Jonathan Adler 100 Ways to Happy Chic Your Life

This book is a collection of tips for leading a vibrant, "Happy Chic life" full of grand parties, fabulous friends, kitschy movies, exotic vacations and of course the vibrant decor style that has made Jonathan Adler famous. His advice includes:* Imagine a world where you're president.* Bestow a moniker on your domicile to give the impression that it's been in the family for decades, even if you moved in last week.* Nap in odd places.There are lots of more practical and inspiring items on the list, but I like these because they're free and I can do them without having to move the cat off my lap. I was a little ho-hum about #14, "Make your own decorative objet d'art", until I realized the page folded out to reveal step-by step directions for a macrame owl. Up until twenty minutes ago, I never knew I wanted to make a macrame owl, and now I'm wondering where I last put the twine! Other fold-outs include making valentines, a paint-by-numbers watercolor, a cross stitch monogram and string art.In addition to many photos of interiors, artwork and architecture, there are pages of lists that include films, music, books, artists, designers, etc. - enough to keep you Googling for hours. There's also glossary in the back that will help you understand the next time someone says, "I need some glunge mantiques to zhoosh up the neo-Neoclassical tableau on my mothic étagère."Adler's writing style is quirky and charming, which makes the name-dropping and opinionated bits more endearing than not. Still, not all the advice will apply to everyone. Homeowners will get the most out of it, especially if you live in a climate to take advantage of the tips for outdoor living. Then there's #97, `Turn a closet into a guestroom.' Nevermind that my "guestroom" would not be suitable for anyone taller than the average six year old, but who actually has extra closets?But this is a fun book and I do feel more energized after reading it. It would make a fabulous gift for anyone who needs a little more Happy or Chic in their lives - and don't we all!

I suppose I'm not surprised that some reviewers dislike this book. It's not a typical decorating book with many elegant staged interiors. Not that Adler's home--prominently featured in the book--isn't elegant or even carefully curated (staged).But the book feels more like 'look how much fun you can have with thrift store finds and roadside throwaways!' In that, I felt the author's exuberant spirit and sense of fun and irreverence. 'Don't take decorating too seriously,' he says toward the end of the book (I'm paraphrasing). Many decorating books and decorating gurus take themselve WAY too seriously, and as Adler says, life is too short.Some people my age may also recoil from the many mid-century items Adler loves to use. Yes, my parents also had a lot of this stuff in the house I grew up in--orange, avocado items of almost aggressive ugliness, with little relation to traditional forms. But over time, this is exactly why I've grown to love it. It's transgressive and playful nature doesn't give a hoot what is considered tasteful. I have grown to love it for it's sense of fun.I also really liked the pages where Adler writes down favorite books, films and music. I appreciated what amounted to 'marginalia'. He also highlights favorite artists, designers and style icons who have inspired him. Many I know, but some were new to me. I'm sure I'll enjoy jotting down titles and looking for them in the library or on Amazon.In sum, this amounts to one of the best kinds of books, and I'll be consulting it for some time to come: it energizes, inspires and gets me off the couch and into the craft store, thrift store, or organizing a long overdue party at my house. Buy it, but only if you fun!

Came a bit damaged

I love this book for several reasons. It's packed with great ideas, even if the style isn't necessarily yours style you will feel inspired for sure. I read the whole thing all at once but will refer back to it frequently. The pictures are lovely, the writing is funny and even the book itself is really nice (no annoying paper jacket, nice thick pages, fold out project instructions). This book is a lot of fun and I am really glad I have it!

it hurts my heart to say this because I Loe everything Jonathan Adler, but this is a picture book with very little actual content. Good for display I suppose, but a boring read.

I loved this book! It's so cool how he adds his personal music taste in there and all his fun commentary, oh and the little workshops are so much fun! Jonathan is such a free spirit, it was a really cool book and great reminder there are no NO's in interior decorating. I loved it, love him even more than before.

In addition to tons of lovely photos, this JA book contains several DYI projects that have that mid-century feel to them and are very doable. I've used some of the design ideas to add some flavor to some stale areas of my home. The only not so great thing about 100 Ways to Happy Chic Your Life is that it definitely makes you want to add to your JA collection!

This was a fun book and there were parts that made me giggle, but it's not something I would refer back to as a design resource. I did enjoy some of the vintage movie and music suggestions for inspiration, but it's not something that I'm likely to flip through again.

Schoener geht es nicht! Ein perfektes Buch mit schoenen Ideen!! Es ist gut gestaltet und wie immer von hoeher Qualitaet.

I was so disappointed with this book. I really like Jonathan Adler but this book was so light on content that I had read it in about 10 minutes and didn't learn anything. There is some nice photography but nothing special. It is such a shame when experts write books but don't actually share any expertise. A real disappointment, you really could have done better Johnathan!

ジョナサンアドラーのスタイルが好きなので購入してみました。中を観る事ができなかったのでインテリアの写真集を期待していたのでがこれはジョナサンなりの幸せへのヒントをイラストや可愛いフォントで綴ったスクラップブックの様な感じ。ちょっと個人的なジャーナルの様な雰囲気もあります。「ちょっとした事で毎日が楽しく、贅沢に、そして楽しく暮らせるよ」というメッセージなのですがちょっと文字が多いかな・・。なので英語が読めない人にはあまり意味がありません。もう少し写真が多い事を期待していましたが、写真は本当にスクラップブック的、ランダムな感じです。過去の本からの転用も沢山あります。まあ、でも楽しい本です。本当に１００のアイディアが載っていますが日本の一般人の生活で実践できそうなものはいくつあるのか・・？