After two months of searching, we have found the Happiest Chicest Home in America! But it wasn’t easy. We’ve been tearing our tassels out deciding between these talented contestants! The colors have never been bolder, the patterns sassier, nor the tchotchkes cheekier than in this group of submissions. To all of you who surround yourself with smile-inducing decor, we commend you! And to the top three, may you revel in your Happy Chic glory and your Jonathan Adler loot!

Jonathan Adler, the lead judge and muse for the Happy Chic Home Contest, reveals the winners . . .

FIRST PRIZE WINNER: Clayton Berry

"Clayton Berry is the FIRST PRIZE WINNER of the'Happy Chic' contest and the recipient of a $2,500 gift certificate for use at moi's stores and website, www.jonathanadler.com, and a signed copy of my coffee table book My Prescription for Anti-Depressive Living! You may have taken the tour of this Maximalist Midwestern home with me last week, but we'll do it again, because one could live happily ever after in a Maximalist delirium. Our clever Clayton created the ultimate in design echoing moi's advice about making your home your own: Personal style means having a space that’s very comfy but that is filled with stuff that has personal meaning and created by passionate people; it should make you happy and happiness is chic. The vignettes styled throughout this home play and interact with good design amid unexpected touches of his own personal style. I oft prescribe the advice to layer, layer, layer. Unexpected touches are the soul of the Maximalist home: A painting hung on a bookcase, a chandelier in a closet, a brass lion’s head door knocker in a modern apartment. Me thinks this is a study of Happy Chic in a well-edited space that doesn't feel cluttered or overwhelmed. J'adore this very groovy, happy home."

SECOND PRIZE WINNER : Amy Almsteier


"Amy Almsteier is the SECOND PRIZE WINNER of the 'Happy Chic' contest, and recipient of a $500 gift certificate for use at moi's stores and website, www.jonathanadler.com, and a signed copy of my book. Clever Amy sent us pics of her chic California home with a decor enhanced by inherited pieces of mid-century modern furniture, groovy Russel Wright dishes and a painting by her grandfather, who was an artist. The following rooms have been put together with a sense of panache and confidence that I commend. Be graphic, be bold, and put those things in your home that make you happy. Bravo!"

BEDROOM (above)
"With a series of color pops in this bedroom, Amy exudes some design exuberance. I spy an unexpected touch of color with the waved vertical stripes on the headboard. Brilliant detail--it feels carefree and consistent with the color accents throughout the room. The bedside table is nicely edited using a similar color theme as found on the headboard. Yellow, green, blue... these colors are happy colors. Moi's take is that this room is about clean lines, bold colors, and a sense of humor--the antidote to not taking this decorating too seriously. It's advice I give everyday: paint a wall orange, hang a chandelier in the bedroom, express yourself by being out of the ordinary. Have fun!"

BUFFET
"I'm a pink-and-purple fanatic! This color combination is innately fun. Even more j'adorable is the idea of lining the buffet drawer with this color combo and instantly adding glamour to anyone who pulls it open. It echoes moi's advice to mix and match with panache--even a dish drawer can come alive with a pattern."

THIRD PRIZE WINNER: Michelle Adams


"Michelle Adams is the THIRD PRIZE WINNER of the 'Happy Chic' contest, and recipient of a $100 gift certificate for use at moi's stores and website, www.jonathanadler.com, and a signed copy of my book. We toured this apartment in one of my earlier blogs, and I want to tour it again... it is a gesture of Maximalist merriment! This apartment’s décor is all about transforming a small 325-square-foot space into a happy home.”

LIVING ROOM (above)
“It's important to note once more how the pin board hung behind the desk is a clever way to display your creativity! Voila! You have art! Michelle reminds us that a Happy Chic home is one full of unusual bits edited throughout a consistent color story. And I've blogged it once, but I'll blog it again: That bookcase from Design Within Reach stacked with a fave collection of books, is a masterful way of dividing this roomscape."

HALLWAY TO BEDROOM
“This hallway is all about layers, layers, and layers of love. The salon-style hung art is an eclectic mix of fashion photo finds, watercolor sketches, and personal framed pics of friends--making for an especially happy vignette because it's unexpected. I recommend using hallways for a creative moment; it gives the space a personality, an eccentric personality. I also go crazy for wild prints, and think that zebra rug is j'adorable."

Note to Winners:
You'll be contacted via e-mail by the team at Jonathan Adler regarding the delivery of your prize.

CLOSING STYLE NOTE
"This contest was an opportunity for design lovers to show off their bold and ingenious decorating ideas and tricks and to show me some Happy Chic style! We were thrilled to receive such an idiosyncratic mix of pics showing off spacious homes and studio apartments with new ways to interpret my design philosophy and my work!"

"A special note to those creative and clever entrants who submitted photos of their happy chic homes and apartments: I'm serious about design and about bringing style, craft, joy, and a general feeling of grooviness to your home. It was a pleasure to see how each of you recharged and redesigned living spaces to be your own happy retreats. Remember, minimalism is a bummer... and a chic home is one that is decorated to express who you are and makes you happy when you walk in the door. Merci to those who approach their home with a similar design sensibility and want to show it off!"

So we might not have been able to award all the style-tastic entries, but they were too good to keep to ourselves. Come back next Thursday for our gallery of supremely honorable mentions.



Anne E. Collins (Editor, PointClickHome) and Jonathan Adler (Product and Interior Designer)

The great furniture fairs of the world (iSaloni in Milan, Maison & Objet in Paris, High Point in North Carolina) may illuminate the design trend forecast for the year to come, but the New York International Gift Fair reveals if the predictions came true. The savviest of the 3,000 exhibitors at the Fair followed the “important shows” too and have manufactured what they believe are the trendiest design concepts. No longer prototypes, this is the decor that will be shipping to your local boutique within the next two months.

The six-day show wrapped up yesterday; here are some of the trends that made it to market:

Bursting Roses
As seen at Maison & Objet the rose theme is in full bloom.
(Above) Ottoman by Global Views


Sofa by Hable Construction


Bowl by Alessi

Horn
Chalet Chic was also a huge running trend at Maison. Furs, knits, and animal motifs malled the Parisian convention center but at the Gift Fair it seemed that only the horns remained.

Decorative Horns by Napa Home and Garden


Lamps by Barbara Cosgrove

Clawed Feet
And as the fashion-forward Met Home observed with their July/August piece on “Zoocentric Design," classic animal motifs have gone from the traditional claw and ball foot to straight chicken feet. It’s a fine balance of cheeky, chic, and creepy.

Egg holders by Global Views

Claw Candleholders by Vagabond Vintage

Pixel
We started to see this at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair and now this concept is a whole line for the mainstream design-powerhouse, Umbra.


Blockade Shelf and Table by Umbra

The 2009 previews begin this Fall; we'll see what makes it to the next NYIGF in January.

Anne E. Collins
Editor, PointClickHome

 

When today’s Happy Chic Home contestants, Clayton and Carolyn, wrote of ceramic zebras, tennis balls, knights of shining armor, and Cornel Mustard guiding their design aesthetic—Jonathan and I were a bit skeptical. But when we opened the photos, we saw personal style at its best. A cleverly edited selection of decor from their travels, friends, and pastimes elevate funky to the respectable genre we know it is.

Here, Jonathan Adler puts this Missouri home to the Happy Chic Test

DEN
“Let’s look at what Clayton refers to as his den for some inspiration! Frisky and fancy, this room works because it’s about adding a touch of eccentricity here and a dash of modern sensibility there. That is a j’adorable cluster of moi’s vases on the lacquer cocktail table. I always encourage creating a cluster of your favorite finds.
Do I spy tennis balls in a glass vase perched on a console, and a knight statuette poised on its own--Bravo! This vignette clever Clayton has styled throughout this room allows it to play and interact with the space.”

BASEMENT
“This basement is also about playful moments that make the space fun and easy. I’ve mentioned it before, and it’s perfectly represented here, styling your possessions together creates order where there could be chaos. Me thinks it’s important to mention Maximalism is not about how many objets you have in a room, but how you display the many objets in a room. Our entrant is using his keen eye and making sure the colors in the room are edited consistently on the shelves. They don’t look cluttered or too overwhelmed.”

MASTER BEDROOM
“Most people stop decorating too soon. Once you have the walls and floors and furniture in place, it’s the finishing touches that can really make a room yours. J’adore the grandeur in this room with the two Bel Air lamps in white with baby blue lampshades, moi’s design (merci!), placed on the bedside tables. Their size and proportion to the rest of the space make this a bold gesture. Going for grandeur is the sign of a Maximalist! You’ve no doubt read moi’s advice on the signature color scheme of chocolate brown and baby blue. They are perfect together. They’re classic and fashion forward. With this scheme in mind, clever Clayton has transformed this bedroom with a unique color combination. We saw it with last week’s designer and we see it again here; replace those white walls and add some color! Also, those decorative pillows with silhouettes are a brilliant find.”

GUEST BEDROOM
“I’ve blogged before that I love a good color narrative throughout a room. The guest bedroom of this Happy Chic abode is about navy, red, and white. It’s simple, clean, and non-obtrusive, exactly how you want your guests to feel. Do I spy moi’s product styled throughout this color narrative? Merci! But important to note: consistency of a color palette brings the space together. Look at the red tassels hanging from the lamps, and the red trim on the X-Bench, and finally, the red detailing of the pillows on the bed -- Your perspective of this room comes full circle. Happy Chic is also about making your guest-staying-overnight-room feel right at home.”

STYLE NOTE
“This Midwesterner reminds us that Maximalism is about fun! Styled throughout the home is dedicated Happy Chic design. It’s both exuberant and ornate, a mixture of personal and eclectic taste. I am a designer who wants to bring a perspective of style, craft, joy, and a general feeling of grooviness to the home, and our clever entrant, Clayton, echoes moi’s sentiments.”

LAST CALL
Today is the final day to enter the Happy Chic Home Contest so send in your photos and style story to irresistible@jonathanadler.com before midnight tonight! Check back next Thursday to see who wins the $2,500 gift certificate to Jonathan Adler stores and the grand title of Happiest Chicest Home in America (and the two runners-up)!

Anne E. Collins (Editor, PointClickHome) and Jonathan Adler (Product and Interior Designer)

Poppy patterns and bold colors fearlessly fused into one room—this is what we like to see! Amie of St. Louis, you’ve got Happy Chic style in the best possible way! Hailing from Louisiana, this contestant’s French Quarter influences show through, but classicism never bogs her down. Her Georgian home is peppered with vibrant hues and mod accessories—the kind Jonathan and I lust for. But is it the Happiest Chicest Home in America? Only Jonathan Adler, the style-starter himself, can say. . . .


BEDROOM
“Whomp it up with wallpaper and watch your walls come alive! This room is about being brave with pattern everywhere and it really works from the curtains to the walls. Pattern creates that touch of pizzazz to give depth and originality to the space. The painted mural is a j’adorable way of creating artwork that is all your own. Well done with the WASP-tastic touch of monogrammed linens – it adds a layer of deluxe delirium that makes the bedroom her palace. I wonder if there is another letter you could add to the “H” hanging by the window? It looks a little lonely.”



LIBRARY
“This room will never go out of style. The floors are stained a dark color making the details in the molding come alive! Painting the walls bright teal keeps it modern, keeps it contemporary and keeps it fun. The placement of a classic Barcelona chair is an unexpected element amidst the traditional architecture (note the moldings). Do I spy one of moi’s Greek Key rugs? Merci! Though equally important to note: Black and white in any classic rug pattern would work well with this space.”

LIVING ROOM
“A fabulous mix of classic and contemporary -- Bravo! I see a well-proportioned and comfortable sofa balanced by a pair of light, wispy Louis chairs. The chairs are dressed in a brave choice of upholstery that I appreciate against the teal painted walls. As a Maximalist, I prefer to mixing and matching with panache, and this room is a fabulous find of how it really works. This clever entrant completes the narrative by placing a Bargello pillow, one of moi’s, in a similar color scheme as found on the walls and the fabric of the chairs. Also, j’adore the scale of the lamp placed in the corner as a grand accent that frames this seating vignette nicely. My own home is quite eclectic. I have modern bits mixed with Louis chairs mixed with pattern and always with lots of bold color. It’s nice to see other people approach their home with a similar design sensibility and show it off!”



DINING ROOM
“I would soften those wonderfully grand windows with a patterned curtain to finish the room. The curtain would also be a fabulous backdrop to the swing-arm wall sconce -- this type of sconce is a stylish and easy way to add task lighting to a small area. I would also recommend dressing up this space with a few more accessories! This dining vignette would be complete with layers of fun and decorative objets.”

STYLE NOTE
“I’m always willing to take pause and remember the zest of an orange lacquer cocktail table, the fun of a powder room wallpapered in a lime-green brocade pattern, or the excess of a giant vase filled with hundreds of peacock feathers--it's the over-the-top things that stay with us and mean something. This week’s happy home is about those unexpected and memorable gestures that are both fancy and playful with bold color and layers of pattern and texture. I think you’ll agree that our chic entrant, Amie, fully embraces Maximalist merriment!”

Check back next Thursday for other Happy Chic Homes in the running and more of Jonathan Adler's secrets of style.
Or, if you're itching for some of Adler's attention, enter your pad at irresistible@jonathanadler.com.

 

Anne E. Collins (Editor, PointClickHome) and Jonathan Adler (Product and Interior Designer)

 

We closed on our condo! After months of prepping, the final meeting with the lawyer wrapped up in a mere hour and a half. In that time we signed what felt like 100 documents, but before we knew it we had an 1100 square-foot piece of a Hoboken brownstone. We were so excited we almost sprinted there, but unlocking the door to your first home is a major moment—it needs a bit of ceremony. So we threw ourselves an impromptu house warming party. Mike bought the champagne and we stopped in our new neighborhood antique store Mackey Blue for a gift. There we found the spunkiest little vintage alarm clock; the deco feel and the fact that it was still ticking sold me.



We won’t actually move in for another three weeks (and it will undoubtedly be a paint-splattered, sawdust-mess for the next six), so something stylish and with no-assembly required sounded like a step in the right direction.

Next comes the palette. Tonight we are blowing up the air mattress and camping with our stacks of paint chips and fabric swatches. I’ll be sure to let you know what colors we dream up.

Anne E. Collins
Editor, PointClickHome

 

When this Manhattan apartment entered our Happy Chic Home contest, it made our inbox sing. To pack a decorative punch into this 325-square-foot apartment—without overwhelming the space—our contestant, Michelle, had to do some serious editing. Her strategy? She lives by the oh-so-Adler mantra: only surround yourself with the things you love.

Here, Jonathan Adler’s room-by-room analysis on composition, flair, the all-important tchotchke and what it takes to become the Happiest Chicest Home in America.

(Above) HALLWAY TO BEDROOM
“Walking down the hallway to the bedroom, I see layers, layers, and layers of unexpected touches. Most prominent is the salon-style hung art that includes an eclectic mix of fave fashion photos, watercolor sketches, and personal pics. There is an inherent chicness about framing photos of your friends, because it tells a narrative that is all your own. J’adore the Zebra print rug. Going wild with animal print is advice I give everyday.”


BOOK SHELF
“I love how the styled bookshelves have created vignettes in unexpected spaces. I often give the advice to layer your lair with love, to love what you love and have your apartment show just that. Pictured here is a Romanesque bust modeling a beaded necklace balanced with the binding of a David Hicks design book. This bookshelf is a creative moment that gives the room an eccentric personality with pops of red, pink, orange. I see another design trick: hanging framed pictures, especially tiny frames with tinier pictures, between shelves. It gives the bookshelf depth.”


LIVING ROOM/OFFICE AREA
“Draping a linen slip over a table to hide desktop uglies like a printer and office supplies is a simple and easy antidote to the troubles and traumas of everyday office supplies. The bookcase from Design Within Reach stacked with a fave collection of books is a masterful way of dividing this roomscape. That porcelain bird on top of the case creates a sculptural moment and adds a bit of whimsy to the room. J’adore the pin board hung behind the desk as a clever way to display her creativity. If you are someone who holds onto postcards or fabric swatches, art sketches and ribbon, pin them up on a board. Voila! You have art!”


LIVING ROOM
“The living room offers an example of how to keep the color story consistent throughout the space: black and white with pops of red, and then accessorize aplenty! I would recommend covering the walls in grasscloth. Even add grasscloth on the ceiling for an unexpected dash of luxury. The chunky wallcovering made from jute and other natural fibers is back in style and I couldn't be happier. Again, again, and again, the personal narratives throughout this apartment are what make it a happy chic home!”

STYLE NOTE
“I believe in bold gestures, especially if you have a small apartment. This clever entrant has managed to make her 325-square-foot apartment a gesture of Maximalist merriment. I consider myself a Maximalist designer and, as a Maximalist, I combine styles with abandon and a sense of fun. Maximalism is life-affirming and Minimalism is gloomy. This apartment’s décor is all about mixing and matching with panache, transforming the small space into a happy home.” -- Jonathan Adler

Check back next Thursday for other Happy Chic Homes in the running and more of Jonathan Adler's secrets of style.
Or, if you're itching for some of Adler's attention, enter your pad at irresistible@jonathanadler.com.

 

Anne E. Collins, Editor and Jonathan Adler, Product and Interior Designer

 

In Jonathan Adler and PointClickHome’s search for the Happiest Chicest Home in America (winner to be announced August 28th), the self-proclaimed “Caddy Shack House” could not go unmentioned. This lime green, 1963 Las Vegas ranch house possesses not only the happy and chic criteria—it’s got serious zest. Inspired by Adler’s mix of Mid Mod and Palm Beach Glam, Caddyshack gets a review from its very own muse.

Jonathan Adler says . . .

EXTERIOR AND POOL:
"This is full of decorating tricks that prove happiness is chic! Looking at the outside-- they've been brave with the lime color. In a warm climate like Las Vegas, this color is a total glamour injection! J’adore the modernization of the guest house by the pool, with the simple addition of white billowing drapes as an awning. This offers a bit of Bohemian bliss, a casual, happy space where friends and family will want to chill. It feels like a groovy outdoor living room. Of course, I would add a hanging chair… The 1970s were the heyday of the hanging chair and it is most definitely time for a resurgence. Buy one and you'll never look back!”

LIVING ROOM:
“Moving inside to the living room, the renovated fireplace brings back a Vegas vernacular, though I recommend breaking up the vast expanse of textured wall with a bit of art. Perhaps go for grandeur with a salon-style hung art. Hang one large picture first and then keep going...It’s really not about the content of the art, but about the composition on the wall. On opposite ends of the hearth, j’adore the stack of pillows. Though, if I could, I would add ten stacks more! And the plants placed throughout the living room add an element of life.”

Living room, opposite view

KITCHEN:
“Thank God they removed the faux brick from the kitchen walls, and went bold with color, painting the walls orange for a nice pop! The hanging strands on the kitchen doorway are a nice salute to the 70’s.”


ADLER'S ADVICE
“Repetition throughout the house reminds me that when in doubt: Repeat, repeat, repeat your patterns, your style, your color, your lighting, your accessories. This home is well-dressed in its space, a cohesive blend of its environment, Las Vegas, and its homeowners' personal style. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Chicness is about your own style, and this includes, as we find in this home, a stack of fave board games in the well-edited boudoir, or a color pop in every room.”

Check back next Thursday for other Happy Chic Homes in the running and more of Jonathan Adler secrets of style.
Or if you're itching for some of Adler's attention, enter your pad at irresistible@jonathanadler.com.

 

Anne E. Collins (Editor, PointClickHome) and Jonathan Adler (Product and Interior Designer)