How Mary and Henrik Follin rebuilt their antiques empire in Texas
After only four short years in Round Top, Mary and Henrik Follin have built Round Top Ranch Antiques into the largest single collection of authentic European antique furniture and original oil paintings in town. They’re also the only antiques store open from Monday to Saturday throughout the year, providing designers and homeowners with virtually endless access to a vast selection of world class pieces.
The Follins may be relative newcomers to the Round Top scene, but they’re no strangers to the antiques business. The couple has over two decades of invaluable experience in sourcing, shipping and sharing their love of European antiques.
Large scale case pieces and vintage leather at Round Top Ranch Antiques
Organic, stripped finishes at Round Top Ranch Antiques
Rustic country charm at Round Top Ranch Antiques
Incredible set of Gustavian chairs at Round Top Ranch Antiques
Denmark native Henrik Follin has been selling antiques since he was a teen. After establishing a successful wholesale antiques business in Northern Europe, he moved to Colorado in the mid-1990s to to expand his business in the entrepreneurial-friendly US market. By the early 2000s, Follin’s Denver-based company Scandinavian Antiques had become the largest importer of Scandinavian pieces in the western US.
Henrik’s wife and business partner Mary Follin recalls the day they first met in December of 2000. While Henrik was in the process of expanding his Denver showroom: “He was working on hands and knees to revive old hardwood floors that afternoon when I literally walked into his store and life,” Mary says.
After building their family and business together for nearly two decades in Denver, a change of pace was in order. The couple traveled to Round Top just to get away from the city and experience the 2018 Round Top Antiques + Design Show. And just like everyone else who visits this fair hamlet, they fell in love. Within four months, they had purchased property and began creating a new home for their antiques empire.
The humble, rustic exteriors of Round Top Ranch belie the soaring ceilings and spacious, airy showrooms inside, where there is ample room to display a wide range of pieces. The constantly shifting inventory is spread between three expansive buildings amounting to a sprawling 35,000 square-feet of brightly lit, impeccably organized display space (with nary a dust bunny in sight).
“Because of this incredible space Henrik designed, we are able to showcase large display cabinets and bookcases,” explains co-owner Mary Follin. “Since, ‘everything is bigger in Texas’, many homes here are in need of dramatic, large wall units, dining tables and more.”
Original hand painted pieces are always in good supply at Round Top Ranch Antiques
Original patina and hand carved details abound at Round Top Ranch Antiques
Phenomenal painted finishes at Round Top Ranch Antiques
Regardless of what you are searching for, from hand-carved case pieces to hand painted trunks and benches, refined Gustavian chests, clocks and chairs to more casual farm tables, vintage leather club chairs and sofas, epic art and accessories – Round Top Ranch has it all. And the supply seems never-ending.
The majority of Round Top Ranch’s antique furniture is carefully restored, ensuring items taken home are in proper condition for immediate display and use. Buyers can be confident that their purchases are true heirlooms that can be enjoyed for years to come.
The Follins’ warehouses in Denmark and Hungary are continuously filled with local finds gathered on buying trips and via Henrik’s longstanding network of sources. Containers are shipped to the US regularly, ensuring that the Round Top Ranch showrooms are frequently restocked with new antiques.
“I am searching and buying from international sources on a daily basis from here in the US,” Henrik says. “We then store everything in our warehouses until we are able to pack and ship a full container to the US, which we do approximately once a month.”
In fact, a new container filled with carefully selected pieces is due to land in Round Top just in time for the fall antiques show. The Follins will be on site as always to assist customers with questions about new arrivals and existing pieces, and to guide purchases from start to finish, including shipping if needed.
“We love developing relationships with our Round Top shoppers, many of whom have become not only clients, but often friends as well,” Mary says. “We are blessed beyond words and thankful to be living and doing business in Texas. The people here are kind, helpful and supportive. We are honored to now be Texans and call this home.”
You can visit Round Top Ranch Antiques daily during the Fall 2023 Antiques + Design Show, and Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm, year-round. Round Top Ranch Antiques is located at 2545 Hwy 237, Round Top. Not able to visit in person? Round Top Ranch’s full antiques inventory is listed online, here. Reach out to Henrik and Mary with any questions at 979-249-5100, or email: [email protected].
