The Jonathan Adler Edit: Modern Glamour That Doesn't Take Itself Seriously

One witty object changes how a whole room reads: a face on a vase tells you the owner takes design seriously and themselves rather less. Jonathan Adler is one of our favourite American designers because he has built what he calls Modern American Glamour from the clay up.

A living room styled with Jonathan Adler furniture, lighting and ceramics

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His porcelain is funniest in ones and twos

Adler started as a potter, and the ceramics are still where he's strongest. Muse, which the brand calls its "signature ode to surrealism", is high-fired porcelain with hand-sculpted faces. The Dora Maar Giant Vase, named after the French photographer and painter who was Picasso's muse, is left unglazed so the features show in fine detail, and the L'Pop I-Scream Vase is under 18 cm tall, low enough for a dining table without blocking the view across it.

Jonathan Adler

Mr. & Mrs. Muse Vase

£125

Jonathan Adler

Muse Dreamscape Vase

£163

Jonathan Adler

Sparkling Gala Vase

£260

Jonathan Adler

Dora Maar Giant Vase

£580

Jonathan Adler

L'Pop I-Scream Vase

£42

Jonathan Adler

Bel Air Test Tube Vase - Mustard

£260

Jonathan Adler

Druggist Weed Canister

£250

Jonathan Adler

Druggist Shrooms Canister

£325

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The lighting is where he makes the biggest statement

"Chandeliers are your chance to make an impact in a room, so you should make it count," Adler said as guest editor of Livingetc. The Meurice pieces are the brand's modern take on classic bamboo, in brass: a chandelier, a 96.5 cm rectangle for a narrow hallway or over a dining table, a pendant, two sconces and two floor lamps. Under a lower ceiling, the Alphaville flush mount stacks a capsule of milk glass on honed brass.

Jonathan Adler

Meurice Chandelier

£1,075

Jonathan Adler

Meurice Rectangle Chandelier - Brass

£1,650

Jonathan Adler

Large Meurice Pendant Light

£362

Jonathan Adler

Meurice Task Floor Lamp

£425

Jonathan Adler

Meurice Easel Floor Lamp

£895

Jonathan Adler

Meurice End-on-End Sconce

£265

Jonathan Adler

Meurice Five-Arm Sconce - Brass

£350

Jonathan Adler

Alphaville Flush Mount

£348

Jonathan Adler

Caracas Task Tripod Floor Lamp

£675

Jonathan Adler

Apex Table Lamp

£495

Jonathan Adler

Brass Flower Floor Lamp

£1,875

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The furniture needs a plain room

Adler's furniture is glossier and more architectural than his pottery, and it works best where you keep the walls quiet. The Alphaville cocktail table is a simple drum, 98.4 cm across and 30 cm high, in honed brass with a black glass top. The brand pairs it with leggy sofas and chairs, which stop the low, solid form looking heavy.

Jonathan Adler

Alphaville Cocktail Table

£2,250

Jonathan Adler

Beaumont 162.5cm Settee - Olympus Oatmeal

£2,246

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The smaller pieces are the easiest way to test the humour

If you're not sure how much wit a room can take, start small. The Muse votive holders are 6 cm high in porcelain (the Muse D'Or has a gold interior), and take a tea light on a bedside table or paper clips on a desk. The Druggist coasters put Delft-inspired blue and white with real gold under your drinks, and come in a gift box.

Jonathan Adler

Muse Votive Holder

£35

Jonathan Adler

Muse D’Or Votive Holder

£45

Jonathan Adler

Druggist Coasters

£95