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An Affair with a House | 
| Authors: Bunny Williams, Christine Pettel
Creators: Fritz Vonderschulenberg, Richard Felber
Publisher: "Stewart, Tabori and Chang"
Category: Book
List Price: $55.00
Buy New: $34.65
You Save: $20.35 (37%)
Rating:  40 reviews
Sales Rank: 13515
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 240
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 4.2
Dimensions (in): 10.7 x 10.7 x 1.5
ISBN: 1584794704
Dewey Decimal Number: 747
EAN: 9781584794707
ASIN: 1584794704
Publication Date: October 1, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
For 28 years the world-renowned interior designer Bunny Williams has been involved in a passionate love affair with an18th-century New England manor house that she found in sad repair. From the moment she walked up the driveway and her palms began to perspire, Williams knew she wanted the affair to last forever. In her sumptuous new book, An Affair with a House, the venerable decorator describes in detail how she and her husband, antiques dealer John Rosselli, rescued, nurtured, renovated, and decorated the well-worn house, giving it new life as they restored each room, resurrected the abandoned gardens, and filled this weekend home with family and friends.
Through photographs, anecdotes, how-tos, and recipes, Williams provides a rare inside look at a top decorator's retreat and explains how she approached the joys, pleasures, challenges, obstacles, and day-to-day realities of creating a beautiful, comfortable country home. An Affair with a House provides a wealth of advice on interior decor and such topics as mixing design styles, but it also addresses such practical matters as stocking the pantry and outfitting the linen closet. Beautiful photographs of the house, the gardens, and the property's rustic structures provide an intimate glimpse of the couple's lifestyle and illustrate a way of life we can all appreciate and learn from.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 35 more reviews...
 Affair with a House July 30, 2008
M. Hanrahan (Amherst, NH)
Fantastic decorating book! The pictures in the book are as lovely as seeing Bunny William's home in person. I recently toured her home and garden in Litchfield County. It is a beautiful, charming estate. The book is a wonderful memory and reference for me. Very inspiring!
What A Wonderful Book!!! March 29, 2008
Douglas (Baton Rouge,La.)
I have always loved older homes. Every room in this book tells a story. This book is a great tool in preparing you for lifes journey in restoring an older house. When you decide to make you your house a home, and your dreams a reality. The author reminders the readers that it takes time to accomplish your goals. The pictures are just amazing. I will treasure this book for years to come.
This book is one of my favorite books! February 10, 2008
Diana K. Heath (Oklahoma City, OK)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I've read reviews of this book that told how people were appalled at the materialistic aspects of this book. We live fairly simply, but like to look at a home put together beautifully, because it is filled with belongings that they personally chose and collected, and more importantly--hobbies and interests that they treasure . I was impressed that they loved their home.
These people enjoy "living". They garden, travel, raise chickens, cook, entertain, and love their dogs. They are interesting because they pursue learning about life. I guess I've always thought that wealthy living was portrayed in a boring way. You can enjoy your home and really live life and learning in whatever size home you have.
This book has inspired me to stop 'casually dating' my own house and take our relationship to the next level! February 2, 2008
Penumbra (Atlanta, GA USA)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
Thirty years ago Bunny Williams fell in love with a run down 18th century farmhouse that was being used as a rental by college students. (That should indicate to you just how run down it had become.) She has done so much to restore the house and grounds to their glory days. The landscaping projects alone have taken decades to reach their potential. As Bunny's father pointed out, that had she not been a young woman when she bought the house, the project would have outlived her. Instead, she had the time and talent to bring this house into her vision of what a gracious old home should be.
A renown decorator of others' homes, when Bunny was working on her own dream house, no corners were cut and no expense spared. This book describes how she envisioned the hedges, the entrance foyer, the living room, the kitchen, the patio - and then what she did to bring that vision to reality. There is an amazing sequence as she describes what she felt would be the ideal color of the entrance hall - a delicate peach that she had once seen in the table linen of a restaurant in Tuscany - and what she did to reproduce that color.
The attention to detail that Bunny paid to every aspect of her home over thirty years has resulted in a place that is a true reflection of the owner's passions. The spaces devoted to her beloved dogs; the collections she has gathered through the years; the way she found the perfect place to work in an old wing chair that belonged to her late father.
Bunny also loves to entertain. She shows us her dining areas; how she settled on certain tables; her collections of tableware and linens; and the storage areas. But she doesn't stop there - she shares her favorite methods of flower arranging, and gives us some lovely recipes. It's just another nice touch in this jewel of a book.
"An Affair with a House" isn't a decorating book, per se. It's one woman's story about how she reclaimed a neglected house and brought it back to life. This a beautiful book to spend an afternoon looking through and, if you like the traditional styles, you can find plenty of inspiration from Bunny Williams' own story.
Highly recommended!!!
Perfect combination of words and pictures December 4, 2007
Glamour Girle (PA, USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Many design books only use words to describe the pictures. While reading these types of books, I find myself only paying attention to the pictures. However, "An Affair with a House" captures Williams's personal story while still vividly displaying her passion for design. If only we could all feel the connection for our houses as she has for her's.
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