Review: Rancho Pillow

Why did this place catch your attention?
An air-conditioned teepee, tower house, and tin-roofed "Love Shack" casita are just a few of the offbeat lodging options offered at this colorful 20-acre ranch, a former artists' retreat. There are inviting patio set-ups with mismatched furniture and porch swings.

What’s the crowd like?
From musicians and authors to international antique collectors, all of Rancho Pillow's guests share a bohemian spirit.

The good stuff: Tell us about the rooms.
I stayed in the Red House, a 2,300-square-foot farmhouse built in 1896, with a lemon-yellow living room and zany tchotchkes aplenty. Each of Rancho Pillow's lodgings has a similarly distinctive flavor—the owner is a master of mixing antiques, rich colors, and global textiles with folk art and taxidermy. It's a challenge to find a single square inch that isn't doused with color. Vintage cowboy hats and sombreros serve as wall decor; wire egg baskets are repurposed as chandeliers.

How about the little things, like mini bar, or shower goodies. Any of that worth a mention?
The Barn and The Red House are both standalone lodgings with full kitchens, which makes them ideal for a long weekend away with friends. All other rooms have a kitchenette, and mini fridges stocked with Richard's Rainwater (a Texas-brand water, because the Lone Star State does everything better) and Topo Chico. Snacks like tortilla chips and Royito's hot sauce offer a little local flavor, and there's even Piñon campfire incense available to burn. Instead of a robe, you'll find an indigo-dyed cotton caftan stitched with a third eye hanging in your bathroom—they're also available for purchase, for a cool $225—next to plush Turkish towels. Artisan bathroom products are in constant rotation, though some featured brands include Rudy’s Barbershop shampoo and conditioner, a Bathing Culture body wash called “Northern California in a bottle,” La Abeja, from a local herbalist, and Tub Elixir by Manready Mercantile.

Staff: If you could award one a trophy, who gets it, and why?
Sheila Youngblood, Rancho Pillow's one-of-a-kind owner, is as charming and vibrant as the wonderland she's built.

Anything else stand out?
Long talks around the fire pit are part of Rancho's charms; so to encourage nighttime banter, guests have full use of outdoor grills, coolers, and fire pits, along with firewood and Bolivian blankets for added warmth.

Bottom line: Why are we choosing Rancho Pillow?
Staying at this whimsical ranch is an enchanting experience—Round Top is a quirky arts mecca, and Rancho Pillow is reflective of that spirit.