In the main tent at Camp Round Top, Articulture Designs created a ceiling installation of hand-dyed fabric panels in ombréd neutrals. Each day, the scene beneath changed according to the theme that event designer Cassie LaMere established.
Last fall, well off the beaten path on Bader Ranch, a small cluster of tents tucked deep within a field harbored its own eye-catching collection of art and antiques. Here there was no madding crowd competing to buy the many one-of-a-kind pieces, and indeed, nary a price tag in sight.
Had you happened by chance upon the setting, you’d be forgiven for wondering if you’d stumbled upon a movie in the making—perhaps an adaptation of Out of Africa, albeit one with a distinct Texas accent. To set the scene: In the central tent, patterned poufs encircle a low-slung table laden with vibrant flowers, alluring fruits, and flickering lanterns with kilim rugs underfoot and a fluttering installation of ombréd fabric panels overhead. Around the perimeter, the characters lounge in an outdoor living room vignette, sipping libations from fine crystal and engaging in animated dialogue before a costume change into caftans for dinner. Soon they’ll gather at the table for a Moroccan feast prepared by a celebrated chef. And after lingering well into the evening around a campfire under the stars, they’ll slip into individually decorated bedroom tents to rest and dream of tomorrow, knowing when they arise it will be to an entirely new production.
Floral designer Antonio Bond created a tablescape of peonies, ranunculus, and citrus fruits.
—the Camp Round Top hostess
In the evening, guests retired to bedroom tents with king-size beds and Frette linens, each decorated individually with accessories selected by LaMere, who meticulously researched the campers’ personal interests.
The logistical challenges were daunting enough—procuring the infrastructure and overseeing the installation of a tented village equivalent of a five-star resort in a bucolic, but empty, field—all of which LaMere planned in a matter of months. But it was in her development of the camp’s décor and daily itinerary of custom experiences where the concept truly flourished. “I’m an antiques collector myself, so this event spoke to a lot of my personal interests,” LaMere says. “I felt like I had been preparing for this my whole life and could draw upon sources of inspiration, design references, and collaborators I’d been saving for the right moment.”
For the Villa Oasis dinner, campers came dressed for the occasion in caftans.
LaMere carefully cast the camp’s roster of talent with those who could achieve the sophisticated layers of detail and hospitable ambience she envisioned and also execute it all under the rather remote conditions. “For instance, our chef, Yann Nury, orchestrates pop-up dinners all over the world, and he’s well-versed in creating amazing culinary experiences in a roving concept,” says the event designer. “Typically for an event, we do all the work behind closed doors. But at Camp Round Top, everything was out in the open, with guests coming and going throughout the process.” And while LaMere usually prefers a big “ta-da” reveal, here each set change unexpectedly became a much-anticipated part of the show, with guests peering over the shoulders of both LaMere and floral artist Antonio Bond to ask questions and get impromptu flower-arranging lessons as each tableau evolved. “We always made sure to return from shopping in time to catch what was happening,” says Dixon. Adds Bond, “It felt a little like theater in the round but became such fun to share the philosophy behind my style with a group who has such a keen eye for design. I wanted each tablescape to become a conversation starter and play a part in the overall story.”
Antonio Bond arranged a tablescape of feathery bronze-painted plumosa, white nigella, and nigella pods. He then tucked dried insects amid the flowers.
“At the Field Dinner, we summoned a sense of origin and provenance for a celebration of the land,” says LaMere. “I wanted the menu to honor ingredients without a lot of manipulation, and I wanted the table to appear as if it had sprouted from the earth.”
—the Camp Round Top hostess
—the Camp Round Top hostess
Bond created a statement centerpiece for the Tapas and Tacos Dinner, pulling from his collection of driftwood and building arrangements of succulents, air plants, scabiosa pods, eucalyptus, and moss. He nestled in small statues, bones, and glass orbs “to give guests little curiosities and special moments,” he says. “I love seeing a Greek statue with a broken nose or missing arm in a museum because it tells a story. I wanted to evoke that kind of feeling in the field.”
THE NIGHTS OF CAMP ROUND TOP
AttireCome as you are (cowboy boots optional) •Décora rustic blend of Texan and Mexican elements capped off by Antonio Bond’s botanical tablescape that included antique trinkets and talismans to evoke treasures that might be found during the show •Menuhomemade chips and caviar; wild trout salad; duck à l’orange haute dogs; lobster, wagyu steak, and sunchoke tacos; churros with hot chocolate •Memorable MomentChef Yann Nury’s tortillas ceremoniales, branded with the Camp Round Top monogram
AttireKasbah caftans •Décorinspired by Yves Saint Laurent’s legendary villa in Marrakesh, with kilim rugs, patterned poufs, vibrant flowers, and fruits •Menubaba ganoush; kefta meatballs; lamb shoulder with harissa vegetables served in hand-forged copper tagines; baklava; and mint tea •Memorable Momentanticipating each course by fanning a tasseled place card and menu deck with Moroccan-tile motifs and Majorelle blue
Attirelinen •Décororganic, as if the table and everything on it had sprung from the earth, including Bond’s wispy floral arrangements that looked foraged from the meadow beyond •Menucarpaccio of grouper; guinea fowl; white peaches and cream •Memorable Momentssharing photographs at the table of individual aura readings taken earlier in the day; after dinner, a private performance by singer Lavelle White, a 90-something Texas blues legend
By Karen Carroll | Photography by Dagnushka
Event Design + Coordination by Cassie LaMere Events
Floral Design by Antonio Bond, Transplants Floral
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