Jonathan Adler’s Top 3 Tips for Throwing a Killer Dinner Party

This month, Jonathan Adler—our go-to designer for decor that’s both stylish and a little left-of-center—introduces two new porcelain dinnerware collections, his first in five years. The new offerings include 1948° ($32 to $148), which features a bold splatter pattern made with hand-applied gold detailing, and Malachite ($18 to $98), which brings a more subtle design of pale grey that mimics the mineral that the design world is currently having a major love affair with. 

We caught up with the New York–based potter, designer, and author to get the scoop on the new collections and his top three tips for entertaining.

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What was your inspiration for the new dining collections?

“Irreverent luxury. I make the stuff that is missing from my life, and I was missing luxe porcelain dinnerware that was formal enough for holidays but didn’t feel too precious. My idea was to deface my dishes with splatters of gold. 1948˚ refers to the temperature at which gold melts, and it was also a good year. The war was over, Modernism was blossoming, and Abstract Expressionism was in full effect. Calling it 1948 felt so right.”

And Malachite?

“I can’t say enough about malachite. I’m mad for malachite, and I exhort everyone to drink the Kool-Aid too.”

What do you love about the new 1948° dining collection?

“It’s the perfect balance of timeless and today, formal and fresh, uptown and downtown. It’s formal enough for a holiday but hardworking enough for every day.”

We know you’re the consummate entertainer. Can you share your secrets with us?

• “Serve the food that people actually want to eat: roast chicken, vegetables, apple pie. No one wants some weird crisp served with a reduction of something and drizzle of something else unpronounceable.”
• “Don’t be afraid to pile decor on the table. When it’s too spare, people are afraid to move anything and don’t feel at home.”
• “Put your lights on dimmers. Everyone will look even more glamorous than they already are.”