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This job has plenty of perks. No, it's not free merchandise or junkets to faraway places. The rules here prohibit both. But there are a bunch of other bonuses that come being the editor of a home magazine. For one, I get to assign myself my favorite stories. And for another, when there is a celeb in town, I get the call to come out and meet and greet. And on more than one occasion, an interview is attached.
That happened last week when Jonathan Adler, the delightful and darling potter/designer/entrepreneur was in town for the 2010 St. Louis Jewish Book Festival. Mr. Adler has a couple of new books of his own: on Happy Chic Colors and on Happy Chic Accessories. They are the first two of a series that is going to include his muses, as well as other aspects of home design.
But, yet again, I'm getting ahead of myself.
Let's start with on Happy Chic: Colors. Mr. Adler takes you by the hand and leads you through all the colors that are—naturally enough—his favorites. To begin: baby blue. Those Adler devotees already know that light blue and brown is J.A.'s signature combo. But the book goes beyond to show you how to effectively use color by repeating it, develope color continuity, blending shades and pairing light blue with other colors, i.e. a darker blue, a gray-ish hue, yellow and of course, the aforementioned brown.
Then there is yellow. "If I were a doctor, I would prescribe yellow to cure all ills," Mr. Adler writes.He also dubs it the sorbet of the home. And again (and again throughout the book), he shows how to pair the yellow with compatible paint colors—in this case, with gray, with green and with black.
Each chapter is devoted to another Adler favorites: black and white; red, "chambeige," orange, green, and precious metals. Read every page, commit it to memory and you are taking a huge Papa step toward getting a Happy Chic home.
But once the colors are up on the walls or in the upholstery or on the bed, what about the accessories. So turn to the second book in the series (first if you are one of those who alphabetizes everything), on Happy Chic Accessories.
Jonathan Adler is synonymous with fabulous things to perch on your mantle, table, shelf, whatever. Starting out his professional life as a potter, there are all those wonderful vases and boxes and urns and even a shoe butter dish.
In on Happy Chic Accessories, the master explains how to add the glam and glory to your house. First, find your look—be it "Waspy-Chic," "Playful Pop," or "Organic Modern". Then figure out how to express it. He gives you the principles of arranging and then shows you how to handle a single shelf or an entire bookcase, table tops, walls—the works. Have a collection that drives you mad because as cool as it is, it just doesn't look it? Ever bungle a bouquet of flowers? This may well soon be your bible. Not only does Mr. Adler carefully explain every detail, the book has work pages so the reader can learn in the process. First you take an inventory of all your accessories; then list the blooms that make you happy; there is even a grid to get you started on organizing the art on your walls.
Both books are must haves for those who love bright colors, witty interiors and happily chic homes…
And for the ones who just want to get to know the adorable Jonathan Adler just a bit better.
