I have a theory that the best home brands are started by people who cannot stop making things with their hands, and Jonathan Adler fits it. He grew up in New Jersey, tried pottery at summer camp and kept at it through his teenage years. After a short detour into the movie business he went back to clay, and in 1993 he launched his own ceramics company in New York. Ever since, he has had a way of making a pot look like it is in on the joke. I went deeper on a related idea in Noon & Moon Home Decor: Pieces Worth a Look.

His own phrase for the point of view is Modern American Glamour, which I read as rooms that are seriously designed but never solemn. You can see it in how a bold motif sits on a game set, a bar accessory or an entire living room. If you read the brand's own timeline, it runs from a Peru trip to hotel interiors, but what stays with me is the humor. Adler is still the founder and chief creative officer, and the wit has not gone anywhere.

I think of a coffee table as the place where a room is allowed to show a little personality. The Leopard Backgammon Set and Leopard Lacquer Card Set put a lively pattern on games everyone already knows, so the table becomes a reason to stay. The Full Dose Tic-tac-toe Set is the cheeky one to keep within reach, and the Barbell Barware Set carries the party over to the drinks cart.

The Poodle Salt & Pepper Set, Vice Salt & Pepper Set and Geneva Salt & Pepper Set leave a small but memorable impression at dinner. My tip is to give one patterned game a permanent home on a tray and leave open space around it, so it reads as a point of view and not clutter. Picture a late round of backgammon, a drink nearby and nothing else on the table.

Some objects make an ordinary routine feel less anonymous, and this group is full of them. The Vice Weed Canister, Gummies Canister and Edibles Canister carry the brand's naughty sense of humor into storage, while the Vice Woof Canister feels made for a dog household's little odds and ends. The Vice Caffeine Mug and Full Dose Coasters can turn a morning coffee into its own ritual.

The Fontana Tray gives the smaller pieces a place to land, and the Xanax Brass Pill Box is a pocket-size conversation starter. Picture it on a nightstand beside a glass of water and a favorite book. The Eve Accent Bowl, Sirena Serving Dish and Zebra Stacking Dish are the soft, sculptural ones for keys and rings. What I would skip is putting all of it out at once. Two or three at a time means the names and colors do the talking.

Jonathan Adler's best objects are useful and funny at the same time, which is why I can picture them in a real home and not only a showroom. The Acrylic Snail Bookends hold up a row of novels, and a canister brightens a shelf every morning. Although I suspect the Atlas Objet ends up as the thing guests ask about first.