Book Love: Bunny Mellon Style

November 16, 2021

Book Love: Bunny Mellon Style

American Design, Arbiter of style, Bunny Mellon Style, Design, Icon, Interior Design

I blame Bunny for the bags under my eyes today.

I was fortunate to receive an advance press copy of the new book, Bunny Mellon Style. I thought I would flip through the images before bed but this beauty is so much more. I read for hours and have more to go.

Bunny Mellon truly possessed the most well trained and edited eye. If you are a design lover you will adore this book. So much design today is emulating what came naturally to Bunny.

I am truly inspired by this American icon and arbiter of style.

Bunny Mellon Style is the intimate story of one of the most unintentionally influential women of twentieth-century design. Learn how her style developed, take a look inside the family homes she designed, get the flavor of her collaborations with French designers of fashion and jewelry, and begin to understand her vast and lasting influence on the world of design. Original research by the authors uncovered Mrs. Mellon’s personal writings and correspondences. They talked with people who knew her, who were employed by her, and who spent time in her home and gardens. From published works, they extracted information about personal relationships between Mrs. Mellon and Jackie Kennedy Onasis, designers Billy Baldwin, Balenciaga, Givenchy, and more. Blending stories and accounts from such a wide variety of viewpoints results in a unique perspective of this extraordinary woman who moved in the upper echelon of society but preferred not to be noticed in the public eye. This book reveals Mrs. Mellon’s style in furnishings, art, and collectibles; her dietary habits and penchant for picnics; her personal investment in designing every aspect of her homes, secondary buildings, and gardens. Come away with the highest regard for a woman who was disciplined and self-taught, who loved learning from historic texts, who was accomplished in myriad ways, and who was as utterly unpretentious and down-to-earth. A foreword by her grandson Thomas Lloyd is both surprising and warm. An abundance of imagery is used, including professional and archival photography, watercolors, whimsical hand drawings, and sketches.

All images via AD and many can also be found in the book.

About the Authors:

Linda Jane Holden is the author of The Gardens of Bunny Mellon, first published in October 2018 and now in its 4th printing. Thomas Lloyd, grandson of Bunny Mellon is President of the Gerard B. Lambert Foundation, which was established by Bunny Mellon to honor her father. Bryan Huffman is an interior designer based in Charlotte, NC with a client base that spans the East Coast and extends into Texas.

Daily Desires: