Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1462584
TEXAS DESIGN WEEK HOUSTON B u n n y M e l l o n , one of the most u n i n t e n t i o n a l l y influential women o f 2 0 t h - c e n t u r y design, has left her imprint in the decorative world — painted hardwood floors, potted myrtle topiaries, handwoven baskets — and in the world of fashion as muse and friend to Balenciaga, Hubert de Givenchy, and Jean Schlumberger. The late philanthropist and horticulturalist known for her unparalleled eye for detail, preference for understated elegance, and gardening frocks designed by Balenciaga, then Givenchy, created legendary family homes and gardens that are revered today. Thomas Lloyd, Bunny Mellons' grandson and president of the Gerard B. Lambert Foundation founded by Bunny Mellon, and designer Bryan Huffman, friend to Mellon for many years, have co-authored Bunny Mellon Style (Gibbs Smith, along with Linda Jane Holden), which offers stories from those close to Mellon as well as personal anecdotes, photography, watercolors, drawings, and excerpts from her personal writings and correspondence. A foreword by Tory Burch — current owner of the Mellons' much- loved Antigua estate, King's Leap — sets the tone, musing on Mellon's "perfectly imperfect approach to her houses, and to her gardens … a triumph of restraint." Lloyd and Huffman will discuss the life and influence of Bunny Mellon and sign their book at Texas Design Week Houston Tuesday, April 26, co-hosted by the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA). For information, the full Texas Design Week Houston schedule, and link to purchase tickets, go to texasdesignweek.com. Lisa Collins Shaddock PHOTO FROM THE COLLECTION OF OAK SPRING GARDEN FOUNDATION, UPPERVILLE, VA STYLE AND SUBSTANCE BUNNY MELLON: Inside the central pavilion of Bunny Mellon's formal greenhouse with Fernand Renard trompe l'oeil paintings 80