100 Ways to Happy Chic Your Life

Jonathan Adler in his pottery studio, photo courtesy Jonathan Adler

Potter, designer and author Jonathan Adler began making pottery at summer camp in his teens, launching his first ceramic collection in 1994 at Barneys New York. Five years later he expanded into home furnishings, opening his namesake boutique in Manhattan (he now has over 25 stores worldwide.)

All images reprinted with permission from Jonathan Adler 100 Ways to Happy Chic Your Life, copyright 2012 Jonathan Adler, Sterling Signature, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. All photography copyright Joshua McHugh.

In his latest book, 100 Ways to Happy Chic Your Life (Sterling Signature), Jonathan comprises a list of 100 ideas ranging from decorating advice to lifestyle tips. "Always start with a chic and classic foundation--but then add a dash of humor, a pinch of quirk, a soupçon of folly," he writes. Many of the photographs feature the Shelter Island home he built with his husband Simon Doonan, Creative Ambassador-at-Large for Barneys New York. A myriad of sources combine to create the happy chic aesthetic--mid-century modern, art, global pop culture--it's a style that blends glamour, bohemian and WASPy-chic with bold colors and graphics. Jonathan's design manifesto states "Minimalism is a bummer" and "Colors can't clash."

The ways to chic in the book vary from accessorizing to entertaining to creating personal spaces. French industrial lamps in their kitchen area illustrate #33 "Patina is priceless. Sometimes a little wear and tear is good." There are also pages of lists with suggestions for films, books, music, travel, gear, and designers. A Get to Know series introduces selected artists: Henny Garfunkel, Joseph Beuys, Evelyn Ackerman, and Louise Nevelson.

A red maple shades an outdoor dining area in their entry courtyard, inspiring #3 "Have breakfast in a happy place. Cozy counts. Behold the power of a nook--situate yours al fresco if you can." Craft projects are interspersed throughout the book: instructions for making a macramé owl, an acrylics paint by number kit, cross-stitch monogram, and string art. Jonathan suggests going to adult summer camps as well. According to the glossary (all the vocabulary you need to speak happy chic), "Craftastic--a word used to describe life-enhancing and décor-enhancing craft projects. When facing a decorative dilemma, always consider a crafty solution, like wrapping a banister in rope or repainting a campaign-style chest. Get craftastic."