Interior Design Guru Jonathan Adler Talks Dorm Room Decorating

by Claire Knebl


The all-things-home expert just launched a colorful lifestyle collection for JCPenney, aptly named Happy Chic.

For recent high school grads, the summer before college can seem super slow. (Just get me to campus already!) You've got a few more months of relaxation before the milestone move-in day, but now's the time to start thinking about your dorm decorating plans. At the launch party for his JCPenney line, we asked designer Jonathan Adler (known for his signature ceramics and colorful embroidery) all about the art of furnishing your first bedroom away from home.

At the event, Adler was stationed near an immaculately decorated mock room filled with patterned pieces and bold accessories from his new Happy Chic home collection. But first: a confession. He may be an expert now, but Adler admits that his first dorm room was a far cry from this cheerful aesthetic. "My room at Brown was absolutely atrocious! I don't know if dorms are still like this, but it was wooden, beat-up, and depressing, he explained. And I didn't do anything to improve it... I was a guy!"

Adler's flair for fun decoration has certainly flourished since his freshman year, and he recommends that you do things differently than his college student-self this fall.

"Everybody likes a chic space, and the great thing about the era we live in is that people can handle lots of bold, bright colors," he told us. "I think a dorm room is a great place to have happy hues." And shopping this lower-priced line is a great way to kick off your dorm decorating plans. But while serious shopping can get you set for the school year, Adler admits that sometimes it's all about being creative.

"You don't always have to spend tons of money! One thing I love to do at home is pin things, like photos, to the wall with pushpins. If you do it in a very clean grid, it looks really intentional and it's basically free," he says. "Just a plain grid of photos looks really groovy!"

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