Bunny Mellon Style

by Linda Jane Holden, Thomas Lloyd, Bryan Huffman

This fascinating story of an American style icon Bunny Mellon, an art collector and philanthropist with her husband Paul Mellon, reveals how her style developed and how she became a self-confident, hands-on designer of homes and gardens in a privileged world.

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.

Genres: Interior Design

300 pages, Hardcover

Published December 7, 2021

Reviews

[Joey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really had no idea who Bunny Mellon was before I read this book. Of course it was British stylist Nicholas Fairford who introduced me to this lovely woman and her effortless style. The book is a collection of biography and history with a gorgeous array of photos from all of the Mellon properties. If you love design, or even fashion, this is a joy to read and look through.

[Annie Guest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bunny Mellon Style is a magnificent book. As the author of an interior design book myself, I pay rapt attention to a book's layout and print quality, as well as to its content. Bunny Mellon Style has it all. The book is big, with a trim size of 10" w x 12" h--and attention has been paid to every detail that makes a book look and feel special. As for the content, the authors help us get to know Mrs. Mellon, and as we come to know her and learn about her life, we understand her perspective and perhaps her eye. One of the authors who helps us get to know Bunny is her own grandson, Thomas Lloyd. Bunny Mellon had a gift for making old pieces she might find in the attic look right at home in her rooms. She didn't over-curate: Her rooms appear casual and lived-in, but most important, they are places where one would feel comfortable spending time. Bunny believed that in putting together a room, nothing should be noticed. That's not a principle I follow, because I enjoy directing people's attention to one thing and perhaps away from others. But the core of this principle is a warning against ostentatious, look-at-what-I-have design, and with that message, I wholeheartedly concur. This book is a delight.