The Things That Matter

by Nate Berkus

Overview

Does your home tell the story of who you are?
 
In The Things That Matter, Nate Berkus shares intimate stories from his life, introduces us to people who influenced him and helped him forge his sense of style, and opens up about the remarkable experiences that have left him forever changed, all of which find expression in how he lives today. From his most cherished flea market finds, to his beloved books and photos, to the many extraordinary mementos he’s collected in his travels, every piece defines who he’s become and what endures in his world.
 
Berkus invites readers into his own home as well as into twelve others, including a sleek steel-and-glass high-rise that soars above Chicago, a rustic cottage in the Hudson Valley, an ultra-chic atelier that maximizes every inch of space, a Greenwich Village townhouse that holds multiple art collections, and a study in meaningful minimalism in Marfa, Texas. The distinctive interiors beautifully displayed in this book offer revealing portraits of their owners’ lives and the inspiring choices that have made them who they are today.
 
The Things That Matter convincingly lays out Nate Berkus’s philosophy that things do matter. Our homes tell our stories, they reflect the places we’ve been and the people we’ve loved along the way—and there can be no more beautiful design for living than that.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE SEATTLE TIMES

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780679644316
Publisher:	Random House Publishing Group
Publication date:	10/16/2012
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	523,692
Product dimensions:	9.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Nate Berkus is founder of the interior design firm Nate Berkus Associates. For two years he was the host of The Nate Berkus Show, an Emmy Award–winning, nationally syndicated daytime talk show. His work has appeared in Elle Decor, O: The Oprah Magazine, InStyle, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, and House Beautiful. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller Home Rules. He lives in New York City.
 
Roger Davies arrived in New York at the age of twenty-two, after studying photography and film in England. His work has taken him around the world and inside some of the most amazing interiors imaginable. His photographs have graced the pages of Architectural Digest, AD (France), Conde Nast Traveler, Harpers Bazaar UK, and Elle Decor. He lives in Laurel Canyon, California, with his wife and son.

Read an Excerpt

Over the years I’ve read lots of stories about people who knew exactly who and what they were going to be by the time they were done teething. In fact, I envy anybody who can make their way through childhood and adolescence with that level of confidence. In any case, it did become clear early on that I was a creative person, but when you’re a kid growing up in suburban Minneapolis, it’s hard to imagine that you’ll be starting your own design firm at the age of 22, let alone joining the Oprah Winfrey team, flying all over the country doing makeovers, writing books, producing films, hosting your own TV show, and developing a home design collection that’s accessible to everyone. I don’t know where you were in junior high, but I was way too busy praying for clear skin and debating whether Madonna was really better than Cyndi Lauper to worry about the big picture.
(Continues…)

---

Excerpted from "The Things That Matter"
by .
Copyright © 2012 Nate Berkus.
Excerpted by permission of Random House Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

---

Editorial Reviews

Berkus (Home Rules: Transform the Place You Live into a Place You'll Love) champions the idea of decorating to reflect one's personality. He explains his approach to design as he shares details of his upbringing and career, including his partner's death in Sri Lanka during the 2004 tsunami. The author then visits the residences of 12 friends and clients from Los Angeles to Manhattan. He describes their backgrounds and interests and shows, in more than 200 photographs, how they have filled their living spaces with items that are touchstones in their lives. VERDICT Although no projects are included, Berkus's celebrity status as a featured interior designer for the Oprah Winfrey Show will make this book of interest to some, and his design advice will encourage do-it-yourselfers to create homes that reflect their own personalities.

Library Journal

An intimate examination of the meaning of material possessions. Interior designer Berkus (Home Rules: Transform the Place You Live into a Place You'll Love, 2005) takes readers on a meticulous tour of his own home and those of 12 others, exploring the bits and pieces with which we surround ourselves. Seashells, rocks, glass boxes, framed family photos, trinkets and tchotchkes fill the shelves, nooks and crannies of the homes, each object a reflection of the person who collected it. The book is "about how the prints on our wall and the rough-hewn rocks we swiped from the Marfa farmer's market give our everyday lives shape, texture, and a sense of who we are, who we've been, and where we may be heading." Explicit descriptions and full-page photographs lead readers from room to room in homes overflowing with items such as "heart-shaped rocks, a little jade necklace, a pair of loving cups, a funny-looking owl, even a steel horse bit that you would swear was made by Gucci"--all requiring Berkus' sense of order. Other, smaller homes, reduced to the barest of pieces by the owners, provide them and Berkus with a much-needed haven from the hectic pace of the outside world. Whether the item was found in nature or at a local flea market, each is quirky, highly personal and special to the collector. Having survived his own personal tragedy, Berkus understands the need for comfort in a place where people can feel safe and at home. Through his charming, in-depth descriptions, readers will gain a new appreciation for the multitude of furniture, dishes, paintings, books and knickknacks that fill their own personal havens. A rewarding book about the stuff that fulfills us.

Kirkus Reviews