avant austin

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

More than 100 of Austin's design enthusiasts packed into Threshold's beautifuldowntown space to support local designers, mingle and hear Austin design secretsfrom some of its signature designers.
Photo by Jessica Pages
You can find beautiful pieces and accessories throughout the store.
Photo by Jessica Pages
Kelly Young, jewelry designer showed her pieces and was one of the artistsinvolved in the "scavenger hunt."
Photo by Jessica Pages
Guests took part in a scavenger hunt finding local artists and their workthroughout the night to win a Philippe Starck Masters Chair by Kartell
Photo by Jessica Pages
The entrance to Threshold's beautiful showroom-studio.
Photo by Jessica Pages
Kristina Schlegel from AIA Austin shows off her cute style and her newCultureMap giftbag.
Photo by Jessica Pages
A La Croix du Dimanche Chair
Photo by Jessica Pages
Lisa Adelman Taylor from Urbanspace Realtors poses with two designers.
Photo by Jessica Pages
Guests mingled while they appreciated the fine craftsmanship of the pieces inThreshold's showroom.
Photo by Jessica Pages

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.

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Taste of 2025

Austin's Wine & Food Foundation announces 3 big events for 2025

Photo by Erica Wilkins Photography

Theses Wine & Food Foundation events raise funds for local initiatives.

Austin's food scene is booming, but smaller businesses could always use support. The Wine & Food Foundation is one of Austin's leading industry protectors, and it's just announced three events to help support its mission over the next year.

The three events — Big Reds and Bubbles, Toast of Texas, and the Rare & Fine Wine Auction Gala — are spread out between March and November of 2025, and all offer something a bit different.

They'll all benefit the Wine & Food Foundation and, by extension, the local organizations it supports. Those include Keep Austin Fed, which diverts food surpluses from grocery stores, catered events, and other sites of professional food service; and Sustainable Food Center, which helps Texans access healthy food through SNAP and WIC incentives, hosts farmers markets, connects farmers with resources, and more. The Wine & Food Foundation also offers scholarships for hospitality professionals.

Big Reds and Bubbles, held Friday, March 28, will bring together more than 100 red and sparkling wines for a tasting event. In addition to comparing wines back-to-back, guests will get to try them with bites from popular Austin restaurants to discover interesting new pairings. They'll also get to dress to impress and see the new LZR space — formerly La Zona Rosa, an old Austin music venue that had its last official performance in 2013.

Next up is Toast of Texas on June 8. This is another tasting event that focuses instead on 20 local wineries. The food menu at this event is also more specific, featuring local barbecue and paella, among other local tastes. It'll be located at Assembly Hall, an event space on East 7th Street adjacent to the East Austin Hotel.

Finally, there's the premier event: the Rare & Fine Wine Auction Gala on November 8. This is a big fundraising opportunity not just because of potentially high auction tickets, but the chance to experience something truly out of the ordinary for the wine industry. Guests will also enjoy "an elegant dinner" according to the press release and wines by a featured maker. It'll all happen at the JW Marriott Austin.

The release counts more than 50 other events slated for the year, so there are plenty more opportunities between the big three. Some of these include wine tasting courses, which will be available again soon.

wine tasting small businesses wineries nonprofits galas