I would have to say during my time at the Design Blogger’s Conference, I was most inspired by guest speaker, Bunny Williams. Her design approach paired with her business savvy spoke to me. Trained in the “old school” way of learning from the bottom up, her first job out of college had her cataloging antiques. Her second job was on the staff of the famed team of Sister Parish and Albert Hadley (Parish-Hadley) for twenty-two years. Her experience there prepared her to run her own business, design her own furniture and home accessory line, open up a high-end home garden store, Treillage with husband and antique dealer, John Rosselli and write four very successful books that feature her various homes.
The big take-away was her emphasis that young designers had to get out and see things first hand. Online learning, Facebook, blogging and Twittering are important, but visiting museums, traveling, popping into antique stores and markets, puttering into off- the-beaten path shops and if possible, finding an apprenticeship in order to learn from the designers that have come before you is most vital. Bunny feels education is the most important element in becoming the designer you want to evolve into.
“Everything in design is recycled; it is how we put together what we have seen that makes it unique.” -Bunny Williams
