The Reincarnation of JCPenney & Jonathan Adler

30 May The Reincarnation of JCPenney & Jonathan Adler

Jonathan Adler.

You love him, or you don’t.

You are enthralled by all of his color and pattern, or you prefer it in small doses.

I did laugh when I found that quote of his via the Wall Street Journal and just had to superimpose it over the photo from his posh pad in Greenwich Village.  Persimmon sofa included, of course.

Maybe if you’re Jonathan Adler, you’re thinking of sofas when you’re about to “snuff it”.  (wink)

After seeing a super cute set of platters last night that a client bought from the Jonathan Adler collection at JCPenney (yes, there is a Jonathan Adler collection at JCPenney – am I the only one that feels this has been way under the radar?), and after receiving this text from my husband on the way home from meeting with that client, “Take your time.  The kids are down.” (yes, he is awesome), I made a quick turnaround and headed to JCPenney to check out the collection.

It is bright and happy and cheerful and on trend.  Most items I turned over revealed tags with good price points.  (especially the accessories)

I thought the euro-sized pillows were a good value – $38, down filled, patterned on both sides, and had a zipper at the bottom.  I hardly ever buy a pillow with no zipper unless it is just a ridiculous steal.  I need to be able to wash everything around here.

If you are not into all of the pattern, they had this style of pillow ($32) in a couple of colors.  Very basic, could go with tons of styles, and again, it had a zipper at the bottom.

Love, love the placemat ($15) in this pattern!  These will probably come home with me at some point.

This Greek key ceramic tray would be perfect on a console to hold keys, etc.  ($42)  It was heavy and felt like it was good quality.

The owl lamps ($35 each) may be trendy, but they would be super cute in a kids room.

The collection also carries foo dog lamps ($75 each), and I thought they were attractive even though I’m not a huge foo dog fan. (is it unheard of to not just fall over oneself when it comes to foo dogs?  I feel the digital daggers piercing me throughout the blogosphere already.  ha!  I do have an itsy bitsy pair of turquoise foo dogs, and I strangely love them.)

There are tons of vases and canisters in pretty, bright colors.  (just as there should be, this is Jonathan Adler!)

Is there a pooch in your life that needs a designer dog bowl ($18)?

My desk could be very happy with one of these patterned acrylic trays ($32) resting on it.

Love this navy lacquer frame ($18), too!  This would be a nice pop in a collection of more traditional frames.

Need some happy bedding?  There are several colorways and patterns to choose from!

Apparently, JCPenney has most recently added furniture to the Jonathan Adler line.  There are not a ton of reviews online, and it is quite pricey.  Makes you wonder…how much of that is the Jonathan Adler name and how much of that price is the quality??

I guess what I most find questionable is the upholstery.  In real life, this sofa is gorgeous, but at nearly $3000, is it eight-way hand tied?  It should be!  Is the foam of high quality?  Hope so!  When it comes to upholstery, there are only a few manufacturers whose quality I find trustworthy.  Otherwise, I think your best bet is to buy an old or vintage sofa (bonus if you can find a quality maker like Baker, Henredon, etc.) and recover it by an upholsterer you trust.  That way, you know the frame is solid wood and well made.  I digress…bottom line:  I’m not sure of the quality of their upholstery, but it is really, really striking in real life.  I would give it a whirl, I think!

I was particularly drawn to this navy chair.  ($1700)

There are several lacquer pieces in this collection, and I have to say, I was quite impressed with the quality.  Fact: lacquer is expensive.  If you can find someone that truly lacquers furniture (we’re not talking glossy paint), it is going to be pricey, that’s just the way it is.  The drawers on these pieces run beautifully also, which is always a nice feature.  You can get most of the lacquer items in the colors shown in this photo.

You can see the nightstand ($585) here.  Notice the ming legs and shiny chrome hardware.  Quite nice!

The desk ($1345) is simple enough to fit in with many decorating styles.

I really liked the dining table ($2195).  Not a huge fan of the chairs though…maybe with a different table?  (the rug is JA for JCP also)

By far, my favorite lacquered item is this six-drawer dresser ($1995).  It is so so pretty and available in a few different colors.

Admittedly, it has been years since I have darkened the doors of JCPenney, and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised.  I remember vividly my last trip there, and it was dirty, dark, and disorganized.  However, on this trip, I was impressed with the quality of items, the prices, the care and detail in the displays, and the items themselves.  They are clearly working hard to gain relevancy, and for me, it worked.  I could easily see myself shopping there for clients, and grabbing a pillow or two for myself.  Although the prices on Jonathan Adler’s furniture selections were high, I was told there is often a sale and/or a coupon for a nice percentage off.  (it was 20% off when I was there)  The entire Home department at JCPenney is worth strolling, you should go see for yourself!  I would love to hear about your experience.

I did bond with Mr. Adler when the slogan on his display caught my eye on the way out.

I totally agree.

**To see all of the Jonathan Adler for JCPenney items, click here.**