A room enhanced with stylish handcrafted tchotchkes - a signature of every Jonathan Adler designed space.

"We believe handcrafted tchotchkes are life-enhancing," states part of Jonathan Adler's Manifesto. And his funky, colorful, engaging, and self-described "groovy" designs do just that! Hamptons.com writer, Christine Kiernan, chatted with the fabulous interior designer about his past, his inspiration and what you can do to indulge in a little "irreverent luxury."

Hamptons.com: Jonathan, it's such a pleasure to speak with you. Can you tell us a little bit about how you got started in interior design?

Jonathan Adler: Well, as you may already know, I started as a humble potter. Although an evil pottery professor told me I had no talent, I decided to pursue my passion for pottery. After a brief stint as a talent agent post-college, I started making pots full time. Initially, I sold my pots to other retailers but in '98 I opened my first little pottery concern in SoHo. I now have 8 stores (including Newton Lane in East Hampton), an e-commerce site, a wholesale business, and interior design business.

The interior design gig started equally as fortuitously. A close friend bought a house with a dreamy view overlooking the water in Shelter Island. It was essentially a tear-down. Everything went – except the giant stone fireplace –and was painstakingly rebuilt to evoke its original 1949 design. She asked me to design the interior in a modern but livable, comfy style befitting a weekend house for her family. A feature about that project ran in the New York Times and caught the eye of the owner of the Parker Palm Springs hotel and as they say, the rest is history.

Jonathan Adler and a few of his groovy rooms.

H: What inspires you?

JA: Everything! I find inspiration everywhere – from fashion to art to architecture to rap music. A few of moi's muses are David Hicks, Gio Ponti, Bonnie Cashin and Andy Warhol.

H: Of all of your projects, which are you the most proud of?

JA: I suppose the Parker Palm Springs. At the time I accepted the job, I had no idea what I was getting into designing a project of that magnitude. The design concept was to give the hotel a very comfy non-hotel feel – as if you were escaping to the desert to the home of a well-traveled, slightly eccentric auntie, I even gave this fictitious auntie a name – Mrs. Parker. I scoured vintage shops for colored glass bottles to adorn a window ledge, antique suzanis to drape over sofas in the main lobby, suits of armor to greet guests, etc. These were mixed with pieces of my own design to create a layered, residential feel more like the home of a worldly collector than a hotel. At times it was a gut-wrenching experience but in the end I think the client was really pleased and I was very proud to have made it through without committing myself!

H: What is your signature design style?

JA: Although my approach to design is serious, my mantra is, 'your home should make you happy.' I love adding unexpected elements that create a bit of humor, like a full-size brass palm tree in a client's home on Fifth Avenue. The best conversation starter I ever found is actually in my own pad – a bust of Michael Jackson discovered at a flea market for $20!

Serious design with happy results.

H: What is the benefit of hiring an interior designer vs. DIY?

JA: Everyone has likes and dislikes but identifying them and deciding what will translate well for your home, your lifestyle, etc. is where an interior designer's expertise can really help. Your home, however stylish, should be a reflection of you and be a place you're happy to come home to each day. Even clients who described their taste as being bold will be surprised by what can be combined to look fab together – modern with traditional, chartreuse mixed with chocolate brown – and an interior designer can tap into these things for you. They'll also track down the bits and bobs that you don't have the time and patience to find.

H: Where can homeowners start when they plan to redecorate?

JA: Moi's advice is start at the bottom. If your walls need painting and floors need refinishing, do that first even if that is all your current budget allows. You need a space that you can build upon.

H: What advice can you give the novice?

JA: Experiment. If you're going to go it alone without the help of an interior designer, start small. Instead of painting a whole room, try one wall first and live with it. You may love it and want to wash over the whole space with color or make a statement with just the single wall or you may hate it, but it's easily reversible to its original color or another choice.

Try new accent pillows for a sofa instead of re-upholstering it. Arrange and re-arrange your objects and through experimenting with different groupings, heights and clusters you'll eventually look at it and say voilà – that looks groovy!

You can contact Jonathan Adler and check out many of his projects at www.jonathanadler.com. Happy designing!