Designer advises decorating with items that have personal meaning

"Make it your own" could be interior designer Jonathan Adler's mantra.

The highly individualistic decorator has been finding different ways to express his style from his start as a potter to his lengthy career as a designer, author and head judge on the Bravo TV show, Top Design.

"Personal style means having a space that’s comfy but filled with stuff that has meaning to you," he told Elle Décor magazine. "It should hold things created and inspired by passionate people. Personal style should make you happy and happiness is chic."

One of Adler's favorite ways to show individuality is to layer furnishings in unexpected ways. Attaching a brass lion's head door knocker to the door of a modern apartment or adding an upholstered chair to a corner of the bathroom are examples of his style.

The same approach can be taken with window treatments. For instance, the simple, contemporary look of mini blinds can be offset by a softer, upholstered valance or sheer curtains.

Adler also recommends that home decorators broaden their view of neutral colors by choosing unusual hues such as camel rather than beige or baby blue instead of off-white.