The 10 Commandments of Happy Chic

I’ve got to hand it to Jonathan Alder. Not only is he a talented designer, he’s a great source of entertainment too! My adoration for Jonathan began recently with an article in this past May 2009 issue of House Beautiful featuring the house he designed for Liz Lange. I have attached a few pictures from the article below.

Of course, I knew of Adler and his infamous design style but I had not spent time truly acquainting myself. After a quick google, I found his website www.jonathanadler.com. He has such a whimsical and occasionally risqué way about his design but somehow he pulls it off flawlessly. What I love the most about his website are his 10 Commandments of Happy Chic. Jonathan Adler, I solemnly swear to follow your commandments as if they are my own from now until eternity! See below:

#1

Thou shalt embrace maximalism.

Thou wilt find minimalism to be something of a bummer in thy abode. Thou wilt grow tired of an endless sea of beige and thou wilt long for a splash of color & a dollop of pattern! Bargello pillows, Furnace bottles, and rustic modern lamps – these shalt be the accessories that add some panache to your pad.

#2

Thou shalt not deny thyself hotelish comfort at home.

Thou shalt furnish thy rooms with paw-pampering, hand-loomed llama wool rugs, luxurious lighting and our fabulous furniture.

Thy rooms shalt feel like the most opulent hotel rooms in which thou hast ever stayed.

Thou art worth it.

#3

Thou shalt buy an X-Bench.

Then, thou shalt buy another. Thou shalt use them in pairs, perfect under thy console or placed near thy sofa. Thou shalt rest thy feet upon them & so will thy guests. In fact, thy guests might even fight over who gets to rest upon them. Therefore, thou shalt establish house rules about thy X-Benches. Perhaps thou should consider a sign up sheet.

#4

If thy nest needeth zest,

consider thy crest!

Thou shalt emblazon with thine

initials wherever possible.

#5

Thou shalt mix fancy with frisky.

Thou shalt not be overly formal, for if thou art, thou will be sad. Conversely, thou shalt not be overly whimsical, for if thou art thou will not feel chic. Therefore, thou shalt embrace a mix, pairing the chic classical foundation – excellent proportions, classic furniture – with a layer of playful punctuation. Then thou shalt rest.

#6

Thou shalt honor the funsters of yore.

David Hicks, Alexander Girard, Piero Fornasetti, Bonnie Cashin, Bjorn Wiinblad – if thou dost not knoweth them, thou should. Thou can use Google Images to learn more about them and thou shalt channel their fun, idiosyncratic, playful spirit in thine own interiors. Thy home will be fun, happy, and chic.

#7

Thou shalt not commit murder,

unless thou art murdering for a decorative accessory.

If thou should find thyself at one of our stores and seeth the last bird bowl on our shelf, thou shalt feel free to use whatever means necessary to obtain that special something.

#8

Thou shalt not be afraid of orange.

Thou shalt use orange copiously in thy interior, whether it beeth in an orange breakfast room or via the zing of an orange lacquered box. Thou might even consider painting thy front door orange to pique thy neighbor’s curiosity. Thou shalt also covet chocolate brown.

#9

Thou shalt play ping pong.

Better still, thou shalt have a ping pong table in thy living room. Then, lo, thou shalt play ping pong with thy spouse rather than sitting around watching thy tv.

#10

Thou shalt not covet

thy neighbor’s house.

In fact, after following these 10 commandments, thy neighbor might covet thy house.

So there.