Bunny Williams, John Rosselli, Edmund Hollander, and New York Restoration Project to be honored at the New York School of Interior Design annual benefit dinner

New York, NY – February 1, 2015 – New York School of Interior Design (NYSID) will honor Bunny Williams and John Rosselli with the Albert Hadley Lifetime Achievement Award, Edmund Hollander with the Thomas N. Armstrong III Award in Landscape Design, and the New York Restoration Project with the Green Design Award at its annual spring benefit dinner on Tuesday, March 10, 2015, at the Rainbow Room, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York City. Alexa Hampton, interior designer and NYSID trustee; Betsey Ruprecht, antiques dealer and NYSID trustee; David Scott, interior designer and NYSID trustee; and Newell Turner, editorial director of Hearst Design Group, will serve as benefit co-chairs.

“We are thrilled to recognize Bunny Williams, John Rosselli, Edmund Hollander, and the New York Restoration Project for their outstanding contributions to design,” said Patricia M. Sovern, chairman of the NYSID Board of Trustees. “Our benefit dinner, which supports scholarships for the designers of tomorrow, is one of the design community’s most anticipated annual events, and brings together leaders in the fields of architecture, interior design, and philanthropy. It promises to be a very special evening, befitting our honorees whose passion for our industry is tremendously inspiring.”

Bunny Williams is a designer with a modern vision, a sense of history, and the confidence to take the unexpected path. Both a trailblazer and a tastemaker, Williams’ style is classic, but never predictable. Bunny Williams Inc., the interior design arm of her companies, was formed in 1988, and her ever-growing home furnishings collection, Bunny Williams Home, followed in 2008. With her husband, antiques dealer John Rosselli, Williams owns Treillage Ltd., a unique decorative home and garden shop in New York. Her fourth book, Scrapbook for Living, published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang in November 2010, offers Williams’ inspiring tips for organizing and personalizing a home.  Born in Charlottesville, VA, Williams’ decorating DNA combines her upbringing and appreciation for gracious Southern living, with her hands-on training at the venerable firms of Stair & Co. Antiques and Parish Hadley Inc. Her knowledge of the decorative arts and well-honed skills as a designer have kept clients knocking on her door for decades. An Interior Design Hall of Fame inductee, today Williams’ work is regularly featured in top design magazines around the world, in newspapers, on television, in film, and on a variety of websites and blogs.

John Rosselli has been the go-to resource for top decorators for more than 50 years. His eponymous New York stores and trade showrooms continue to be a destination for interior designers and architects who rely on his sophisticated eye and ever changing inventory of antiques and furnishings. In 1991, John partnered with longtime friend and design associate—and future wife—Bunny Williams, to open Treillage, a garden shop offering antiques, ornaments, garden furniture, and special accessories on New York's Upper East Side. Over the years, Rosselli has opened three additional showrooms in Washington, DC; Dania, FL; and Chicago, IL. Each has quickly become popular with designers who appreciate Roselli’s timeless sense of style and lifelong commitment to quality.

Edmund Hollander is the president of Edmund Hollander Design, with offices in New York and Sag Harbor, which include landscape architects, environmental planners, and horticulturists. An alumnus of the venerable firm of Clarke and Rapuano in New York City, he founded Edmund Hollander Landscape Architects with his partner Maryanne Connelly in 1991. He is the past president of the New York Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects and was recently elected a Fellow in the American Society of Landscape Architects. Hollander Design projects have appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times, Architectural Digest, and House Beautiful, as well as in numerous books on landscapes and gardens. The firm’s first book, The Private Oasis, was released in June 2012 to critical acclaim. Their next book is scheduled for release in 2015. Hollander Design has received many awards including several from the New York Chapter American Society of Landscape Architecture as well as the prestigious Stanford White Award in Landscape Architecture from the Institute for Classical Architecture.

The New York Restoration Project (NYRP) is a non-profit organization driven by the conviction that all New Yorkers deserve beautiful, high-quality public space within ready walking distance of their homes. Since its founding in 1995 by Bette Midler, NYRP has planted trees, renovated gardens, restored parks, and transformed open space for communities throughout New York City’s five boroughs. As New York’s only citywide conservancy, it brings private resources to spaces that lack adequate municipal support, fortifying the City’s aging infrastructure and creating a healthier environment for those who live in the most densely populated and least green neighborhoods.

The dinner also will celebrate Rescued, Restored, Reimagined: New York's Landmark Interiors, NYSID’s exhibition on view at the NYSID Gallery from March 6 to April 24, 2015. The college’s contribution to the citywide commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the New York Landmarks Law will spotlight the role of interior design in the beauty, vitality, and success of landmark buildings.

In fact, the March 10 dinner will be held in one of the city’s most famous interior landmarks: The Rainbow Room, 49 West 49th Street. The evening begins with a cocktail reception at 7 p.m., followed by a dinner and awards ceremony at 8 p.m. The dress is cocktail attire. Net proceeds from the dinner will be dedicated to providing much-needed support for scholarships, helping NYSID prepare talented students so they are able to reach their potential – and their dream – to become leading designers.

Previous Albert Hadley Lifetime Achievement Award laureates have included Mario Buatta, Jack Lenor Larsen, Geoffrey N. Bradfield, and Mariette Himes Gomez. Past Thomas N. Armstrong III Award laureates have included Thomas L. Woltz, Laurie D. Olin, and Charles Jencks, and Green Design Award laureates have included Cook + Fox Architects, Broadway Green Alliance, and Project H Design.

TICKETS: Individual tickets are available at $750 and $1,500, and tables for 10 at $7,500, $15,000 and $25,000. $10,000 (Underwriter level) and at $5,000 (Sponsor level). For further information or to purchase tickets please contact Elizabeth Gray Kogen at 212-472-4197 or ekogen@nysid.edu. Tickets may also be purchased online

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About New York School of Interior Design
Founded in 1916, the New York School of Interior Design (NYSID) is a private, not-for-profit college devoted exclusively to interior design education and related disciplines. NYSID’s guiding principle is that the interior environment is a fundamental element of human welfare and the College is committed to actively improving the quality of life for all segments of humanity. This ideal is put into practice by a dedicated faculty of well-known designers, architects, art historians, and authorities in the field who guide more than 600 full- and part-time students.

NYSID offers certificate, undergraduate, and graduate programs in the field of interior design, design history and theory, sustainable design, interior lighting design, and healthcare interior design. A wide range of classes is also offered through the Institute for Continuing and Professional Studies. The College is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD); is a Candidate for Accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education; and NYSID’s BFA and MFA-1 programs are accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA).