American interior designer Bunny Williams is a pro at hosting a summer garden party. See below her top tips to get the look …
Bunny Williams, American interior designer extraordinaire, and her husband John renovated their 18th-century manor house in Connecticut over many years with Williams tackling the gardens. Those gardens now include a parterre, year-round conservatory, extensive vegetable garden, orchard, woodlands, an aviary with exotic fowl, and a rustic poolside Greek Revival-style folly. In her new book, Bunny Williams: Life in the Garden, she admits creating this garden was not a seamless process.
An enthusiastic entertainer with ‘a moveable feast’ approach to hosting – guests might find themselves dining in the conservatory, the formal dining room, the hall, the kitchen – Williams also brings the garden into her beautifully decorated home, via stunning floral arrangements, tablescapes and elaborate seasonal vignettes. “I am not a master florist; in fact, I like my arrangements to be loose and to feel as though I just went outside with my clippers, gathered a bunch of flowers in my hand, and dropped them into a vase.”
“Entertaining is very easy when you are prepared. I confess that, after many years of collecting, I have three pantries filled with china, glasses, napkins, tablecloths, and silverware. What is amazing to me is that if you are enthusiastic shoppers like John and I are, you can find such interesting things in secondhand shops and at auctions.”
FOUR STEPS TO GET THE LOOK
1. Get creative with floral posies and centrepieces. If you don’t have fresh flowers, use small terracotta pots with living herbs.
2. From dainty bud vases to pretty pitchers, Astier De Villatte has all sorts of vessels that can be used as vases. From €75; www.electra.ie.
3. Linen napkins add natural texture to a table, and they’re the sustainable option. €20 each; www.stableofireland.com.
4. Bamboo-handle cutlery looks right on a summer table. Søstrene Grene’s sets are well priced – €37.80 for four pieces; www.sostrenegrene.com.
