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love the endless inspiration and unique finds of the Round Top antiques shows," she says. "Mostly though, I love the people. I've made some great friends and acquaintances." She names Market Hill as her favorite seasonal venue, followed closely by Ex-Cess, Blue Hills, The Halles, Cisco Village, Bader Ranch, and Marburger Farm. Go-to vendors include Architectural Anarchy, Nomadic Trading Company, Elephant Walk Antiques, Eneby Home, Heja Home, Karma Living, Preservation Co., Prize Home + Garden, and Amelia Tarbet — all of which contribute to her aesthetic, which she describes as "comfortably curated, with pops of color." Wills' signature style, coupled with her reputation for completing projects efficiently and on schedule, recently won her a contract to design the interior of the new City Boots retail location in Houston's posh River Oaks District. A pair of vintage spurs found by Wills while shopping in Round Top wound up being a perfect accessory for the City Boots project. "Aside from the creativity and implementation, I'm a good listener, and I care," Wills says. "At the end of the day, my goal is for clients to be happy and comfortable. I also run a tight ship at my office, so the organization part of our projects keeps clients at ease." Candice Cowin To learn more about Wills Design Associates, visit willsdesignassociates.com. ROUND TOP SPONSORED PARTNER FOCUS: of HOMECOMINGS AND SECOND HOMES WILLS DESIGN ASSOCIATES N ative Texan and interior d e s i g n e r La u r e n Wi l l s Grover did hard time in New York, earning her degree and working for top names in the design industry before launching her firm while living in Brooklyn. She earned a BFA in interior design from Pratt Institute, then grew her design resume with a stint at Ralph Lauren Home and apprenticeships with designers Penny Drue Baird and Jeffrey Bilhuber. Her projects have been featured in House Beautiful, Domino magazine, Round Top Magazine, and Brownstoner. Her Houston homecoming in the summer of 2020 was a welcome return to the more relaxed lifestyle she strives to create in her bright, fresh interiors. "I love the mentality of Texans," she says. "After living in New York for 16 years, I appreciate being back in Houston for the space, pace, and the weather. There's a laid-back sensibility here where life is meant to be enjoyed, in comparison to the NYC grind." This yearning for a more peaceful way of life may be the impetus for Wills taking on multiple vacation home projects. Creating second- home sanctuaries has become a forte for Wills Design Associates, with design gigs spanning from Montreal to East Hampton and her own family's ranch house in Brenham. For the latter, situated on a 60-acre horse and cattle ranch, Wills designed the interiors using a variety of resources, including favorite Round Top dealers. She's been shopping the shows for clients for nearly a decade, all the while amassing a list of pet venues and vendors. "I Portrait Jordan Geibel. Interiors Photography Kerry Kirk. Lauren Wills 7