How to Design Your Dream Home

Join Bunny at her home in Falls Village, northwest Connecticut. She bought the house over 40 years ago, and it has been a true labour of love ever since. It's the perfect place to explore Bunny's unique approach to interior design.

A large part of the restoration project was the 18th-century barn that is original to the property. Discover how Bunny transformed the dilapidated space into somewhere cosy and perfect for entertaining.

It’s not always easy to get something right the first time, and this was the case with Bunny’s living room. She discusses where and how she went wrong, and what she did to fix it.

A house must suit the needs of its inhabitants, and you ideally want to consider how these needs might change in the future too. This factored hugely into the design of Bunny’s primary bedroom.

Bunny had always coveted having the luxury of a studio, so when the opportunity arose to purchase the house next door, she jumped at the chance. Find out how Bunny approached a different style of architecture.

Back in the main house, you are joining Bunny in one of the oldest parts of the building - the kitchen. It is still located in the same place where it would have been back in the late 1700s, giving it an innate charm as well as presenting some unique challenges.

Big rooms can be a joy to decorate, but they can also be overwhelming and sometimes hard to get right. Learn about the principles that Bunny always follows to make sure the scheme is a success every time.

Comfort is one of Bunny’s key design pillars, and it’s especially important in a room where relaxation is the primary function. In this lesson, she breaks down exactly how she ensures a living room is welcoming and fit for purpose.

Contemporary architecture often favours open-plan spaces, which can sometimes feel too cold and uninviting for Bunny’s liking. To counteract this, there are a few design rules she always abides by.

In this part of the course, you will be joining Bunny in New York. First on the itinerary is a trip to her office on the Upper East Side - an inspiring place that’s abuzz with creativity.

Bunny introduces you to her business partner Elizabeth Lawrence, who began working with her as an intern and rose up through the ranks to become a partner in Bunny's design firm. They discuss the positives of working in a partnership and offer advice.

Working out the scheme of a room is both fun and challenging in equal measure. It takes time and practice to really hone your skill, and Bunny and Elizabeth share the principles they've learnt over the years.

With so many moving parts during an interior design project, it’s important to have a solid plan in place and follow the right processes. Across the next few lessons, Bunny and Elizabeth break down the exact steps they follow from start to finish.

With the broad strokes of the planning in place, it’s time to consider the more specialised areas of lighting and artwork.

With all your preparatory work complete, it’s time for arguably the most exciting part of the project - installation. A truly special moment that requires a huge amount of team effort.

Bunny and Elizabeth emphasise how crucial it is to be thorough and organised in order to stay on top of every element of your project. They share the documents that they use to keep track.

Bunny welcomes you to her Upper East Side apartment in New York City. While still distinctly ‘Bunny’, the style is slightly different to her home in the country.

Upon entering a home, the first space you come to - no matter what size - should feel welcoming and inviting. Find out how Bunny approaches a small space, and her tips for making it feel larger than it is.

Being on the smaller side, Bunny created something a little different that leant into the kitchen’s bijou nature.

Bunny talks you through her favourite room in the whole apartment - not least because it features one of her best and most remarkable auction finds.

Just off the main living room, you’ll find a little snug where Bunny and her husband watch television. Learn about the decorating techniques she used to make the space feel more expansive than it actually is.

Preferring to avoid a traditional dining room set-up, Bunny talks through how she evaluated the best use of this space, and how she enacted her plans.

Art and decorative objects feature heavily in Bunny's work and are a signature element of her interior style. She offers her invaluable tips for sourcing, as well as sharing advice on how to bring cohesion and clarity to your collections.

As a self-educated interior designer, rather than relying on formal training, Bunny has always been led by her instinct to create a home. She discusses what she considers to be important in beginning your journey into interior design.

When you are working on someone's home, there can be a huge amount of emotion involved. As an interior designer, it is your role to tread the line between sensitivity and professionalism - both Bunny and Elizabeth draw on their years of experience to offer advice.

In this lesson, you'll be looking at a recently completed project of Bunny's; an apartment in New York that was luxuriously situated looking over 5th Avenue. Bunny and Elizabeth talk through how they responded to the brief and the design decisions they made.

After not being able to find certain furniture pieces that she liked and needed for her room schemes, Bunny began to design her own. She welcomes you to her showroom; a place where she meets with clients and fellow designers.

While talking through her own collection of furniture, Bunny reveals her tips on how to shop successfully for room schemes.

If you’re being hired as an interior designer, your clients are wanting to reap the benefits of your knowledge and expertise. Bunny emphasises the importance of constantly learning and improving on your own design education in order to do the very best job for your clients.

Join Bunny on a shopping trip to three of her favourite places. The first is Montage Antiques in Millerton, Upstate New York, where she shares her tips for antique shopping.

Next up is RT Facts in Connecticut. Not only is this an antique shop but a place where Bunny comes to get inspired. She talks about shopping as a means to gather inspiration.

Back in Fall’s Village, Connecticut, the final stop is 100 Main. An old grocery store that Bunny bought and renovated to operate as a cooperative to showcase the work of local artists and makers.

Bunny offers some final words of wisdom.