The Decorating Advice Nate Berkus Has Followed Since Becoming a Dad

Since becoming a father, Nate Berkus has realized personalization often comes first in truly great design. Your home is the space where you create memories, and you want it always to reflect the things that bring you joy. Artwork and photos definitely can personalize a space, but you can also get more specific with your trinkets and coffee-table books to emphasize the feeling that this is your home.

“I’ve always believed that the way to create a special family home is not through just filling it with beautiful things, but filling it with things that contribute to the narrative of the people that live in the space,” Berkus said in an Instagram video posted in collaboration with Bergdorf Goodman. 

Berkus believes decorating your home should revolve around choosing items that make you smile, and that includes everything, down to the coffee-table books you select.

“[Choose] coffee-table books about areas where you’ve been, things that have become important to you, things you might collect or dream of collecting,” Berkus said.

Don’t just look for books that have a nice cover. If you choose a book that is about something you actually love — be it a place, artist, decade, collectible, etc. — you’re opening yourself up to inspiration every time you crack open the cover. And if a houseguest or friend who has come over asks you about it, you can nerd out a bit by telling them all about the topic and why it resonates with you.

Just as you choose a novel you find intriguing, look for coffee-table books and other pieces of decor that speak to you and make you smile. If you’re only picking aesthetically pleasing pieces, you’re missing out on a world of personalized fun that will make your home feel so much more like you.