Jonathan Adler opened his 13th home goods store — and his second-largest —right here in Philly last week. The Jersey-born designer creates pieces that are bold and masterfully crafted yet lighthearted, making for a dazzling, spacious, two-story shop in Old City. We caught up with him for a little insight.What is your philosophy on design?I call my philosophy “happy chic.” It’s about creating a design that I hope is beautiful and chic and timeless, but that has an element of levity and is communicative.How does it fit into Philadelphia?I am a hometown boy. I’m from South Jersey and Philadelphia is my home city. And I’m a die-hard Eagles fan. I think Philadelphia is a nice town — it’s unpretentious, which I appreciate and I strive to be. I think my work will resonate with Philadelphia because Philadelphia is groovy and chic, and my work is approachable.Where do you draw inspiration from?I’m kind of inspired by anything and everything. I keep my eyes and my mind wide open. Believe it or not, I get a lot of ideas in my sleep.Is there a specific audience for your work?I am happy to say that I think my work is accessible. So I hope that it speaks to a lot of different people — groovy people of all shapes, sizes, orientations and ilks.Sleep on itAdler suggests checking out the store’s new bedding. “I have a huge bedding section. I think that the bedding is a perfect example of what my work is about. It’s gorgeous quality and craftsmanship. It’s 400-thread-count with a really soft hand. There’s an element of levity and happiness in the patterns.”
