Jonathan Adler's design fundamentals

Designer and author Jonathan Adler joined The Washington Post staff writer Jura Koncius recently on the newspaper's Home Front online chat. Here is an edited excerpt.

Q. What do you think is a staple piece that everyone needs in their home, but few people have?

A. Pedestals are every decorator's secret weapon. A large sculpture or vase on a pedestal is a perfect layer for an unused corner.

Q. What do you consider the best foundation pieces for a living room?

A. The floor. A fab rug sets the tone. Make it count.

Q. Besides clay, what are some of your favorite materials to work with?

A. I started my career as a potter, and clay will always be my first love, but I've been cheating on clay with lots of new materials. My favorite mistresses du jour are brass and Lucite. I make models in clay and cast them in brass or Lucite, and I'm loving it.

Q. If you could team up with any celebrity and redo their living space, who would you pick?

A. Silly question. The answer is obvious: Madonna.

Q. Do you have a statement piece I could add to my collection that's unique and affordable, but a conversation starter? I am a millennial on a tight budget. Also, I live in a tiny studio, so something small and bold would be preferred.

A. Look no further than my banana bud vase.

Q. Coco Chanel said to take off one accessory before leaving the house. Does the same rule apply to interior design?

A. Totally. It's funny - people think of me as a maximalist, but I'm kind of a minimalist. I think everything in your house should have a raison d'être. If you don't know why it's there, get rid of it.

Q. I've recently been seeing a lot of rose gold accents in home magazines and have noticed you have started to make pieces that follow this trend. Do you think that rose gold home decor will stand the test of time? Or do you think it will blow over in a few years?

A. Rose gold is glamorous and fizzy, like a glass of Dom Pérignon champagne for your home. And like champagne, rose gold is best saved for special occasions. Use it as an accent.

As for staying power, I think that, again, like champagne, it's forever. I am a true believer in mixing metals. Brass, silver, gold, bronze, rose gold - pourquoi pas?

Q. We get a lot of cracks and bubbles on our plaster-and-lath walls but hate having to put up pictures and other decorative items just to cover these up. Any creative ideas, short of replastering?

A. This is what salon-style picture hanging is for. I loathe inspirational sayings - loathe them - but I know there's some quote about scars as a reminder of experience, or something like that. I guess I'm saying that I like a house with some scars, some children's height marks in door frames, some signs of life.

A.A. Gill wrote an article about perfection anxiety, a term he coined for a contemporary illness of the mega-rich who think everything needs to be perfect. Perfectly plastered walls sans nicks and marks are a sign of an under-lived life.

Q.I have a beautiful, detailed vintage Hermès scarf that was bought in Paris. It is square and very large. I will never wear it; it's not my style. Should I frame it and hang it or just give it away?

A. Frame it! Love a framed scarf. Très chic.

Q. What's your take on KonMari, Marie Kondo's decluttering philosophy? I love the idea of having a relationship with what's in your home and treating things with dignity.

A. Love her! I think that most retailers cower in fear of KonMari because, at first glance, the philosophy seems anti-consumerist. But it echoes my mission statement, which is: If your heirs won't fight over it, we won't make it. I try to only make the stuff that you will love forever.

Q. Do you think about how or if you will adapt your style as times and tastes change? You have a midcentury feel, but that's been around for a while. Will you change if it falls out of favor?

A. I follow my (ever-expanding) gut. I try not to be strategic and try to ignore trends (I would never do a focus group). I make what I want to make, and I hope people continue to like it.

Q. What time period has inspired you the most?

A. This changes every day. Right now I'm obsessed with Viennese Secession design.

Q. Do you have a go-to life motto or mantra?

A. I loathe inspirational sayings. Loathe. But I reckon my mantra is more, more, MORE!!!