Known for its live music and mouthwatering BBQ, Austin, Texas is one of America’s fastest growing cities and one of the top travel destinations in the country. Rich in culture, Austin is chock full of shops, restaurants, bars and home to world-class festivals. Our partner showroom, SUPPLY, is smack-dab in the center of it all.
Located in a chic 1930s bungalow, SUPPLY is a boutique fabric, leather, lighting, furniture and wallpaper paper showroom. Sourced from all over the world, their trade lines represent the cutting-edge of the modern and sophisticated aesthetic. SUPPLY offers a curated mix of inspiring product–all exclusive to the showroom in Texas–for both residential and commercial design. Owners Callie Jenschke, Kim West and Kristin Gish started the boutique design business after moving to Austin from New York City.
'We are pretty different from other showrooms in Texas due to our boutique style. Everything here is very curated and based on independent artists and independent lines. We work directly with each vendor, and because of that, we have unlimited options for customization.'
As part of our #ShowOnTheRoadMG tour, we had the opportunity to visit the ladies at SUPPLY and chat about all things design, leather, and…well…the best place to satisfy a BBQ craving.
M&G: Tell us the story of SUPPLY.
SUPPLY: We are a multi-line showroom that opened in September of 2015. We currently house close to 75 different lines from all over the world that are independent, artisan driven, lines. I started SUPPLY with Kristin Gish and Kim West, who like myself, are former New Yorkers. All three of us have Texas roots, Kim and I are from here, and Kristin married a Texan. After 10-plus years in New York, we were all ready for a change and decided to come back to Texas. We realized quickly that Austin was in desperate need of design help and resources. Traditionally, designers had to go to Dallas or Houston to find resources for their projects. That, coupled with the fact that I had built up a plethora of resources [lines not available in Texas] from living and working in New York, I saw a need that we could fill. The lines we represent are exclusive to us in Texas and have never been represented here before.
When we were opening, we definitely knew that we wanted to bring in a line of leather. We immediately reached out to Brooks Morrison to see if we could get Moore & Giles leather to Austin.
M&G: How did your relationship with Moore & Giles begin?
SUPPLY: I was introduced to Moore & Giles back when I was an editor at Metropolitan Home Magazine. Brooks Morrison came in to talk to me about Moore & Giles leather and we hit it off right away. After I left the magazine world, I was a designer in NYC and would always use Moore & Giles leather in all of my projects. I would visit Angela Brown’s showroom as a resource. Knowing Angela and her model is something that I wanted to try to replicate here in Austin.
M&G: How does SUPPLY differ from other showrooms in Texas?
SUPPLY: We are pretty different from other showrooms in Texas due to our boutique style. Everything here is very curated and based on independent artists and independent lines. We work directly with each vendor, and because of that, we have unlimited options for customization. We are actually working with people to develop stuff that works for Texas and the needs in Texas. We are very close with our vendors, which adds to our uniqueness.
M&G: Tell us about the design culture in Austin.
SUPPLY: Austin, I think, has always been the redheaded step-child to both Dallas and Houston. A lot of people who could afford designers were hiring people outside of Austin. Also, a lot of designers who were working in Austin were so used to going to NYC or LA to find cool stuff–so for us, we were challenged with changing traditional buying habits by showing people that we’ve got really cool stuff right here! The Austin design scene is changing rapidly. This used to be a super hippy, laid back town, but now with the tech boom, people are moving here in droves from LA, NYC and San Francisco. The design offerings here in Texas didn’t really match the design taste of the people who are moving here. That’s been really great for us to be a part of that growth and change and being the forefront of capturing that audience who is ready for exciting design.
M&G: Tell us about any projects that you’ve been a part of [using Moore & Giles] leather that stand out to you.
SUPPLY: Studio A is a great client of ours. They’re doing a house on Lake Austin that is beautiful. Anne Tucker is the designer, and she uses Moore & Giles frequently. She used Moore & Giles on two chairs in the library of this home that are stunning.
While you’re in town, we selected a few of our favorite local spots to enjoy a coffee, cocktail or bite to eat:
Flat Track Coffee
Located on East Cesar Chavez, Flat Track Coffee is a hipster coffee bar & roastery that has become a popular spot for local coffee lovers since its opening in 2012. Flat Track shares its space with a bike shop, and its decor pays homage to all things vintage. Specializing in several brew methods, their cold brew and cortado were on point.
Fresa’s (South First Location)
The perfect spot for lunch al fresco, Fresa’s tree-shaded patio lends a taste of the neighborhood’s easygoing character. A great place to grab a bite – or happy hour cocktail! Their menu is full of Mexican dishes that are so full of flavor, you’ll want to dine there every day. This location also features a full-service walk-up window ready to serve up a meal anytime.
Launderette
One of Food & Wine’s finalists for Best Restaurants in 2016, Launderette is the spot for dinner in Austin. The menu is diverse and full of fresh, seasonal options. Located in a converted gas station/laundromat, Launderette’s uncomplicated design and well-balanced menu are the perfect combination. Did we mention they have birthday cake ice cream sandwiches for dessert!?
Helm Boots
We also had the pleasure of spending time with our friends at Helm Boots. Their boots, which have become somewhat of an Austin icon, utilize certain Moore & Giles leathers and are made in America. In the coming weeks we will feature Helm founder Josh Bingaman (pictured here) and the team from Helm in an upcoming blog.
