Okay, this is just marvy - Jonathan Adler kindly said yes to being interviewed for the blog, so here we go!
Just to recap; he's one of my top design heroes who initially started as a potter and then, when his look caught the eye of stylish types, sauntered with an impressive amount of verve and wit into almost every aspect of the home (y'know, I can't think of anyone else who'd think of launching a scented candle with the name of Hashish!). When he's not overseeing his mini empire you'll catch him on Bravo TV, in his role as head judge on Top Design, and recently Jonathan tied the knot with his other half Simon Doonan, writer and sassy creative director of Barneys New York - So major congrats!
Below you'll see snaps of Ojai, his fab new line of dinnerware, as well as a peek at a glam interior project in NY (photography, Annie Shlechter). And click here for more on Adler's 'Happy Chic' style.
Arren Williams: What's inspiring you right now?
Jonathan Adler: I'm kinda' feeling rustic these days. My bloke and I are building a new country house and we're feeling very earthy and natural. After all, I am first and foremost a potter.
AW: What will drive you bananas when you walk into a room?
JA: Excessive technology on display. I hate those newfangled lighting systems that never work and require teams of engineers and repairmen and all those weird-ass television remote situations that are incomprehensible. I like my technology simple and intuitive.
AW: What's the next thing you have your eye on for your own place?
JA: I'm waiting for our new OJAI dinnerware to arrive chez nous. I love it. It's bold and poppy but rustic and crafty--everything that I love.
AW: Is style inherent?
JA: I grapple with this issue all the time and go back and forth. I think anyone can have passable style, but great style is innate.
AW: What's next on your agenda?
JA: I'm opening a couple of new stores, one on the Upper West Side and one in Santa Monica. And, I'm always doing squillions of decorating gigs and making new furniture and trying to find time to work in my pottery studio. I'm very, very lucky. When I first started my career as a potter, my dream was to never have a proper job again and to find an audience for my work. At the time, my idea of success would have been a life of hawking my wares at rain-soaked craft fairs if it meant I could earn a living making pots. The creative opportunities and experiences I have now are totally unexpected and thoroughly appreciated and I never take any of it for granted. So, next on my agenda is more design and more fun!
