De Gournay x Bunny Mellon “Hortus Medicus” wallpaper (Photo courtesy de Gournay)
British luxury brand de Gournay, renowned for its exquisite and bespoke wallpapers, has embarked on a unique partnership with the Oak Spring Garden Foundation near Upperville in Fauquier County. The collaboration gives birth to an inspired new collection — a tribute to the late socialite and philanthropist Rachel “Bunny” Lambert Mellon and her enduring legacy.
The elaborate collection is the first of its kind and a testament to Mellon’s multifaceted talents as a garden designer, horticulturist and philanthropist. It draws inspiration from her extensive holdings housed at Oak Spring Garden Library. The designs in de Gournay’s collection, delicately painted and embroidered by hand, reflect Mellon’s lifelong curiosity about the natural world.
“Our artistic and creative teams fell in love with the potential of the items Bunny Mellon collected,” says Christine Speare, a spokesperson for de Gournay. “We hope designers will be inspired by the new collection.”
Speare notes that the endeavor began when Richmond-born interior designer Charlotte Moss, a Virginia Commonwealth University alumna, invited the de Gournay team to tour Oak Spring Garden Library, the repository for Mellon’s collection of more than 19,000 objects, books, ancient manuscripts and works of art.
“Her passionate and unwavering patronage of the arts and the handmade resonates deeply with our own dedication at de Gournay to the finest artisanal handcraft,” de Gournay Director Hannah Cecil Gurney explains.
De Gournay commissioned Richmond-based interior and exterior finishes contractor H.J. Holtz & Son to install the delicate wallpaper at Little Oak Springs for its debut event in April.
“As a preferred installer for de Gournay, we were excited to install such high-quality wallpaper,” owner Rick Holtz says. “Our installers worked alongside the de Gournay installers. That experience helps them to become masters of their trade.”
