Filed under: Fun Stuff, Design, etc, House Tours
Hans Neumann
Ever wonder where those happy-chic designs come from? We got a peek inside.
Kids dream about visiting Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. Design buffs? We've got something better: Jonathan Adler's studio. So when we were invited to tour the brand's headquarters, we felt like we'd stumbled upon the golden ticket. And what kind of writers would we be if we didn't share all the wonder and whimsy with you guys?
Click through our slideshow and you'll feel like you're going to your happy place. (It's full-screen, so you can feel totally immersed in the office -- 2nd button in from left, down below!) Look out for the pottery wheel, an inspiration board that puts all others to shame and two dogs so cute, you'd swear they were part of the product line-up.
Jonathan Adlers Studio
It only makes sense that the door is as bright as all the goodies inside, right? We're invited in by the gorgeous (and fantastically-named) Starrett Zenko, Jonathan Adler's Marketing and Press Director.
That's Adler's office on the left, where he does all of the desk-and-meetings part of his job (he also admits to spending plenty of time procrastinating on eBay there. Our kind of guy).
Is that ShelterPop Jonathan and Starrett are pointing enthusiastically at? Or maybe they're just psyched about a hilarious response on their brilliant Facebook or Twitter.
"The biggest problem with inspiration isn't looking for it, but editing it down. I find it in art and a lot of it actually comes in my sleep," Jonathan told us. Neat! He was even supportive when we told him about our own wacky decor dream: Furniture Spanx. "I love it! Sofas are so overstuffed these days...they do need Spanx!"
Surprised to see Jonathan in the pottery studio? Shouldn't be -- he's a potter, after all. And we love that he gets down with the wheel in the middle of the work day. "People don't always understand the level of craft that goes on here," he told us. "We actually make stuff! They don't realize that if they see a shoe butter dish on the shelves, it started here."
Why not throw clay for an audience? Boogie, who comes to work daily with his owner, watches as Jonathan turns the lump of clay into...
After years of admiring Adler's work in magazines, store windows and even our own homes, it's a dream to see the full process. "Someone once asked me if I was in this business for the money. I was like 'Yeah, you're right, when I got out of college I was like: Should I go to Wall St. or become a potter? Six of one, half a dozen of the other," he joked.
Jonathan made this beauty right in front of our eyes, in just a matter of minutes. Doesn't it look remarkably similar to the more finished pieces up on the shelves? Also worth noting: his guns. We didn't know throwing pots could be such a workout! "I also go to spinning class every day," he told us. "It's like I need to be at a rotating wheel at all times."
One of Jonathan's talented interns sketched the cheeky face on that balloon as an homage to the Utopia collection.
How do they maintain the laid back vibe in the studio? "There's dance music in the office but classic rock in here. We keep it real, we listen to pottery-ish music," he said, over the sounds of Squeeze. "But we won't go as far as Joni Mitchell," he promised.
We hope you enjoyed the peek into the world of Adler -- we'll be dreaming about it.
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