Potter, designer and author Jonathan Adler never slows down. In the past five years alone, he’s celebrated his company’s 25th anniversary, created a 7-foot-tall bronze banana sculpture located at the Jonathan Adler designed Parker Palm Springs Hotel, and now, has collaborated with Amazon to release Now House by Jonathan Adler—a completely new brand available exclusively on Amazon. We caught up with Jonathan at his store in Greenwich to talk about his new collaboration, holiday tips, and more.
Now House by Jonathan Adler
How was creating the Now House by Jonathan Adler collection different from others that you’ve done before?
Doing Now House was very exciting for me because it was just a departure. It definitely still comes from my DNA. However, I think it looks different, it’s a little younger, fresh, it’s super attractive prices; I have a limitless desire to design and make stuff and so it was a thrilling process just to start a whole new thing; I loved it. Buy it!
What is your favorite item in the Now House Collection?
This is impossible, it’s like Sophie’s Choice for me. But, I must say I’m madly in love with the cloud chair, I am obsessed with the terrazzo structural objets, they look unbelievable on the most couture bookshelf imaginable, everybody in Greenwich should be buying them— they cost peanuts and they look like a million bucks.
Design and Style Tips
What’s the design element that will never go out of style?
A design element that will never go out of style is comfort. Comfort, comfort, comfort. Like, I try to make everything chic and stylish and look fantastic, but all I really care about is making incredibly comfortable and functional furniture.
If you have to splurge on one item for your apartment what would it be and why?
I think one should always splurge on a chandelier that is bigger than you think you need, and more expensive than you think you can afford.
What are the essentials of a stylish home?
The essentials of a stylish home are stylish occupants. A stylish home to me always is very dog friendly. And I think the true thing that makes something stylish is bold, over the top gestures that are memorable. So I think one should always strive to create a memorable environment to enable you to live a memorable life with memorable family and super memorable pets. Memorable!
Design Dreams
Whose apartment or home would you love to design?
Jackie O wouldn’t have been bad. That would’ve hit the spot.
What is your dream design project?
Okay, I say this everyday and nobody hears me, so I feel like I’m going crazy, but my dream design project is to design a car. So Serendipity magazine please, send this out, spread it out, email it, snail mail it to Detroit, tell Detroit that I want to design a car; and have them call me, feel free to give them my email; Detroit I want to design a car.
Inspiration Everywhere
Where do you find your inspiration?
People always ask me where I find my inspiration and it’s such an impossible question to answer, because to be honest inspiration is everywhere, like I just kinda go outside, I keep my eyes and my mind wide open. I may see a color in a shop window, or a cute dog, or some lady’s groovy hat. So living in New York, inspiration strikes me all the time, it’s a kind of maelstrom of visual stimuli and I’m always inspired.
What are your favorite Instagram accounts to follow?
I love Extra Extra Style which is done by my publicist, it’s incredible. And my husband Simon Doonan, is my true favorite favorite. I love Spanish Architectural Digest, American Architectural Digest, Whitney Robinson from Elle Decor, and 8 billion more. Oh! Liz Lange, she’s my like stone homie.
How-To for the Holidays
What is the perfect holiday gift for a host?
Well, you’ve come to the right person because I make a squillion host and hostess gifts. I keep a gift closet with little trays that I make whether it’s like a little valet tray, or coasters; I never show up empty handed. I just grab a tray. I have so many nifty, surprising, provocative ceramic trays—you kind of can’t go wrong. They’re affordable, everybody needs more of them. A little ceramic tray.
What are three must-haves to throw the perfect holiday party?
Number one: candlelight. So, I have these little muse votive holders, they’re like a little face that goes around, I have them all over my apartment, everyone just looks so glamorous. Bathed in candlelight. So candlelight little muse votive holders number one. I think that you should always have one very louche and surprising guest. Whether it’s a drag queen, or a holly go lightly down on your luck kind of lady. Always needs to be somebody surprising and louche. That’s very important. And then the third, is way more food than you think you need. So like a drag queen, candlelight, too much food. You’re welcome.
See the full interview in the video below.
Related:
Jonathan Adler On Thinking Big and Forming Creative Collaborations
