When Jonathan Adler stops by your office, you can pretty much expect a treat—and to learn all kinds of practical decorating tips and tricks. Since summer decorating is already on my mind, I couldn’t help but chat with the designer and potter during his recent Good Housekeeping office visit to find out his go-to pointers for the season.
Figuring out low-lift ways to transition spaces like the living room, bedroom, and patio for the season can be a lot. Personally, I struggle with settling on the right mix of decorative accents to show off my style during the summer (I may go a little overboard with the striped throw pillows, for instance). And how do you tackle spots like a bookshelf? What colors are worth embracing? Are there any simple ways to make a home look more expensive?
Keep scrolling for Adler’s pointers, which are versatile enough to work in a cozy apartment or spacious family home. It’s also worth taking a peek atSummer Sorbet, his new summer home decor assortment for Michaels. It has everything you need for al fresco entertaining, from fun lawn games (corn hole is one of Adler’s favorites) to beach towels with personality. “It’s one of the most exciting projects I've ever done, and everyone should have my lawn games, which are really, really fun,” Adler told Good Housekeeping about his summer collection.
💡 Refresh your throw pillows. “The lowest and easiest lift is to refresh your throw pillows. New pillows always make a house feel brand new. As for my approach, there’s the junior varsity option and the varsity option. Junior varsity is matchy-matchy pillows, which can be fantastic. Varsity is mixing. But whether it’s varsity or junior varsity, you're going to want a variety of sizes.”
💡 Rearrange your bookshelf. “Bookshelves become accumulations of stuff, and just an edit of a bookshelf feels like a light suntan. Our phones are our best friends now. Just take a picture of the space you are trying to arrange, and the answer will reveal itself. People have an intuitive sense of composition at this point, so you'll see whether something looks too cluttered and if there's a focal point. Focal points and composition are everything.”
💡 Bring in a pop of blue. “Blue is my go-to answer for everything. I like to use blue in a room abundantly and in a variety of ways. It's really a miracle color. I love baby blue and navy, because they bring me back to my preppy, varsity youth.”
💡Introduce texture. “The idea of texture is about mixing materials. When I'm designing a space, I like to think of how many materials I've used and make sure there's a mix. For instance, if I've used too much wood, I introduce stone or metal.”
💡 Pay attention to furniture legs. “The same paradigm applies to furniture legs. If there's too much leggy furniture, I like to use a weighty end table. Or conversely, if it's a leggy table, I like to use more grounded seating.”
💡Invest in lawn games. “Lawn games not only transform your backyard, but they transform your life. When it comes to lawn games, I don’t play: I win. I’ve never met a lawn game I didn’t like, but I’m especially into corn hole (and I’m not just saying that because I’m objectively incredible at it). My Summer Sorbet collection with Michaels is built around that idea that your backyard should be a space people want to stay in rather than a place they walk through on their way to the BBQ. The games are statement pieces in their own right: bold, graphic, and designed to be left out.”
Monique Valeris is the home design director for Good Housekeeping, where she oversees the brand's home decorating coverage across print and digital. Prior to joining GH in 2020, she was the digital editor at Elle Decor. In her current role, she explores everything from design trends and home tours to lifestyle product recommendations, including writing her monthly column, "What's in My Cart."
