Nate Berkus Quotes

Author Image

Nate Berkus

Profession : Designer

Birth : September 17, 1971

'Priced to sell' - just the phrase makes me smile. When a dealer says all the items in his booth are priced to sell, he means he's tagged them as aggressively as he can to get you to buy them. Don't worry, though, I still haggle. You have to. That's the point of a flea market.

Nate Berkus

It's my job to know what's available from every retailer, catalog, website, antiques mall, and craftsperson. A good designer or decorator has to have an almost encyclopedic knowledge.

Nate Berkus

You will enrich your life immeasurably if you approach it with a sense of wonder and discovery, and always challenge yourself to try new things.

Nate Berkus

I believe your home tells a story about who you are and who you aspire to be. We represent ourselves through the things we own. I don't believe in trends. I believe in collecting things that you connect with. We should surround ourselves with things we care about, that have meaning.

Nate Berkus

I like my house to be unique to me. Sure, I've bought plenty of things out of a catalog, but the way I put them together in my home is special. You might have bought your sofa at a major home decorating store, but the rug you found at the flea market is so unique, it takes your room from 'carbon copy' to 'simply yours' in no time.

Nate Berkus

I knew that I was a gay boy fairly early; what was interesting to me was that my mother didn't know. She made me play baseball - I had no desire to do that. I said, 'Mom, I don't like direct sunlight, I don't like bugs, I don't like grass, and I'd rather be in the house playing with your fabric samples.'

Nate Berkus

You can find a lot of reasonable buys at Wal-Mart. But one key to making it on a budget is by donating your time and labor to the project. Do-it-yourself projects will always help you save.

Nate Berkus

Go outside! I mean, even leaves from a park are beautiful in a clear glass vase. I'd rather see that than fake anything any day.

Nate Berkus

Everywhere your eye travels in your home, it should land on something that resonates with you.

Nate Berkus

My favorite thing about decorating is mixing different periods and styles. If you have something that's old, and you really do want to mix those styles, then you have to add something that's obviously modern with it. You can't put a kind of a mediocre thing in the middle.

Nate Berkus

You don't need to spend a lot of money on stuff when you have amazing architecture.

Nate Berkus

I can look at a photo and the dimensions of any piece and tell you if it's going to sit well with the four other pieces in your room.

Nate Berkus

When you have a bunch of comfortable upholstered pieces, a single bronze or brass chair really turns the energy up.

Nate Berkus

I made my parents crazy. As a kid, I redecorated my bedroom every month. I would literally save my allowance and go buy things.

Nate Berkus

When you buy things that are expensive, like a sofa or something that really feels like an investment, you need to keep it as plain as possible, as simple as possible. Make sure that it's a clean design that will work with whatever style you want it to.

Nate Berkus

I hate sets. I've always hated sets. I think that if you have a dining room set, break it up!

Nate Berkus

Color is a very personal thing. You need to make sure to choose a color that makes you happy. But I don't recommend accent walls - choose a color you can live with on all four walls.

Nate Berkus

Layering in different patterns will keep things from appearing too studied.

Nate Berkus

You can change the feel of your sofa by adding a thick, cozy throw and playing a couple of classic pillows off a more Moroccan-inspired one.

Nate Berkus

I love linen in soothing colors for any room in the house.

Nate Berkus