A Day In Round Top With Hunter Bell

For Hunter Bell, Round Top is part inspiration trip, part family tradition and always a reminder to keep your eyes open.

Almost a decade ago, Hunter Bell made one of her first trips to Round Top after moving to Houston. Her daughter Harrison was still a baby.

She fell for it immediately. Since then, Round Top has become something bigger than a shopping destination for the designer. It is a place her family returns to, a source of inspiration for the Hunter Bell brand and somewhere she can stumble across the color, print or one-of-a-kind detail that eventually sparks an entire collection.

Ask Bell to describe Round Top in three words and she lands on three that feel particularly fitting:

Creative. Nostalgic. Inspiring.

But before her day begins, it's time for coffee. 

COFFEE FIRST

Bell heads over to Rolland Square to grab a cup from Round Top Coffee Shop, which is inside a historic 1860s farmhouse,

Image via The Vintage Round Top

“The coffee is just as good as the warm, welcoming atmosphere,” she says. “The regulars make it feel like a true local gem.”

Her advice? Grab a cup, settle in and don’t be shy about joining the morning chatter.

It is a fitting beginning for a day in a town where the conversations can be every bit as memorable as the things you bring home. Then, it is time to shop.

Bell’s must-shop list is short and very good:

Courtney Barton. Blue Hills. Junk Gypsy.

Three distinctly different Round Top stops, which might be exactly the point.

Bell isn’t necessarily arriving with a rigid list of things she needs to find. She is looking for something that makes her stop.

“I’m always looking for something unexpected that sparks inspiration for an upcoming collection, whether it’s a color, print, textile or one-of-a-kind detail.”

That makes Round Top particularly perfect for an award winning fashion designer. Here, inspiration might not arrive on a mood board. It could be hanging from a rack, buried in a stack of textiles or sitting on a table you almost walked past.

If there is one place Bell trusts for the truly unexpected, it is Junk Gypsy.

She calls it a must-stop for vintage finds and one-of-a-kind home décor, all set against the shop’s signature “hippie-meets-rocker-chic aesthetic.”

It is also a reminder of the way Bell approaches Round Top in general: look beyond what you came for.

The best find might not be the thing you thought you needed.

It might be the thing that gives you an entirely new idea.

There are the places you shop every show, and then there are the places that simply become part of your Round Top ritual. For Bell, Royers Pie Haven falls firmly into the latter category.

“A true Round Top tradition,” she says. “No trip is complete without stopping in for a slice, or two!”

LUNCH AT THE GARDEN COMPANY

Eventually, even the most committed shopper has to stop for lunch.

Bell heads to The Garden Company, where there is one non-negotiable order:

The crispy Brussels sprouts.

“They’re a must!”

If you've never tried they are the perfect combination of salty and sweet, and the restaurant is nestled under the shade of a gorgeous oak tree.

MARGARITAS AT SUNSET

By late afternoon, Bell’s perfect Round Top day slows down.

The destination is Bader Ranch, preferably with a spicy margarita in hand and a Texas sunset happening in the background.

“It’s the perfect way to wind down after a full day at Round Top.”

There is something very Round Top about that transition. You spend the day hunting, digging and discovering, and then suddenly everyone seems to collectively decide it is time to stop and watch the sun go down.

DINNER AT LULU’S

For dinner, Bell has another must: Lulu’s.

“The signature meatballs and polenta are not to be missed,” she says.

The food is only part of the appeal. Bell loves the lively atmosphere and what she calls the prime people-watching, with the possibility of spotting a familiar face across the room.

After nearly a decade of coming to Round Top, perhaps that is what makes Bell’s version of the town feel so right.

There are favorite places. There are traditions. There are things she knows she’ll order and shops she knows she’ll visit.

Yet, there still is room for the unexpected.

A color. A print. A textile. A detail she hasn’t seen before. Something that stops her long enough to think, there’s an idea here.

Shop Hunter Bell this Fall at Blue Hills Tent 7.

HUNTER BELL’S ROUND TOP LIST

COFFEE
Round Top Coffee Shop

SHOP
Courtney Barton
Blue Hills
Junk Gypsy

ROUND TOP TRADITION
Royers Pie Haven

LUNCH
The Garden Company
Order the crispy Brussels sprouts.

HAPPY HOUR
Bader Ranch
Spicy margarita at sunset.

DINNER
Lulu’s
Meatballs + polenta.

WHAT SHE’S HUNTING FOR
The unexpected: a color, print, textile or one-of-a-kind detail that sparks an idea.

FIND HUNTER BELL THIS FALL
Blue Hills, Tent 7

A DAY IN ROUND TOP WITH…

A Day in Round Top With… is a recurring Round Top Finds series asking the designers, dealers, collectors, creatives and characters who know Round Top well to show us the place through their eyes—where they shop, what they order, what they’re hunting for and the places they return to again and again.