Jonathan Adler's buoyant style has made him one of the most beloved designers working today. Based in New York, the 48-year-old has collaborated with an array of global brands (including Starbucks, Lacoste and, most recently, Garmin) and has spread his message of vibrant, glamorous living through several books, his latest being 2012's 100 Ways To Happy Chic Your Life. NeOn Jan. 24, Adler will be discussing how to find happiness through design at the 2015 Interior Design Show in Toronto. He spoke to Globe Style recently about his latest collaboration, the one category he would most like to tackle and how to bring sunny style to the chilly climes of Canada.
How do you define your style?
Modern American glamour. It's hard to define, but somehow I definitely speak in an American idiom. There's just something American about me, but through a modern lens. And the most important thing is, whatever it is, it's got to be glamorous, because at the end of the day, when you're about to kick the bucket, you want to look back and remember the glamour.
If someone wanted a happier, more whimsical design setting, what elements do you feel are key?
The most important element is that everything you surround yourself with should be, "Kapow!" I don't think you should ever settle for average, and so many people do. Everything from your knives and forks to your sofa to your lamp should all be, "Cowabunga!" That's the most important thing. And I think that it's nice to add a little colour to your life, especially if you're in cold Canada. A little orange goes a long way.
It's so cold here in cold Canada. And your design style evokes places like Palm Springs and Miami Beach, past and present. How would you recommend bringing your style here?
I really relate to Canada because a lot of my design is rooted in northern European modernism. It's about cold climes and neutral colours. And most of what I do actually starts off pretty neutral and then I just add pops of colour. A lot of my stuff will be in tones of white and grey and beige and then [I'll add] a little dash of orange.
I love the Cowabunga lifestyle, but how do you keep it from tipping over into full craziness?
My work is about creating a very classical and neutral foundation and being very judicious with your pops of colourful punctuation. One has to be a little bit restrained. It's really easy to not be restrained, but it's a bad idea.
You recently worked with Garmin to design fitness bands. What role do you see your design style playing in the growing field of health and aging?
I want to design stuff that people actually use. By that I mean a brand-new category of things that people engage with in their daily lives, something I find exciting. Design needs to be an ever-evolving thing, and technology is very important as far as designing objects that people interact with. I just want to look at all the everyday experiences one has and try to think of how they could be better.
Do you think a good designer can create for any category, if he or she does enough research?
Definitely. I feel like design is design is design.
Is there one category you haven't worked in yet that you'd love to?
I would love to design a car! I just think car design is so epic. And I love car design of yore – I hate what's become of it. It's probably for the best that cars all look like sneakers now because I guess it's the most fuel-efficient thing, but it kind of takes all the fun out of cars. I like wider, lower, sharper angles. The seventies and eighties are really my jam.
Your style of bold, colourful design seems to have a lot in common with past greats such as Dorothy Draper and Tony Duquette. Who are the designers working today who you really admire?
He's not really an interiors guy, but my favourite contemporary is Paul Smith. He's classical, he's chic, he's playful. And he's always true to himself. Those are all things I aspire to be.
This interview has been condensed and edited.
Jonathan Adler will speak at IDS15 as part of Globe Style Saturday on Jan. 24 at noon.
Dave McGinn