Nate Berkus Quotes

Powerful Nate Berkus for Daily Growth

About Nate Berkus

Nate Berkus is a renowned American interior designer, author, and television personality who has made significant strides in the world of home decor and design. Born on September 17, 1971, in Wilmette, Illinois, Berkus developed an early interest in design, inspired by his grandmother's antiques shop. This passion led him to study art history at The Ohio State University. In the late 1990s, Berkus began his career as a freelance decorator, working on small projects for friends and family. His big break came in 2002 when he was featured in O Magazine by Oprah Winfrey, leading to numerous design projects and TV appearances. In 2004, he co-founded Nate Berkus Associates, an interior design firm that has worked on high-profile projects, including the homes of celebrities such as Michael C. Hall and Jerry Seinfeld. Berkus is also a bestselling author, with books like "The Things That Matter" (2013) and "Home Rules: Transform the Place You Live into a Place You'll Love" (2005). His writing focuses on creating homes that are both beautiful and functional, reflecting the lives of those who live in them. In addition to his work as an interior designer and author, Berkus is a regular guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show, ABC's Good Morning America, and NBC's Today. He also co-hosted The Nate Berkus Show from 2010 to 2012. Berkus is widely recognized for his approachable design style, emphasis on sustainability, and ability to transform spaces with simple, effective solutions. His work continues to inspire homeowners and designers alike.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I always say that when you love something, it will love you back."

This quote suggests a reciprocal relationship between love and the objects we cherish. It implies that when we genuinely care for something - be it a material object, a hobby, or an experience - that thing in turn has the capacity to bring joy, fulfillment, or comfort back to us. The sentiment emphasizes the power of appreciation and the cyclical nature of love.


"Surround yourself with things you truly love because you're going to spend a lot of time looking at them."

This quote by Nate Berkus emphasizes the importance of surrounding oneself with items that hold personal value or meaning, as these are the things one will frequently interact with in daily life. The underlying message suggests that filling one's environment with cherished belongings can foster a sense of comfort, happiness, and connection, making the time spent at home more enjoyable and fulfilling. By surrounding ourselves with items we love, we create an intimate and inviting space that reflects our unique tastes and values, ultimately shaping our living experience in a positive and profound way.


"The best interiors are often the result of self-expression and good taste."

This quote by Nate Berkus emphasizes that the most successful interior designs are a harmonious blend of personal expression (reflecting one's personality, preferences, and values) and good taste (a well-developed sense of aesthetics, style, and proportion). Essentially, it suggests that creating interiors that feel authentic, meaningful, and visually pleasing requires an understanding of both the emotional and practical aspects of design.


"Good design doesn't have to be expensive; it just has to be well thought out."

Nate Berkus' quote highlights that effective design isn't inherently tied to high cost, but rather the level of careful planning and consideration put into it. This means that a space can look and function well without breaking the bank, as long as the design choices are thoughtfully made to serve both aesthetic and practical purposes.


"If you want a room to feel cozy, you need to fill it with things that make you feel happy."

The quote emphasizes that for a space to evoke a sense of warmth and comfort (i.e., "cozy"), it is essential to populate it with items that bring joy or positivity to the individual occupying the room. This idea suggests that personal connections, feelings, and emotions play a crucial role in designing an inviting and comfortable environment. Filling one's space with cherished belongings or sentimental objects can foster a deeper emotional bond with the room, making it feel more welcoming and reflective of one's personality.


I have a large watch collection, and classic watches are especially important to me. I had a silver Rolex, and I actually gave it to my little brother. He wears it every day. He's an actor, so whenever he goes to an audition, he can look down, see it, and it gives him confidence. It was a great thing to pass on.

- Nate Berkus

Every Day, Little Brother, Audition

I was a boy with one dream and one dream only: I wanted - no, strike that, I was desperate for - a room of my own. You see, in those days I shared a room with my little brother, Jesse, and it wasn't pretty. He was the Oscar to my Felix: messy, careless, and just a little bit sticky - exactly the way a kindergartner is supposed to be.

- Nate Berkus

Little Brother, Shared, Exactly The Way

Even as a 10-year-old, I remember trying to explain to my mother and stepfather how upset and frustrated a messy room made me. But they just couldn't grasp it. They wanted me to be playing with baseballs and frogs while I wanted to be scouring garage sales.

- Nate Berkus

I Remember, Upset, Explain, Stepfather

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

No Time, Rug, Catalog, Flea

Some kids spent their allowance going to see 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'; I spent mine on a great-looking lamp I'd found at the flea market and a ceramic bowl from a neighborhood garage sale.

- Nate Berkus

Some, Bowl, Doom, Flea

'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

Smile, Point, Buy, Flea

When I take on a design project, I have to jet from the bookstore to the hardware shop to the lamp store and back again just to collect a small portion of the many items I need to fill a home. But, when you hit the flea market, they're all right there. From booth to booth, you have the bases covered.

- Nate Berkus

Small, Portion, Shop, Flea

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

Play, Rather, Direct, Bugs

I see it every day: People trying to create a home that somebody else tells them they should have. I don't care if it's a magazine or a bossy friend - when somebody says, 'This is what's elegant, this is what's trendy,' if it doesn't represent you, you're not going to be happy.

- Nate Berkus

Happy, Every Day, I See, Bossy

You don't have to paint your walls lime green just to try to have your home feel decorated. If you're a classic dresser or preppy dresser or a modern dresser, you wear a lot of black - whatever it is - your home should reflect that as well.

- Nate Berkus

Green, Lime, Wear, Preppy

I got my first Charvet knit tie when I was 15. I actually stole it from my father. I love them because you can wear them day to night. They're French and preppy and have been around since the 1800s.

- Nate Berkus

Love, Father, Been, Preppy

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

About, Mixing, Put, Decorating

I tend not to wear ties very often. I'm usually in old stuff: Hermes or Marc Jacobs boots and jeans and a T-shirt and a leather jacket or a jean jacket.

- Nate Berkus

Old, Wear, Very, Jean

Mixing in some rusty oranges is a warm way to update your place for fall.

- Nate Berkus

Fall, Warm, Some, Oranges

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

Always, Making, Wal-Mart, Budget

We hold back our true feelings and beliefs, whether it's from a sense of being polite or fear of hurting someone's feelings. But what I have seen on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' is that no one benefits from holding back and keeping things bottled up inside. So I pride myself on speaking my mind and not being afraid to give honest feedback.

- Nate Berkus

Benefits, Polite, Oprah, Hurting

We're not handling things anymore before they arrive on our doorstep. I like to feel how thin porcelain can be, run my hand over a textile, see if I want to sit in a chair.

- Nate Berkus

Over, Like, Before, Textile

I think I was the only kid on the block who knew about furniture scale by the time I was 8.

- Nate Berkus

Think, I Think, By The Time, Block

As a kid, I think I rearranged the rooms of almost every house on the block.

- Nate Berkus

Think, I Think, Rooms, Block

I do shop online! But I'm shopping online mostly in the home categories - One Kings Lane and Gilt. At a lot of architectural websites, I buy a lot of hardware for cabinetry like hinges and things like that from England. So, you know, for me, I shop at Net-A-Porter, but I don't really shop that much for clothing online.

- Nate Berkus

Buy, Mostly, Shop, Categories

In design-speak, 'a library' means a room lined with books, floor-to ceiling, but it all depends on the space you have. You may have a free-standing bookshelf of your favorite books if that's all you have room for.

- Nate Berkus

Ceiling, May, Means, Lined

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

Kid, Made, Literally, Allowance

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

- Nate Berkus

Chair, Brass, Really, Bronze

They used to tease me at the 'Oprah' show, 'Are you really going to do another white Shaker kitchen, with white subway tile and stainless steel appliances?' And my answer is, 'I can vary it a bit, but I'm never going to err from classic materials.'

- Nate Berkus

Steel, Vary, Appliances, Tease

Thread count is actually a lie. Just because a thread count is 1,500 on a set of sheets doesn't mean that they're well-made sheets. Truly, the quality of the cotton and the quality of the way something is woven is much more important than thread count.

- Nate Berkus

More, Set, Woven, Sheets

I don't believe in having spaces in the home that don't get used. We pay so much for square footage that to waste it is criminal.

- Nate Berkus

Waste, Having, Footage, Spaces

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

- Nate Berkus

Will, Too, Studied, Appearing

Buying found objects means repurposing something that was already made years before, sometimes decades before. It strikes a nice balance between the new and used equation we should strive for in our lives.

- Nate Berkus

New, Means, Lives, Decades

I was barely in grade school when I helped my mother rearrange the living room furniture for the first time.

- Nate Berkus

Living, Room, Rearrange, Grade School

When I see a wall that's hung with different objects, framed or unframed, what I like about it is its fluidity and rule-breaking nature. Just experiment a bit.

- Nate Berkus

Nature, Like, Objects, Fluidity

If you're searching for quotes on a different topic, feel free to browse our Topics page or explore a diverse collection of quotes from various Authors to find inspiration.