School of Decorating

Decorate with Confidence and Create a Home You Love

  • Free Class
  • Videos
  • Blog
    • How to Decorate
    • Simple DIY Projects
    • Life Tips
    • Success Stories
    • Our Home Tour
  • Classes
  • About
  • Contact

Happy Chic in Chicago

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, on purchases made after following an affiliate link. See my full disclosure here.

November 28, 2011 By Jackie

We just spent the weekend in Chicago for a quick getaway. One of the top things on my “sightseeing” list was the Jonathan Adler store. I was excited to find our hotel was only a few blocks away. After dinner at the hotel we ventured out into the city. The air was crisp, but warm enough to skip the hats and gloves. The boys got to stay up a little later than normal to get a taste of the city at night.  I love the energy of all the people and lights on a city night. We walked to the store stopping briefly to admire Christmas lights and some beautiful architectural details of the old buildings sprinkled along the streets.

Jonathan Adler Chicago Storefront

The second I saw the Jonathan Adler store across the street my eyes lit up. It was a visual treat from the architecture of the storefront to the happy chic colors shining through the windows. I could have stayed inside for hours marveling at the pottery and decor, but the kids were a bit of a hazard. My wonderful hubby occupied them in the front room while I got to wonder the store for a few precious moments alone.

Jonathan Adler Chicago

While I wondered, he snapped a few photos including the lollipop peacock.  This would be so fun in the game room when we finish our basement.  All of my boys, hubby included, love lollipops.

Jonathan Adler Lollipop Peacock

As for me, I fell in love with two pieces that I hope will find a way into our family room soon. The first is the small anemone light. In the store there were two hung as sconces on either side of a mirror. They would be perfect for sconces in between the windows in our great room.  I love lighting that doubles as beautiful sculpture.

Jonatan Adler light

The other piece I cannot get out of my mind is the Haines chair in this amazing yellow and grey print with white legs. So beautiful. I later found out from emailing the store, the fabric is Filagree in Smoke.  I love the gentle sloping arms and somewhat petite scale of the chairs. The low profile would look great in front of our family room windows. Yes, I would like to Jonathan Adler-ize the window wall of my family room. It would be amazing.  I also found out the fabric is available by the yard.  I may start with a yard of fabric for pillows on the sofa.

Jonathan Adler Haines Chair

Online shopping is so prevalent these days, but I still prefer to see things in person.  To me it is so important to feel and see things in person to get a sense of their scale and quality.  Visiting the actual store when possible is doubly important because sometimes you find something awesome like the Haines chair in Filagree that has not made it to the online shop yet.  I will often order something online only after I have seen it in person. I am so thankful we were able to take a few moments to stop by the Jonathan Adler store on our quick Chicago getaway. I hope to come again soon, but in the meantime I will be much more comfortable ordering online now that I have seen first-hand how truly beautiful his wares are.

Despite the items I fell in love with, the only thing that left the store with me was the book Happy Chic Colors. With a car full of kids and luggage I could not take anything else with me. But the book I could justify…you know for reading in the car.  Well, it never made it to that car, since I devoured the book that first night in the hotel.  It called to me from the nightstand.  I could not help myself.

Jonathan Adler Happy Chic Colors Book

Just like the store, the book was a visual treat. It was an inspirational quick read. I love bold colors, but often feel timid or unsure of how to pull them together successfully. I think the tips in this book will help me.  I loved his quirky expressions, like “chromatic euphoria” and “chambeige”.  Here are a few other quotes my teal-&-lime-loving-self liked:

In discussing his love for baby blue he shares, “I’ve had a little bit of an affair with teal.”

On using green he says, “Fill a bowl with bright green limes.  Why?  Because I said so and limes go with everything”.

While describing a bold foyer he adds, ” a lick of teal paint brings zing.”

Jonathan Adler Happy Chic Colors Book

And on a suggestion for mixing black and white with turquoise he claims, ” this spirited shade of blue has enough brio to hold its own against the assertiveness of blanc and noir.”  His words and some inspirational photos are having me lean heavily toward this color combo for our upcoming basement family/game room.  Throughout the book he talks of his muses, other designers and artists that inspire him.  Jonathan Adler is one of my muses.

The opinions in this post are my own.  I was not compensated for writing this post or any of the opinions contained within it.  This post contains affiliate links.   I may receive a commission on purchases made after following an affiliate link.

Previous Post
DIY Ruched Tree Skirt for $12
Next Post
Hot Chocolate on a Stick

Comments

  1. Lisa says

    November 29, 2011 at 1:23 pm

    How fun! I love J Adler as well. Thanks for sharing your trip with me. I’m dying to get his book and have it on my xmas wish list. You know, I need to paint a focus wall in my entry and have been thinking of a blue hue. Teal or Torquoise would look great!

  2. Amber Baxley says

    November 29, 2011 at 8:11 pm

    His stuff is so fun and colorful! His book is on my wish list! Thanks for sharing!

  3. monika says

    December 19, 2011 at 9:05 pm

    Lo and behold, I found a book of his at the thrift store! Now, if I could only find one of his desks in the thrift store :-)

  4. jared says

    June 14, 2014 at 4:00 pm

    HI, we have the same chair that is in your blog from jonathan adler. The yellow and grey with the white legs and are looking for another to match across in our living room. Are you looking to sell it or do you know of more available?

    I know its a shot in the dark but you never know.

    best,
    Jared

    • Jackie says

      June 18, 2014 at 9:53 pm

      Sorry, Jared. We don’t actually own the chair. We just saw and admired it in the store.

Hi, I'm Jackie. I believe you are the best person to decorate your home and I'm here to help.

I teach online decorating classes to help you create your dream home. Click on the images below to learn more about each class.

Take an Online Decorating Class

Best for beginners!

12 Class Bundle!

Get a free copy of my book
Free Decorating


Start reading now...

Follow Me Here

Categories

  • How to Decorate
  • Simple DIY Projects
  • Life Tips
  • Success Stories
  • Our Home Tour
I believe you are the best person to decorate your home. You just need a dash of courage and a dose of decorating know-how. That's why I created School of Decorating.

I know how frustrating it is to feel like failure at home. I also know how amazing it feels when decorating finally makes sense and your home reflects you. I want to share what I've learned so you can create a home you love without years of trial and error.

Get a free copy of my best-selling book Free Decorating

  • How to Decorate
  • Simple DIY Projects
  • Life Tips
  • Success Stories
  • Our Home Tour

© 2018 School of Decorating
 · Terms of Use 
· Privacy Policy
 · Disclaimer




This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.

Necessary Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.