matters: Curation vs. Decoration
Decoration fills a space. Curation tells a story. This distinction lies at the heart of Anita’s design philosophy. While design coherence sets the rhythm of a space, it’s the artful layering of soulful pieces that truly make a home sing. It’s the difference between a room that’s beautifully finished and one that feels deeply felt.
Homes Should Reflect Their People
At IMI Design, we believe that homes should reflect the lives, travels, and passions of their inhabitants. While there will always be room for intentional decoration, it’s often nuanced curation that gives personal sanctuaries their profound narratives.
With the right pieces, a residence becomes more than just a display of good taste—it becomes a living portrait of the people who live there.
Blending Old + New for Depth and Warmth
There is a sophisticated tension that arises when sleek contemporary architecture meets the weathered patina of an antique. This juxtaposition prevents a modern space from feeling sterile, introducing a layer of history that grounds the design.
For Arizona homes, often defined by clean lines and sun-washed expanses, this textural layering is essential. It provides the warmth needed to soften modern edges, creating a sense of permanence that lends a newly built residence the character of a structure that has stood for generations.
Offering Clients the Unexpected
Bringing unexpected treasures and design pieces to our clients allows us to craft moments of delight and discovery within their own walls. Whether it is a whimsical vintage painted trade sign or a repurposed industrial factory mold, these are the pieces that spark conversation and give a home its unique signature.
How to Make Your Own Home Sing
To create a home that sings is to orchestrate space like a symphony — where architecture sets the rhythm, furnishings provide melody, and personal treasures add the soulful notes that make the composition unforgettable.
Here are some practical tips to capture the layered aesthetic that a top interior designer in Phoenix is known for:
Start with One Statement Piece
Curating pieces that resonate takes time. Begin with a single piece that speaks to you and use it as an emotional anchor. It could be a sculptural chair, an oversized vintage vessel, or a piece of art that resonates deeply. Let this anchor piece dictate the mood and serve as the foundation upon which the rest of the room’s narrative unfolds.
Embrace Patina, Imperfection, and Story
It can be tempting to have everything pristine, especially in contemporary luxury interiors. However, objects with chipped paint, weathered wood, or timeworn finishes lend authenticity to a space. These “imperfect” textures add warmth, making a luxury space more accessible and thus, more human.
Mix Materials and Eras
Contrast is the cadence of a soulful home. Layer opposing elements to create visual tension, such as pairing the coolness of mid-century lucite with the warmth of aged timber, or offsetting sleek brass with rough-hewn stone. Aside from keeping the eye engaged, blending materials and eras make a space feel curated over time – a living narrative rather than a collection bought in a day.
Let Emotion Be Your Guide
Ultimately, it’s about energy. “I begin with the soul of the home—not just the space itself—but the client’s energy, their lifestyle, and the overall essence we’re trying to project. Every piece I select or design must elevate that energy.” – Anita Lang
A piece might be exquisite on its own, but if it doesn’t evoke the emotion the space is meant to carry— whether that’s serenity, sensuality, or inspiration— then it doesn’t belong. True luxury is not about perfection; it’s about resonance. When every element vibrates with the intended feeling, the home becomes more than a collection of objects; it becomes an experience.
FAQs
- What defines a one-of-a-kind home piece?
A one‑of‑a‑kind home piece is defined by its singularity, something that carries a story, a patina, or a design language that cannot be replicated. It may be handcrafted, vintage, or repurposed, but what sets it apart is the emotional resonance it creates within a space.
- How do unique décor items change the feel of a room?
Unique décor items transform a room by infusing it with personality and narrative. They break the monotony of uniform design, sparking curiosity and conversation while reflecting the individuality of the homeowner.
- Why do designers source from markets like Round Top?
Designers source from markets like Round Top because they offer access to truly distinctive pieces with history, scale, and soul. The market’s mix of antiques, vintage finds, and artisanal objects allows designers to curate interiors that feel layered and personal.
- How do I mix vintage pieces with my modern Arizona home?
In a modern Arizona home, organic textures like weathered wood or hand-hewn stone provide essential warmth to soften glass and steel elements. This layering grounds the space, preventing it from feeling sterile and connecting the interior to the timeless, rugged beauty of the desert landscape.
References:
- Claire Brito, Town & Country (May 19, 2025). How to Shop the Round Top Antiques Fair Like a Design Pro
- Gene Byron Case Museo (n.d.) Gene Byron
