Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan's Happy Chic

When I got to meet Jonathan Adler and interview him about his new Palm Beach residence my heart raced one thousand miles per hour. Why? His mantra is everything I believe in how to help achieve a happy home. Plus I know we would be BFF if I got to hang out with him. I love colour he loves colour, I love animal ornaments he makes animal ornaments, he is funny and I love to laugh. Sure sometimes his interior design is a bit too polished for us European's but you can't deny when you walk through one of his creations you get caught up in his quirky take on glam. It's obivous there is a lot of fans out there. His hotel renavation of The Parker in Palm Springs in 2004 has been splashed across the press with great acclaim and faithful fans have pilgrimaged to the welcoming and ecelectic hotel full of charm and character.

Jonathan shares his Seventies Palm Beach apartment in Florida with English-born Simon Doonan, the creative director of Barneys New York, and their beloved Norwich terrier, Liberace. And though Simon is no stranger to taste with a capital T, Jonathan admits he had free reign when it came to designing their beachside getaway. 'Simon lets me play. He's always amused by what I bring into our home,' says Jonathan.

His signature style of modern shapes, vibrant colours, organic patterns and wry sense of humour works perfectly in this dreamy and airy holiday home in eccentric Palm Beach. 'We love it here - it's glamorous, posh and comical. It's worth being here just to see the women with their lacquered hairstyles and the to-die-for vintage furniture stores,' he says.

Jonathan has filled their home with quirky finds, all surrounded by a backdrop of white. The result is a unique, witty and liveable home that's the ideal escape from the harsh winters in New York. 'Happy chic is my design philosophy,' explains Jonathan. 'I wanted this house to represent sun, sea, fun and happiness.'

I asked Jonathan his tips for modern glamour...

ON WHY SIZE MATTERS
'To stop a home feeling depressing and bland, it's good to have a sense of eccentricty. Opt for oversized objects and pieces that make you smile to add a sense of the fantastical to a room'.
ON DISPLAY
'I love to exhibit everything from pottery to furniture and textiles. Aim for choreographed disarray: I don't think anything should look too perfect.'ON COLOUR
'The key to our home is my love of colour. As far as I'm concerened, if the colours are strong then they don't clash'.

ON CREATING A NEUTRAL CANVAS
'The first thing I did was paint the whole house white and then set the tone with the luxurious limestone floors. A neutral backdrop makes the layers of bright colour instantly more vibrant and alive.'
ON FLOORS
'Using a large graphic rug is the perfect way to anchor furniture in an open space.'
ON ETHNIC TOUCHES
'I try to use a lot of ethnic craftsmanship. I work with Peruvian artisians who hand-loom a lot of my woven textiles'.
ON COLLECTING
'I'm always drawn to quirky and idiosyncratic bits; I'm an eclectic rooted in Modernism. I suggest being true to yourself and buying stuff you love. You must have confidence in what you purchase because to make a visually strong display you need to have a lot of it'.

ON KEEPING THINGS FRESH
'I bring new pieces home all the time so I'm constantly moving things around. The house functions as a lab for me to try out different ideas.'

ON CONFIDENCE
'You should never be scared of colour. Add vibrant hues to a neutral backdrop to give a room playful punctuation.'


ON THE FEEL-GOOD FACTOR
'Your house should be fantastic and fun. Sometimes the road to happiness is simply a great pad'.


Super talented New York based photographer Ngoc Minh Ngo flew down to Palm Beach, Florida to photograph this story for me.

Will Mimimalism Make Us Happier Than Ornaments?

While I write these very words I’m currently surrounded by boxes and no storage. I have just downsized apartments. Adjusting has been hard because my partner and I love to collect and curate our finds around the home. My obsessions are magazines and animal ornaments and his is urban toys and records. Falling, tripping, swiveling around and disguising our much loved objects that have no home in our new flat is driving me crazy. I keep sourcing online clever storage solutions but I rent which limits my options. It's time to consider to let go of the clutter!

I can’t help in times like this to think about a home I visited last year that is polar to mine. I was lucky enough to visit a New York family who were what I like to call ‘Shiny Happy People’ Their metallic finishes and space-age design are proof that you can make a minimal home into a cool energetic environment.

When I spent the day with them I felt this empty space inspiring, stimulating and I just couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.  For Lisa and Jonny they have created a simple scheme to create good vibes, love and a relaxed home for the whole family – kids included.  Yep they have three who feel as free as their parents in this space. 

What they wanted was a home that ‘brings out the child within’. I couldn't help to let my guard down while I hanged out in this uplifting space. I felt full of optimism and creativity. 'Creativity is central to our lives and we wanted our living space to reflect this', explains Lisa. ‘We want the vibration to feel very high here. What I mean by vibration is a feeling, a sense of joy. My kids are free here to develop their passions'. 

It's not just the lack of stuff that makes this space feel a source of spiritual illumination producing all things bright and happy. It's the clever and well thought-out choice of surfaces, textures and colours. With Jonny’s talents as a painter, sculptor and industrial designer, and Lisa’s former experience as a textile colourist, the couple joined creative forces to put together a crisp white palette of glitzy tints and luxurious clean looks. ‘The white surfaces and soft metallic tones are light but also energising’, says Lisa.

What I loved most about this family is they arrived to their new apartment in a cab and a couple of suitcases. No removalist, boxes or stress. Could you do this? Could you get rid of all your memories bar a few clothes and start fresh? I found when talking to them it to be liberating, brave and refreshing. But doing it myself is crazy, not rational, such a waste... Or is it?

Richard Powers photographed the space for me and has brilliantly captured the flow of this minimalist and very happy home. Check out the whole story in Australian Inside Out magazine.