Say buh-bye to those boring design rules. In his new book, “100 Ways to Happy Chic Your Life,” potter and designer Jonathan Adler offers his whimsical spin on decorating. This involves embracing wind chimes if you so please and painting mustaches on precious family portraits — basically, having fun, getting personal and not caring what anyone says about the decor choices that make you smile. Adler believes that’s the foundation for creating a fabulous space to welcome family and friends. Because let’s face it: “There’s nothing more happy and chic than surrounding yourself with people you love,” he says.
Here, Adler shares five tips to get you started.
Restyle your bookshelf:
“People end up leaving things the way they’ve always been — and they shouldn’t. They need to be restyled and reimagined,” says Adler. He suggests donating what you no longer use and integrating some tchotchkes. “I like to have some books vertical, some horizontal,” says Adler. “Finding the right harmonious rhythm is intuitive.”
Add color with wallpaper:
“Wallpaper is a great way to make a real impact. I particularly like to wallpaper the wall behind the bed,” says Adler. For renters afraid of the repercussions? “Just grow a pair,” says Adler. “You’ll have to scrape it off and repaint. So often when people are renting they end up not making their house as groovy as it could be.”
Swag a chandelier:
“Don’t be ruled by where your junction box is — all you need to do is put a hook in the ceiling and you can swag a chandelier,” says Adler. “It’s an important thing to do over any table.” His general rule: “They should be bigger than you think you need and more expensive than you think you can afford.”
Get new bedding:
“Bedding is like underwear: You need to out with the old and in with the new.”
Add a fiddle-leaf fig tree (Ficus lyrata): “It’s chic, it brings some green life into your house and it adds instant sculpture,” says Adler.
Add a fiddle-leaf fig tree (Ficus lyrata):
“It’s chic, it brings some green life into your house and it adds instant sculpture,” says Adler.
Q &A
Where should people start when decorating their home?
“They should start by putting together a Pinterest board of things they love. Once they’re done, they should [analyze] what it is they love about them. Then they can come up with a furniture plan and a color scheme. To come up with a color scheme they should think about what their favorite colors are. My theory is: As long as you have a healthy dose of white in there, then you can choose any accent color that really speaks to you.”
