Shop Round Top Like a Designer: Amy Joyce of Amy Joyce Designs

An eight-foot neon swimmer, a Hollywood-style hotel sign, and an old drum with a second act. Designer Amy Joyce shares where she shops, what catches her eye, and why the best finds aren’t always used as intended.

Some people see an old drum. Amy Joyce sees a light fixture. An oversized clay pot? Potentially a table. A vintage rug? Why not frame it?

The designer behind Amy Joyce Designs has a particular talent for looking at something and imagining what it could become. Her approach to Round Top is equal parts curiosity, color, and creative reinvention, with a soft spot for anything a little unusual.

Take the ten-foot metal HOTEL sign she discovered at Bar W, originally from Marfa, or the eight-foot neon swimmer she still regrets leaving behind. Neither was exactly on a shopping list, but both are the kinds of pieces that make Amy stop in her tracks.

Raised around antiques thanks to a grandmother who owned an antique shop, Amy has spent years developing an eye for the old, the interesting, and the wonderfully unexpected. These days, she mixes those influences with contemporary design, colorful artwork, and her own custom creations.

For our latest Shop Round Top Like a Designer, Amy shares her favorite sourcing stops, the antiques she believes are worth the splurge, and why a little imagination can turn an ordinary find into something extraordinary.

The Art of Seeing What Could Be

For Amy, shopping Round Top isn’t simply about finding beautiful things. It’s about recognizing potential in objects that someone else might overlook.

“My most favorite thing to do is find something that served an original purpose, and then use it for something else. So maybe a large oversized clay pot that we can make it into a table base, or an old drum that can be turned into a light fixture. I am obsessed with the transformation!”

Her shopping list is wonderfully varied. Stools, baskets, small oil paintings, textiles, silver, handmade pottery, and leather suitcases are all fair game.

She’s particularly drawn to vintage bandana slides and antique pins for her custom painted blazers, along with furnishings that have interesting lines or unexpected details.

“I also love finding furnishings that have unique character so things like end chairs for a Dining Table, and accent tables and chests that can function in a living or bedroom.”

It’s an approach that requires looking beyond an object’s original purpose and considering how it might fit into a completely different setting.

Where Amy Shops Round Top

Amy has plenty of favorite venues, but her recommendations offer a particularly useful starting point for shoppers who want a mix of art, antiques, fashion, and the thrill of digging.

The 303

“The 303 is amazing. Smaller venue with a little variety of antiques, fashion, and really good people.”

Amy often recommends The 303 to shoppers who want an approachable introduction to Round Top. Its mix of vendors makes it a manageable place to begin exploring.

The Arbors

For makers, artists, and an assortment of furnishings and fashion, Amy recommends The Arbors, where she is also a vendor.

She appreciates the opportunity to discover new artists and connect with the creative community that returns to Round Top each season.

The Horseshoe

“The Horseshoe is fun to navigate because there are great artists there, lots of great pieces for interiors, fun fashion (I’m obsessed with Super Ready).”

For Amy, it’s a place where shopping for a room can easily turn into shopping for your wardrobe.

Excess 1 & 2

“I spend alot of time at Excess 1 and 2. It’s a good in between for someone who isn’t ready to dive into the fields.”

These are among her favorite places to browse before heading farther into Warrenton.

Bar W & Tin Star

Once Amy makes her way toward Warrenton, she heads to Bar W and Tin Star, where she prefers to wander and see what catches her attention.

Some of her most memorable finds have come from this part of the show.

Zapp Hall

Amy also recommends Zapp Hall for its vendors and the chance to stop for lunch or a drink.

Her final suggestion? Make time for Local Roots and its famous Ding Dongs.

The Ten-Foot HOTEL Sign

One of Amy’s most memorable Round Top discoveries came from Bar W.

While browsing, she spotted an oversized metal sign, approximately ten feet long, spelling out HOTEL in Hollywood-style lights.

After talking with the seller, she learned it had originally been a hotel sign in Marfa before being reworked and given new life.

She purchased it for a client who had studied fashion and appreciated pieces that were funky, original, and full of personality.

The sign is a perfect example of Amy’s willingness to buy something because it makes an impression, even if it wasn’t what she originally set out to find.

The One That Got Away

Of course, even the most experienced shoppers have a Round Top regret.

For Amy, it’s a vintage neon sign featuring a swimmer in a diving position, complete with a swimming cap and the words “swimming pool.”

“It was about 8’ tall and had such a unique feel to it with the colors and even the way she was drawn.”

She imagined it making an incredible statement in an outdoor entertaining area near a pool.

“Apparently I have a love for old signs too :)”

It’s the kind of piece that might not make sense on paper, but could become the most talked-about feature of a space.

What Antiques Are Worth the Splurge?

Not every vintage piece needs to come home, but Amy believes certain details are worth investing in.

“For me, anything with great lines, curves, details in the woodwork (carvings) is always worth it to me.”

An oversized gilded floor mirror or a pair of antique bedside chests are two examples.

These pieces may have a more traditional feel, but Amy loves placing them in contemporary interiors where the contrast creates something entirely different.

“So when I can take something that might hold more of a ‘traditional’ feel and use it in a modern way, I’m always going to splurge. That’s how you create beautifully curated spaces, and for Amy Joyce Designs, eclectic design is definitely my sweet spot.”

It’s less about a particular era or style and more about finding something with character that can stand on its own.

How to Make a Home Feel Collected, Not Decorated

Amy’s approach to creating layered interiors starts long before the furniture is arranged.

Her first rule? Buy pieces that speak to you.

“Don’t buy something to match, buy something to tell a story. That takes time.”

She encourages clients to think about how they want a room to feel rather than rushing to fill every available space.

Is it meant to be cozy and inviting? Or a place people pass through that makes an immediate impression?

For Amy, color is another essential part of creating that feeling.

“I use wallpaper in every project I do because it starts the first layer on the walls, then any collected artwork, antiques, or other curated pieces are the layers to bring it all together.”

Artwork, in particular, is something she believes can make a room feel personal.

“Artwork artwork artwork!”

Her own collection includes pieces she created with her daughters, gifts from friends in Round Top, and finds from travels around the world.

Some live in colorful frames that she’s painted herself, while others are displayed in galleries along hallways or across blank walls.

Each piece is a reminder of a person, place, or experience.

A Designer’s Advice for First-Time Shoppers

With so many vendors and venues, Round Top can feel overwhelming, particularly for someone shopping with a specific room in mind.

Amy’s advice is to seek out a seasoned Round Top friend or follow people who spend plenty of time there.

She also encourages shoppers to consider what kind of experience they’re looking for.

Do they enjoy digging through the fields? Would they rather explore a more curated selection? Are they looking for art, furnishings, or fashion?

But perhaps her most important advice is to leave room for spontaneity.

“I think one thing people really have to be open to is embracing the journey and really going with the flow of Round Top. The less you try to control it, the more the beauty really opens up.”

She recommends spending at least half a day in the fields, although she admits she could easily spend seven.

It’s where she discovered a 200-year-old American flag at Bar W, measuring approximately 15 by 20 feet.

She eventually used it to cover an enormous wall, turning the vintage textile into an unexpected design statement.

She’s also framed colorful vintage rugs as artwork.

The lesson? Sometimes the best piece for a room isn’t something you initially imagined hanging on the wall.

What Amy Is Hunting for This Season

A recent trip to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, has Amy feeling especially inspired by Spanish and Western influences.

“I just returned from an incredibly inspirational trip to San Miguel, Mexico and I felt the urge to start sourcing things with some Spanish flare.”

She’s looking for artwork, colorful textiles, rugs, and vintage jewels that can be incorporated into her custom painted bags.

Her current color crush? Rich chocolate browns, deep fuchsias, greens, and oranges, especially when paired with high-contrast black-and-white patterns.

But beyond the objects themselves, Amy says the relationships formed through Round Top are just as meaningful.

“I think Round Top is not only about finding the unexpected pieces, but also deeply about finding the people. The connections I have made and relationships formed are unbreakable.”

As a designer, she loves hearing the stories behind the objects and finding ways to carry those stories into her work.

A Love of Antiques That Started with Her Grandmother

Amy’s appreciation for antiques began long before her career in design.

She grew up antiquing with her grandmother, who owned an antique shop. Looking back, she realizes how much those early experiences influenced her approach to collecting.

Today, mixing old and new is central to her work, whether that means incorporating an ornate antique into a contemporary room or giving an old object an entirely new purpose.

Her advice to anyone hoping to become a better antique shopper is less about learning rules and more about developing confidence in their own taste.

“I would tell someone to really dig deep and think about what you want your space or spaces to feel like. Listen to that inner voice, and don’t follow trends.”

She also encourages shoppers to ask vendors about the pieces they’re considering.

“Ask the story behind the pieces, most vendors really pay attention to where these pieces have been and the stories can be pretty incredible.”

For Amy, collecting is as much about curiosity as it is about design.

The Piece That Calls Your Name

With a seemingly endless selection of antiques, artwork, and vintage treasures, knowing what to buy can be its own challenge.

Amy’s advice? Pay attention to the pieces that make you stop.

“Our homes should tell a story, so when you’re walking down that aisle and that quirky piece is calling your name, think about how fun it can be in your home. The conversations that can come from it.”

It’s a philosophy that explains a lot about her approach to Round Top.

An old drum doesn’t have to remain a drum. A vintage rug doesn’t have to stay on the floor. A ten-foot HOTEL sign can become the centerpiece of a room.

Sometimes the most interesting thing about an antique isn’t what it used to be, but what someone with a little imagination sees in it next.

Discover more of our Shop Round Top Like a Designer series on RoundTopFinds.com, where we explore how designers source, collect, and bring their favorite finds home.