Quick Takes With: Nate Berkus

We’ve never met Nate Berkus. Yet we feel, a little, like we know him.

You too?

Maybe you’ve streamed all of The Nate and Jeremiah Home Project, the show he co-created with his husband, the designer Jeremiah Brent (of Queer Eye fame). Or maybe you’ve cracked into Nate’s new book, Foundations, just out in November and now a NYT bestseller. Yet despite his star power—his innumerable TV shows, books, and award-winning design projects over the last three decades—Nate has a way of letting us into his own home, too, the one he shares with Jeremiah and their kids. His has a real sense of what makes a home, and it seems to come from this: a knack for understanding the people who live there and creating personal, comfortable spaces for them to spend time in. 

Today Nate writes in from NYC with the TV show he goes to for design inspiration, two books he’s never giving up, and a hot design take. Read on.

You’re invited to dinner. What’s your go-to gift?

This year, it’s a copy of my new book, Foundations (that just launched).

What’s on your bedside table?

A vintage lamp, phone charger, and whatever book I am reading at that moment. Right now, it’s Buckeye by Patrick Ryan.

What’s your desert island design/art/architecture-related book?

Jean-Michel Frank (Assouline) or Jacques Grange Interiors by Pierre Passebon.

What podcast or playlist do you put on when you need inspiration?

There is always music playing in our home, usually curated by Jeremiah.

What’s a film or TV show whose aesthetic has stuck with you?

I still love studying Downton Abbey; our 10-year-old has now discovered the show…

Which Instagram account do you go to for design inspiration?

@jeremiahbrent, for his unmistakable point of view and the way he sees beauty in absolutely everything: @alyssakapitointeriors; @slow_roads

What has been your best house upgrade?

Great question. We have done some really big renovations, like our previous New York home, where we broke through to a next-door apartment. It massively increased the footprint and, of course, how we then lived in the space.

A simple or budget-friendly design move you wish you’d known sooner?

Painting a small room a deep, moody color. People think it will make the space feel tighter, but it actually has the opposite effect—it becomes intentional. And swapping out cabinet hardware is another favorite. It’s such a simple change, but it can completely shift the feeling of a room.

My favorite paint color for the bedroom is…

Warm neutrals like Alabaster (Benjamin Moore) or Seaspray (Benjamin Moore), another chalky off-white.

My unpopular design opinion is…

Ignore trends. They are designed to make you feel bad about what you don’t have.