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Bunny Williams Crafts a Living Room Around a Mark Rothko Abstraction

The design doyenne brings the past and present together in a room centered on a masterpiece by the famed painter

By Jacqueline Terrebonne
Collage of modern art, decor items, sofa, mirror, chandelier, green vase, small table, and a rug on a brown background.
Bunny Williams crafts a room centered on a masterpiece by Mark Rothko.

The more time one spends in a space conceived by Bunny Williams, the more one discovers, as the designer’s interiors gradually reveal their complex layers of colors and patterns, references and periods. For this soigné living room, she turned to an abstract by Mark Rothko for inspiration. “There’s something about looking at his canvases again and again that is both soothing and complicated,” she says. In her new book, Bunny Williams: Life in the Garden (Rizzoli), she shares another source of inspiration, the grounds of her Connecticut home, and how she brings those natural elements indoors.

Smiling woman with short hair wearing a white shirt and orange bead necklace against a neutral background.
Bunny Williams. Photo: Sari Goodfriend
Abstract painting with bold horizontal bands of color, including yellow, black, red, and green, creating a striking composition.
Untitled (1949) by Mark Rothko. Photo: COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART
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Bunny Williams Crafts a Living Room Around a Mark Rothko Masterpiece

Grant sofa by Bunny Williams Home.

Photograph by COURTESY OF BUNNY WILLIAMS HOME

Ceramic topiary by Zachary Zimmerman from Liz O’Brien.

Photograph by COURTESY OF LIZ O’BRIEN

Mirror by Eve Kaplan from Gerald Bland.

Photograph by COURTESY OF GERALD BLAND

Antique Indian Amritsar rug from Doris Leslie Blau.

Photograph by COURTESY OF DORIS LESLIE BLAU

Giselle console by Bunny Williams Home.

Photograph by COURTESY OF BUNNY WILLIAMS HOME

Grand chandelier by Marc Bankowsky from Maison Gerard.

Photograph by ARIAN CAMILLERI

Handblown leech bowl by KRB NYC.

Photograph by COURTESY OF KRB
Beige upholstered sofa with four matching cushions against a plain white background.
Ceramic tree sculpture with intricate leaf details in a square pot on a white background
Ornate vintage mirror with an intricate carved frame featuring floral and scrollwork designs.
Vintage Persian rug with intricate floral and geometric patterns in muted earth tones.
Elegant neoclassical gold console table with black marble top and carved detailing on the front panel and legs.
Gold leaf-inspired chandelier with intricate vine design and ambient lighting on white background.
Green glass vase with a wide, round body and narrow neck, set on a pedestal base against a white background.
Beige upholstered sofa with four matching cushions against a plain white background.
Ceramic tree sculpture with intricate leaf details in a square pot on a white background
Ornate vintage mirror with an intricate carved frame featuring floral and scrollwork designs.
Vintage Persian rug with intricate floral and geometric patterns in muted earth tones.
Elegant neoclassical gold console table with black marble top and carved detailing on the front panel and legs.
Gold leaf-inspired chandelier with intricate vine design and ambient lighting on white background.
Green glass vase with a wide, round body and narrow neck, set on a pedestal base against a white background.

A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2024 Spring Issue under the headline “Eternal Beauty.” Subscribe to the magazine.