Design secrets unveiled at Austin Design Riot!, a celebration of our unique design culture

Last night, CultureMap Austin, in partnership with Apartment Therapy and Threshold Furniture and Design, hosted Austin's first ever Design Riot! as part of AIA's inaugural Austin x Design. More than 100 of Austin's design enthusiasts packed into Threshold's beautiful downtown space to support local designers, mingle and hear Austin design secrets from some of its signature designers.

Throughout the evening, participants also competed in a local designer scavenger hunt, showcasing everything from delicate jewelry to handcrafted dining tables, all crafted by creative hands here in Austin.

The night was a true celebration of all of Austin's unique design culture, one that has grown, especially in recent years, and found its place on the national scene. As designer Sharon Radovich said, 20 years ago, there was only one place in town to buy granite, and Austin only had three tile stores. Over the years, the Austin design aesthetic has grown, melding soft contemporary elements from California with pattern-on-pattern styles from the East Coast, all the while maintaining its unique roots.

Now on to the secrets. Four influential Austin designers shared some of their experiences designing in Austin, all the way from finding their first client here to their favorite new upholsterer. While we can't reveal them all (some of what happened at Threshold must stay at Threshold), here are five secrets from Austin's first Design Riot!: 

• The perfect white paint: Sherwin Williams Pure White (from Sharon Radovich of Panache Interiors)

• Check Howl Interiors on South Lamar for one-of-a-kind pieces (from Trent Huntgren, past contestant on HGTV's Design Star)

• There are lots of lovely shapes floating around Austin that can be reinvented, sometimes all that takes is a coat of paint from an auto body shop (Veronica Koltuniak)

• Make Room Service part of your weekly route when searching for a piece with good bones (Veronica Koltuniak)

• Treat every project like it's your first: Maintaining that intensity will maintain the integrity in your work (Murray Legge)

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Austin x Design is a month long event celebrating Austin's design community. For a full list of events, visit www.austinbydesign.org.