It’s almost like his pottery and pillows, empire of shops and millions in profits are beside the point. What is awesome about Jonathan Adler is the man himself. The best way to get to know him better is through his coffee table book, “Jonathan Adler: My Prescription for Anti-depressive Living.” By the time you finish reading about how his former New Jersey neighbor is still his design muse (“As born-again Christians ask themselves when confronted with a dilemma, ‘What would Jesus do?’ so I ask myself, ‘What would Mrs. Goldstein do?’”), his philosophy on “happy chic” decor (“Minimalism is a bummer” “In a stunning epiphany, we realized the utter pointlessness of good taste without fun”), and his personal creation story (regarding summer camp: “My parents came to pick me up…expecting to find a tan, vigorous soccer star, but instead they found a pale potter with a dream”), you will be licking the pages. Or, if you can spare 18 minutes to watch this video of Adler talking about his journey from artist to global brand, you will feel as though you had a deeply satisfying meal in a peaceful, calming environment:
Some tenets from the Jonathan Adler Manifesto:
- I believe your home should make you happy.
- I believe that when it comes to home decorating, the wife is always right (unless the husband is gay).
- I believe in dorky enthusiasm.
- I believe in carbohydrates—to hell with the puffy consequences.
- I believe celebrities should pay full price.