Architectural Digest Designer Bunny Williams’ Tips for Designers
It’s hard to believe it’s already been 4 weeks since our amazing BlogTour NYC with Modenus!
A true highlight was our trip to the Upper East Side of NYC to visit with world-renowned interior designer Bunny Williams in her wonderful shop Treillage. Treillage started as a desire to have a true garden store in New York when Bunny couldn’t find anything she needed for clients… and became much more. A mix of precious and “crunchy” garden and indoor furnishings and accessories peacefully live side-by-side and make for an enchanting space!
I already own one of Bunny’s spectacular design books, Point of View, and have literally spent hours absorbing every detail of her amazing taste! So to meet her in person and be able to ask questions was a real treat! If you are not familiar with her work, we are not talking about 5,000 square feet in a country club… Her homes are often 20,000 square feet in the Dominican Republic. These are the type of homes featured regularly in Architectural Digest – so if you are a design fan, I am sure you will appreciate her work if you don’t already.
She and her adorable husband John Rosselli enthralled us with stories of their adventures and their trips all over the world. John owns one of the most respected antique shops in New York City (simply named John Rosselli Antiques), and it sounds like they have scoured practically every corner of the globe to outfit their respective clients. What a match made in heaven! (And from a practical standpoint, every international trip is a tax write-off!!)
I loved hearing how she leaves “blanks” in her design presentations because she just doesn’t know yet what treasure she will find to put in a particular spot! The element of surprise attached to this really sets her work apart! Wandering around her shop was a little bit of an Alice in Wonderland experience. Every piece tells a story, and you can feel the sense of adventure in her shop!
I truly learned a lot from Bunny, but possibly the biggest eye-opener for me was when she said, “If your client has a smaller budget that won’t furnish the entire project – speak to them about doing one or two rooms COMPLETELY before moving on to the rest of the home rather than spread the budget too thin. Share with your client that they will be much happier this way!” I love advice like this!!!
Bunny is the rare breed – she is the epitome of a gracious Southern lady as well as an amazing business person. Besides her international clientele and shop Treillage, she is also constantly creating her own lines. Right now she is curating her own brand of gorgeous outdoor furniture for Century Furnishings as well as a line of outdoor rugs for Albert and Dash Co.
Of course, I had to pick up copies of her latest design books, Scrapbook for Living and An Affair with a House while I was there, and Bunny was gracious enough to sign them for me. I collect signed design books, and I will treasure these!
Thank you for a wonderful afternoon, Bunny and John, and memories that will last a lifetime!
