Bunny Williams is Just Like You

[Bunny Williams and John Roselli]

Bunny Williams came to town last week to give a speech and slide show about decorating at the DMA to a jam-packed, sold out crowd of women. I never expected anything Williams said to haunt me a week later (I mean, we’re talking about decorating here) but it has. Seems she and husband John Roselli bought a vacation house in the Dominican Republic, which Williams couldn’t wait to decorate. It was her first house with Roselli that she would get to do from scratch. Roselli, an antiques dealer of some international renown, had tons of furniture in storage so they shipped it down. Then, even though she’s Bunny Williams, one of the world’s greatest decorators, Roselli pitched a fit about the print fabrics and the lively colors she planned to use. He wanted neutral. They argued back and forth, as husbands and wives will do when decorating a house. The next series of slides Williams showed were from the vacation house: rooms filled with antique furniture upholstered in whites and beiges, with similarly colored walls. “I didn’t get to do what I hoped to do with the house,” she said with a hint of sadness, “but I like how it turned out.” I didn’t believe her. Williams pointed out the colorful antique Susani throws and the smattering of embroidered pillows on the sofas that were her contributions. My heart sank, and I wondered how many women in the room that morning nodded silently to themselves and understood.