Our Manifesto

Jonathan Adler

We believe that your home should make you happy.

We believe that when it comes to decorating, the wife is always right. Unless the husband is gay.

We believe in carbohydrates and to hell with the puffy consequences.

We believe minimalism is a bummer.

We believe handcrafted tchotchkes are life-enhancing. 

We believe tassels are the earrings of the home.

We believe in our muses: David Hicks, Alexander Girard, Bonnie Cashin. Hans Coper, Gio Ponti, Andy Warhol, Leroy Neiman, Yves Saint Laurent, and Madonna. 

We believe in the innate chicness of red with brown. 

We believe in being underdressed or overdressed always. 

We believe in infantile, happy emblems like butterflies and hearts.

We believe celebrities should pay full price. 

We believe in rustic modernism: Big Sur, A-Frame beach houses, raw beams, and geodesic dome homes.

We believe in Palm Beach style: Louis chairs, chinoiserie, Lilly Pulitzer, The Breakers circa ’72.

We believe our designs are award winning even though they’ve never actually won any. 

We believe in Aid to Artisans.

We believe dogs should be allowed in stores and restaurants.

We believe in mantiques—suits of armour, worn chesterfield sofas, heraldic tapestries.

We believe you should throw out your Blackberry and go pick some actual blackberries.

We believe colors can’t clash.

We believe in blowing your nest egg on our pots.

We believe our lamps will make you look younger and thinner.

We believe in irreverent luxury.

The manifesto as a literary art form is often forgotten, but we here at Mutable have had the audacious notion of collecting these remarkable objects for our Manifesto of the Month series.

For our manifesto this month, we thought we’d spice things up with some principles of interior design by Jonathan Adler as opposed to the usual run-of-the-mill political and/or artistic manifesto. Learn to prettify your life!