Austin Way Magazine - GreenGale Publishing - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/881258
Since starting Loot Vintage Rentals six years ago as a way to furnish weddings with unique decor, Austinites Anna Crelia and Rhoda Brimberry have grown the company into one of the state's largest vintage rental and event styling outfits. In September, the women launched an online retail offshoot called Loot Finer Goods, a small-batch collection of items for the home, and shortened the name of their company to Loot Rentals. Says Brimberry: "We are more than just vintage; we are design-forward, offering rentals that [clients] didn't even know existed." e debut retail collection takes a similar approach, with a mix of new items such as teak tables and woven pendant lighting to found pieces refurbished by local artisans. Highlights include a pair of original 1970s Arne Norell leather Kontiki sofas, Genuine & Ginger handmade wall hangings, and custom tables made of German gym mats and locally made metal bases. "We want to encourage filling homes with items to love that have personal value," Brimberry says. 3312 Duke Road, 512.464.1184, lootvintagerentals.com NOW OPEN Solid Footing New high-end flooring showroom A Modern Step combines contemporary style with eco-friendly materials. Eco-friendly hardwoods might sound like an oxymoron, but the combination is the result of another unlikely duo: lighting designer and actress Kacey Samiee and technology consultant Aaron Lindsey. Their friendship and mutual eco-conscious approach to interior design led to A Modern Step, an upscale, gallery-style showroom by appointment only. "We knew from the start that we wanted to be disruptive to the industry," says Lindsey. All of the products, including an arsenal of reclaimed wood, Dutch brand WOODlife and selections from British rug designer Sonya Winner, are handpicked by Samiee and Lindsey to ensure a quality standard. "Flooring is a large palette, so we try to inspire [clients] to do something out of their comfort zone," says Samiee. "We're determined to do right by the wood and the world." 505 W. 38th St., Unit B, 512.514.0738, amodernstep.com –Hannah Morrow BR ANCHING OUT By Kathy Blackwell // Photography by Paige Newton SHAR ING THE LOOT Loot Rentals recently launched Loot Finer Goods, a small-batch selection of home furnishings. Below is a 19th century French Napoleon III settee custom-upholstered in a vintage Turkish hemp rug, $3,500. 5 4 A U S T I N W A Y L A T E F A L L 2 0 1 7 | M O D E R N L U X U R Y . C O M D E S I G N & R E A L T Y r e s o u r c e s A Modern Step's new showroom offers a gallery of options in high-end flooring.