Favorite Spaces: Jonathan Adler

There are certain spots in New York, little hubs of pleasure that boosts spirits, soothe the days worries away, and inspire joy in living.  There are many such places for every individual style and heart, and I keep a growing list of places in this city that helps to chase my bluesies and bring on joy.  My newest addition?  The Jonathan Adler store on the Upper West side.

Forget about those two tired lions "patience and fortitude" who loll about the New York Library.  I love the two little squirrels perkily presenting their nuts to every visitor to Jonathan Adler.  I call them "Pithy and Sparky" and they are the perfect ambassadors for a store that celebrates whimsy and glamor.  Framed just outside the doorway is "The Jonathan Adler Manifesto", and if that doesn't make you want to waltz through the doors, eyes aglow, then I'm pulling you out of my imaginary rolodex and tearing up your card.  Wait, scratch that.  There's room in this world for all varieties of taste and brands of fascination, so ok, imaginary torn up card carefully reassembled, taped and apologetically shoved back into the rolodex.  But if you DO waltz through the doors with eyes aglow and hands flailing as you point at candy colored chotchkies, then we might be destined, as Anne Shirley says, to become bosom friends.  Below you'll see a few of my select favorites:

Our Manifesto

We believe that your home should make you happy. 

We believe that when it comes to decorating, the wife is always right. Unless the husband is gay.

 

We believe in carbohydrates and to hell with the puffy consequences.

 

We believe minimalism is a bummer.

 

We believe handcrafted tchotchkes are life-enhancing.

 

We believe tassels are the earrings of the home.

 

We believe in our muses: David Hicks, Alexander Girard, Bonnie Cashin. Hans Coper, Gio Ponti, Andy Warhol, Leroy Neiman, Yves Saint Laurent, and Madonna.

We believe in the innate chicness of red with brown.

 

We believe in being underdressed or overdressed always.

We believe dogs should be allowed in stores and restaurants.

We believe colors can’t clash. 

We believe in blowing your nest egg on our pots. 

We believe our lamps will make you look younger and thinner.

We believe in irreverent luxury.

 

Stores like this are designed with an eye toward aspirational living.  You think to yourself "I love this person's perspective, their moxie, their way of life, their flair, and I want just a little of this glitz to rub off on me so I can splash around in it and dispense it like Auntie Mame with an outie part".  Ok.  Full disclosure, that's what I think.  You may just think... "Cool chair!"  Please tell me you are thinking something more than "cool chair", but in an effort to cast a wide net of thoughts and desires, let's just go with "cool chair!"

In addition, each piece of furniture, or nicknack has a distinct world view.  It has its own look and identity that somehow meshes with the entire collection, and you can immediately imagine living with these little pieces of whimsical luxury.  Ok, I can imagine living with them.  I can see myself stretching out on this bed and waiting for my man to come home (still taking applications) Or lounging on that divan waiting for my man to come home, as I drink sweet and fizzy drinks and read one of Simon Doonan's books.

Of course, it's not just the things he creates and inspires that make the Jonathan Adler Company so charming.  It's Jonathan Adler himself.  He's handsome, dapper, just a touch snarky, and big hearted as all get-out (or at least he seems big hearted.  As all get out.  We've not actually met)

If the previous passages enticed you at all, now is the perfect time to visit jonathanadler.com to buy me a belated birthday gift.  I'm partial to these pots as I have lots of eyelashes to store in a half hazard manner.