Nate Berkus Quotes

There are so many ways to decorate small spaces. One of my favorite things is throw pillows. They can add so much color to your room. You can have the same bedding for years and just switch out the throw pillows, and it looks like you have a completely new bed.

I always begin a room with the rug; it is literally the foundation of the space. I then go on to the furniture.

For me, decorating perfection means eclectic styles and collections of beautiful things like pottery, pillboxes and match strikers.

I'm suspicious of places that look decorated. I can understand why people do it, but you see too many cushions or a piece of fabric hanging and it's, like, 'Ugh!' A good house with good art will always work, no matter what.

Architecture only does part of the work. How you fill the space matters just as much, sometimes more. I designed a beach house with a continuous living/dining area, but it had to have a table in the middle to give it a visual rhythm. Every room has a foreground and a background. But you also need a middle ground - like that table - to go between.

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.

Architecture is how the person places herself in the space. Fashion is about how you place the object on the person.

A well-designed home has to be very comfortable. I can't stand the aesthetes, the minimal thing. I can't live that way. My home has to be filled with stuff - mostly paintings, sculpture, my fish lamps, cardboard furniture, lots of books.

I love the idea of modern art in a home that isn't totally modern. There's a certain energy that comes out of that juxtaposition.

Decorators never quite saw the point of massing books. Books brought colour to a room and filled it up, but shelves bearing just one thing struck them as a decorative display opportunity tragically lost.

I've always been a bit of a decorator. I think if I wasn't a singer I'd probably be in stage setting or interior design or something. I like clutter and I'm quite visually greedy. I can't have things to be plain; I have to have things looking interesting... maybe I'm just a frustrated interior designer stuck in a singing career.

By acquiring all of your furniture from different eras and places and things that are expensive and inexpensive, it will make your end product have a great spirit.

I really, really like interior design. I grew up in a really old house outside of Philly that was built in 1821. My mom is really into antiques, and my dad is very mid-century. They're not together anymore, so in the middle of growing up, I, all of the sudden, had two houses that were very different but really well done in each of their own ways.

My office looks very empty compared with my house. The house is completely crammed full with things that Patrick and I love. It's very eclectic. There are things that have no value but which we like. We have a lot of Belgian painters; we have international painters. We have nice things; we have ugly things. I don't want that things are predictable.

There are simple, small things you can do that really will impact the space. Things like changing out your curtain panels to something that adds a fresh new feel. Or maybe a smart pattern. Also swapping out an area rug, throws and pillows can be done in no time, and really have a dramatic effect.

I don't think unlacquered brass is going anywhere. And I hope the trend of mixing metals continues to live on. The trick to mixing metals is balance.

Drew definitely has great design taste. He knows what looks good in a space, and he knows how to put together a design.

For interiors, if you have a basic sofa, you can add fun throw pillows, and cool lighting to make the space more interesting. In fashion, you make a little black dress really amazing with jewelry, shoes and an incredible bag. If you have those clean, basic, pieces you can really mix things up with the accessories and make the space, or the outfit, uniquely your own.

I'm pretty bland. I'm not a big decorator.

I like a bohemian floral dress, but then I'll throw on a leather jacket or a pair of lace-up boots to give it an edge. My mom is always trying to get me to wear really sweet clothes. Something pink. But that's not really my look.

I would never, ever call myself a createur or a designer. I'm more of an amalgamator or a D.J., taking two things that don't go together and making them go together.

A lot of people spend all this time painting their house, picking out rugs, and then they put fluorescent lighting in there. It totally ruins the mood.

I love art and finding different bits and bobs for the apartment; so, I'm adding all my personal touches to the house.

I'm not an interior decorator; I'm a designer, and that includes the architecture. The package must be strong and controlled, the rooms aligned, and the windows positioned to make sense with the furniture. Fluff it up, and you've got big trouble.

I like to repaint rooms, to redecorate. My dream would be to have pieds-à-terre in various places.