“Ciao Y’all” pretty much says it all. Embroidered on throw pillows and the bedside rugs in the bedrooms of the Branca Bungalow at Red Antler Bungalows, the phrase is a two-word round up of what Chicago-based designer Alessandra Branca brings to Round Top: her Italian sophistication plus a wink to Texas swagger with plenty of Southern welcome. And yet prior to this project, Branca had yet to join the throngs of fellow design enthusiasts who flock to the tiny Texas town known for its three annual antiques markets.
“I’d always heard about Round Top and was curious about it, but I really hadn’t spent time there before this,” says Branca, who was invited down by her longtime friends and Texas natives Greg Fourticq and John Cone, the developers and visionaries behind the new Red Antler Bungalows luxury hotel. Fourticq and Cone both grew up in Houston, and after years living in New York and elsewhere, returned to their roots with dreams of finding property near Round Top.
When this well-located parcel became available and their “bungalow” concept (a grouping of six two-bedroom short-term rentals, with four built to date) became clearer, they decided to turn one into a designer show house. “And we immediately thought of Alessandra,” says Fourticq. “We love that her designs push limits but are always comfortable; they’re chic but approachable. She’s fearless, adding little pops of things that kind of don’t fit, but then you look more closely and understand they do.”
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Tour the Branca Bungalow at Red Antler Bungalows in Round Top, Texas
Branca, for her part, was readily charmed by her friends’ project and the small town’s friendly character. “Round Top is like Brigadoon—it sort of appears and then disappears before and after the markets, when a town of 87 transforms into a whole world full of wonderful design—but the continuum is this lovely, quiet, historic town and all the gorgeous rolling hills and farms that surround it.” She also quickly realized that Round Top was red hot, and only getting hotter, and thus the Red Antler Bungalows presented an opportunity to bring in VERANDA and its partners to help realize her design plans.
“These are tastefully done cottages. Ours is on a wonderful little creek, so we let the woodsy, cabin-like vernacular drive our design,” says Branca. “And I loved that the (Red Antler) logo was in red, a color I’m definitely attracted to. We took that cue and really had fun with joyful colors and textures and a mix of patterns and styles.”
Indeed in Branca’s European-accented world, red means “go” and go big, as she does starting with a red and white striped entry porch. The curtains add richness but are also practical, “helping control light on the west-facing porch and enhancing privacy,” says Branca.
In the living and dining room, form and function similarly saddle up, with a console behind the sofa doubling as a serving piece for the dining table-cum-card table. Twin banquettes tucked on either side of the fireplace expand seating options for entertaining, a clever move made possible when Branca traded the standard bungalow’s flush fireplace with one featuring a wire-brushed stone mantel, another example of upgraded touches and finishes. “It’s a small space but it lives large,” Branca notes. “Character comes from use and love, so the more ways I can bring people into a room, the better the room feels.”
Faux bois wallpaper from the Casa Branca collection becomes “a playful version of wood paneling,” she says, while her Verdure camouflage fabrics on the banquettes and porch furniture are an abstract spin on the outdoorsy classic. “Everything’s a slight twist on what’s expected. I think good design does that, it goes further and further, layering pattern on pattern,” notes Branca. “And don’t be deceived by the word ‘bungalow,’” she adds. “My clients are sophisticated, they love art, and though only 1300 square feet, this is a sophisticated project.”
Abstract cowboy photographs flanking the fireplace are from artist Steve Wrubel’s Rodeo Series, part of the owners’ collection. “They’re spectacular, very cool and modern and I love the juxtaposition with our fabrics,” says Branca, who was careful not to over-lasso the western theme. “I’m Italian, not Texan,” she asserts. “I’m not about to imitate Texan interiors. But both Europe and Texas have a strong sense of identity, and that’s where we overlap—the spirit of Texas meets the spirit of me.”
The kitchen’s red shiplap brings inviting contrast to mercurial black perimeter countertops, while lighting feels at times like dazzling draping jewelry and at times like contemporary glass sculpture. The bungalow’s two bedrooms are equally luxe, featuring finished, decorated closets “because people treat a closet better when it’s pretty,” Branca says, and both have “great big upholstered headboards, because God knows it’s Texas.” Fourticq’s one request was to incorporate Casa Branca’s Madagascar wallpaper, “my favorite of all time,” he says, which in turn inspired raffia-infused accents in the west-side bedroom.
“Alessandra treated our little bungalow here in this rural Texas town like she would any client’s home. Her design is not watered down, but full speed ahead,” Fourticq adds. “People walk in and immediately realize it’s not your typical rental cabin. They want to move in here.”
The Branca Bungalow was created in partnership with VERANDA and the following valued partners: Benjamin Moore, Cosentino, Monogram, Hector Finch, New Moon Rugs, Strike, and Woodard.
Styling by Sara Clark. Florals by Jimmie Henslee.
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