Window Shopping: Adler Adoration: a house log

It is been way too long since our last window shopping adventure. As most of you know, these are not paid or perked or anything – we simply walk through a store with a camera and take pics of whatever inspires us for you folks. This post is in fact a few months overdue (woops) but now that I have uploaded the pics and sat down to write this post I am all school-girl-ish again. See, I in fact stepped foot into my first Jonathan Adler store ever a few months back (while we were in DC for a signing up the street) and I was OBSESSED.

Believe me, it is not a good look. I get all squealy and grinny and I likely look like I am one minute away from rubbing my face on everything. But the employees were quite pleasant and nobody escorted me out, so I consider it a win. Here is what was there to greet me when I casually sauntered in bounced my way around the store like a female non-tiger version of Tigger.

Fairly colors, right?

I enjoyed every last mug design. Cannot you picture a collection of these stacked on an open shelf in someone’s kitchen? Heck a few of them even make for some excellent wall-stenciling inspiration.

And the lights.

Do not get me began on the lights.

They were remarkable. And of course since I was trying to play it cool I did not ask someone how much they were but my guess would be a million dollars each because they were that fairly. Likely overshot that a little (I am a bad guesser) but as far as 100% free inspiration goes, this store was packed with it. And that, my friends, is why I enjoy Mr. Adler.

Sidenote: if you folks have not read his books, I highly recommend them all. He’s real, hilarious, and inspirational. In fact this quote from his latest book (100 Ways To Glad Chic Your Life) was so excellent that I instagramed it a few months back…

Oh and speaking of loving what you enjoy and all things glad-chic, how much lively are those two yellow and white ottomans? I petted them. I could not assist myself.

This pillow even had John laughing. Gotta enjoy a pillow with a sense of humor (remember this old Joan Crawford quote from Mommie Dearest?).

Could not you picture an whole kids room designed around one of these needlepoint map pillows? I’d do soft blue walls with pops of the brighter blue (from the pillow) in a ton of accessories along with hits of green and orange. And perhaps a glossy yellow rocker? Me-ow.

This purty chair was sort of the cousin to our office chairs. So much glad, you simply hoped to park your buns in it all day. The funniest thing is that a few years ago when we were in our especially neutral phase of decorating (see our first house) I never would have described J-Ad as my style, but after having Clara and moving into our current place, we are down with all things glad, cheerful, and bright. It is like Sir Jonathan covertly wormed his way into my heart and I did not even realize how much my preferences had changed until I was walking around his store thinking “yes, yes, yes!” instead of “scared, scared, scared.” Haha.

These were my go-to. They were little faux zebra dishes in a few lively colors and I fully regret not buying the green one for my night table (would not it be cute for a pair of earrings or a watch?).

This needlepoint pillow is full of so many colors (yellow, red, teal, navy, gray, black & pink!) but it still felt like it could layer into any room. And I enjoyed the two other pillows with the colored piping that were paired with it. I know some of you out there could Hands-on your take on those neon-piped pillows, right?

This plate inspired me a lot too. How many old white plates from thrift stores have you seen like this? None with gold, but perhaps that could be brought in with metallic paint or gold leaf. It totally made me want to try my hand at a homemade version.

Here are some other lively ottomans. If money were no object I’d snatch them up for Clara’s big girl room. But even though they are not in the budget, they are excellent for inspiration. I enjoy how there is white, pink, and bold red all layered together in a lively ikat-ish way.

Here is another example of sheer inspiration that I snagged while staring dreamily at one of the side tables. See that teal and gold egg? Well they sell wooden eggs like that at craft stores like Michaels for 99 cents each. So you could grab a bunch, spray them metallic gold, let ’em dry, then put some rubber bands around them at random angles and spray them bright teal. When you remove the rubber bands there should be bands of gold that show through simply like the guy below.

And that side table was in fact a cool white lacquered tray attached to an X base. So if you see any old table bases at a thrift store, painting them and adding a big lacquered tray to the top could be lively, right? You can whip something up like the tray-side-table that we made for our guest room thanks to some 3M command strips.

This was simply a corner that I enjoyed. See the art? Sorry about the glare, but it is a giant picture of a bird. Yeah, I am into it.

Another bird. Because one large bird print is never sufficient. And I mean that without any hint of sarcasm. Seriously, I want two.

This bed was so cozy looking with the tufted velvet headboard in that fairly platinum color. And I enjoy how they brought in those bright yellow poufs along with some colorful pillows to keep it from being too neutral.

I thought this wall was truly retro and lively with the vintage looking wallpaper paired with the giant feathered wall hanging. And there is that lacquered tray side table again, so you can see the whole thing more clearly here (with a chesty vase on it to boot).

And since Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are my thing (Donatello’s my go-to because my go-to weapon in karate class was the bo), I could totally get down with this guy on a buffet or a console. It could be my little decorating hero in a half-shell. Turtle power.

The kids section was lively too. How strong is that wallpaper? I would totally use that inside of a nook or a closet. I think it came in pink too. And the needlepoint pillow with the giraffes on it? I might have hugged it to my chest while slowly twirling and whispering “this is the best day of my life.” I told you I get excited.

Oh Jonathan Adler, I adore you. Let us be best friends and exchange ceramic animals for every holiday.

Hope you folks liked that little virtual window shopping spree. It is lively to duck into a purely-inspirational place every once in a while (we typically traipse through places like Target, World Market, Ikea, thrift stores, and smaller independent shops) but there is certainly truth to the whole “eye-candy is everywhere” sentiment. What stores have you been ogling lately? Are there any projects or updates that are now on the agenda after seeing them in a shop (or even in a restaurant or coffee house)?

PS: Want to hear an interview I did with Jonathan Adler himself! Check out that link for all of the details and the audio recording, or read a transcript here.