When it comes to interior design, Bunny Williams is undoubtedly an outstanding figure. She is widely acclaimed for her contribution to the art of adorning houses. Born in Charlottesville, Virginia, she finished her studies in design, whereupon she decided to move to Manhattan. It proved to be a turning point for her, as there she met Sister Parish and Albert Hadley – the legendary decorators – and got an opportunity to work for them.
The beginning
They became her mentors and under their gentle guidance her own style had been gradually evolving for the next 22 years. The crowning of this process was the establishment of her own business in 1988. Currently, apart from being one of the Grand Dames of interior design, she creates ingenious patterns for fabrics, rugs and carpets. If that was not enough, the artist also has her own furniture line – Bunny Williams Home.
Meaning of Bunny’s art
Bunny’s work philosophy is “to show people how easy it is to live with beautiful things”. Not only is she passionate about decorative arts and interior design, but she is a great enthusiast of gardening as well. Being very nuanced about every detail in a house, she insists on making it both functional and aesthetic. According to Bunny “rooms are not stage sets”, which means that next to all sophistication first thing is they need to be comfortable and cosy. The paramount importance for her is that guests, when being invited to your house, should have the feeling of ease and the space to sit. Moreover, the ideal house ought to be personalized, so that it can be named ‘home’. She suggests filling the rooms with books and objects that go hand in hand with one’s personality.
Antique and contemporary by Bunny Williams
Bunny’s approach to designing can be described as classical. Her style is pretty eclectic – she is known for mixing antique decorations with the contemporary ones. Being full of respect for tradition, she is capable of putting a seemingly old and useless thing to good use and giving them a brand new life. Her unique style is a result of various inspirations. The chief ones were Sister Parish, Albert Hadley, Nancy Lancaster and Frances Elkins. She is also a skilled rug designer, who in cooperation with Doris Leslie Blau, created many timeless designs of contemporary rugs.
Books by Bunny Williams
Bunny Williams is the author of couple of books, including: A Scrapbook For Living, On Garden Style, An Affair with a House, Point of View and The Parish-Hadley Tree of life: An Intimate History of the Legendary Design Firm written together with Brian McCarthy.
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