When Houstonians head east on I-10 for New Orleans, they’re typically thinking about live music, exceptional food, and vibrant nightlife, but the city is also rich territory for art and antique shopping.

Houston has its share of antiques, but designers insist New Orleans still holds the upper hand in character, history, and unexpected finds, which is why so many make the drive to search for pieces that transform rooms—and turn houses into homes with stories.

Shaped by French and Spanish culture, New Orleans has a deep well of antique shops, most stocked with European merchandise favored by interior designers. These stores are scattered across the Crescent City, though major concentrations exist downtown, in the Garden District, and in clusters along Magazine Street—destinations that have drawn design professionals from Houston and beyond for decades.

“There’s no city richer in history,” says Houston interior designer Marie Flanigan of Marie Flanigan Interiors. “They’re gushing with soulful stores, both in French heritage but also a lot of British antiques and shops.”

Flanigan often brings clients to New Orleans to source distinctive items for their homes; in fact, she was just there six months ago. She usually begins on Royal Street, browsing Moss Antiques, M.S. Rau, Sutton Galleries, Harris Antiques, and Keils Antiques. Her tour doesn’t stop there. Upholstered furniture often comes from Tara Shaw, textiles from B. Viz Design, copper lanterns from Bevolo, and elegant lighting from Julie Neill’s studio.

“Clients love that they’re getting stuff that’s not in front of everyone. It’s something with a story that people are attached to…pieces with character,” Flanigan says. “Traditional, more ornamental pieces are coming back. People are hungry for a little more richness and detail.”

Designers say after several years of antique fatigue, interest in vintage and antique pieces is again strong, with increasing demand for curvy art deco silhouettes and midcentury modern classics.

Sud, a newer shop on Magazine Street, remains somewhat under the radar for casual tourists but is well known among design industry insiders. The dual-purpose architecture studio and home goods store is run by couple Richard Dragisic and William Brockschmidt, who relocated from New York City years ago. Their home in Sicily inspires the inventory, which includes Greek Attic ware (pottery), Arcangela Piscitello’s white ceramics (from a 350-year-old Sicilian ceramics operation, despite how modern and whimsical they seem), and papier-mâché pieces from artist and sculptor Mark Gagnon. “When we get new things from him, they go out so fast that no one sees them,” Dragisic says. “The ceramics go quickly, too—that’s our main flow.”

Wirthmore Antiques, run by owner Gay Wirth since 1983, remains a New Orleans standout for eighteenth- and nineteenth-century country French goods and furniture. Twice a year, Wirth travels to France, where she spends five weeks combing the countryside—people’s barns, basements, and houses—for the most distinctive pieces she can find. “Everything is hand-picked by her,” says store director Tim Jones. Wirthmore is filled with dining tables, armoires, dressers, and chandeliers, as well as extensive collections of china, crystal glassware, and silverware—classic entertaining staples. (Those who love French aesthetics should look for Louis Philippe mirrors, with a simple vertical shape and curved upper corners; wood tables; off-white linen; pale shades; and the occasional painted wood furniture piece.)

The New Orleans–Houston design connection runs deeper than weekend shopping trips. When Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, a Houston client encouraged Wirth to open a booth at what was then the Antiques Pavilion on Westheimer. Wirthmore rented space for a year and a half and participated in the Theta Antiques Show. “Houston was very good to us after Katrina,” Jones says.

At Mac Maison, shoppers can browse French, Italian, Swedish, and Spanish furniture; European lighting from France, Italy, and Portugal; and novelties such as marble-topped Champagne tables and sophisticated eighteenth-century bergère chairs.

For those unable to shop in person, many stores sell their items on design and antique websites such as Chairish or 1stDibs and work directly with designers to fulfill requests for specific items and provide pricing information.

But there’s nothing like taking a physical trip to New Orleans, where you can experience the city’s character and hospitality in person.

“Not only can you find incredible value in antiques in New Orleans,” but spots like silver shop As You Like It also offer restoration and appraisal services, Flanigan says. “There are different services you can tap into.”

Consider it your design scouting trip. Pack comfortable shoes, leave space in your car, and get ready to fall in love with something you never expected.