Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1535714
By Rebecca Sherman. Photography Pär Bengtsson. Art direction Michelle Aviña. Interior design Renea Abbott, Shabby Slips Home, Houston. enea Abbott's property in Round Top has a story as charming as the setting. Spread across 20 manicured acres in Fayette County, the compound was the dream of three former Texas A&M roommates who, back in college, made a pact: Someday they would find a small Texas town where they could recreate their brotherly camaraderie — and grow old together. Over time, the Aggies moved an early-1900s farmhouse from Round Top to the property and added a carriage house — a garage with a small apartment above it. A larger two-story house, built in 1984, is Abbott's home base when she's in town. Abbott shops the Round Top antiques shows three times a year for her Houston furnishings store, Shabby Slips Home, and often brings friends along for the adventure. Having a few extra places to put up guests was an unexpected perk. "I was thirsty for guesthouses, because at my previous house in Round Top, the guest rooms were upstairs, and it could get noisy. It's allowed me to have guests that I don't tire of as fast," she says with a laugh. There's plenty of room to spread out here. A pond stocked with fish keeps visiting children entertained, and a pool offers a place to cool off after long afternoons shopping for treasures. While Round Top buzzes with energy during the shows, life out here drifts along at a slower pace. Mornings begin with birdsong, and evenings end with the twinkle of Brenham's lights on the horizon. "It's an idyllic setting," Abbott says. A bbott admits that a farmhouse with stark b l a c k - a n d - w h i t e interiors may not be typical for Round Top — but she's never been one to take a predictable route. The bold, high-contrast palette for which she's known resonates with the stylish crowd gravitating to the area. Abbott has bought, designed, and sold four houses in the area, furnishings and all. Her latest project is just as striking. "It's very dramatic for a farmhouse," she says. To furnish the interiors, she frequently turned to her shop in Houston, Shabby Slips Home, where many pieces hail from France. Abbott has been going to France for 25 years and bringing back several containers of antiques each year. "I picked all of my favorite things from the store and brought them here, which was fun," she says. Throughout the house, she mixed European antiques from her buying trips to France with casual pieces from RH and Round Top, creating a refined and relaxed look. Just beyond the front door, the dining room sets the vibe for the rest of the house. A rattan McGuire table and Michael S. Smith chairs, originally from a Designer Renea Abbott brings her signature black-and- white palette and gilded glamour to her bold Round Top farmhouse. 59