Design Legend Bunny Williams Reveals How She's Keeping Busy at Home Right Now
As we all look for new ways to find inspiration without leaving the house, design lovers now have a great new source: a podcast from designer Paloma Contreras. Called the Style Files, it features raw conversations between Contreras and legendary designers, who reveal decorating tips, personal stories, and what they're doing to keep busy during self-isolation.
"I found that I really wanted to connect with my fellow creatives right now," Contreras explains, "and I thought others would be interested in what they had to say." For the launch, Contreras has interviewed an all-star roster of design icons (all of whom have featured in the pages of House Beautiful!): Bunny Williams, Mark D. Sikes, Jeffrey Bilhuber, Amanda Lindroth, and Nick Olsen.
While isolating at her Connecticut home with her husband John Rosselli, Williams had some words of advice for those in homes of any scale: "I've been playing around with things, changing lampshades," she says of her desire to redecorate sans leaving home. She advises others to do the same: "Even if you have a studio apartment, think, ok if this is my home; how can I make it better?"
Another suggestion? Use any spare time to learn, urges the designer. "Read more, educate yourself," says Williams, who shares that she has reorganized her own home library to encourage herself to revisit forgotten books. But it doesn't take a library on Bunny Williams's scale to do that: "Figure out what you don’t know and get on your computer, go to your books, and educate yourself so when you come out of this, you’re going to feel a little bit empowered," she says.
In between books, Williams has also found respite in her garden. "I'm learning more and more about it," she says. But the biggest at-home activity she'd like to encourage? Giving back. As a co-chair of the Kips Bay Decorator Show House, which benefits The Bronx's Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club and was postponed this year, Williams stresses that organizations who had to move fundraising events are struggling now more than ever. "The more people that can sponsor a child at Kips Bay, the more help they can have," she says. (Here's how to donate.)
Williams has also been involved with Women’s Support Service, a domestic violence organization, whose work, she points out, is crucial right now. "This is the worst time for that," she says. "Imagine the horrible situation people are going to be in who face that. I think all of us, wherever we live, if we can reach out to some organization, even in some small way, I think it’s going to make us all feel better."
To hear more from Williams—and listen to the other interviews—stream The Style Files podcast here.
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