What do you think?
Rate this book
The Things That Matter
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
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
336 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
113 people are currently reading
1073 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
December 20, 2012
I love Nate Berkus, but I was disappointed in his book. Ironically, I felt the book was poorly designed for such a great concept. There were too many lengthy blocks of text without enough pictures to complement the stories. Also, I wish he'd chosen a more eclectic group of people to feature and profile. Plus, where was Oprah?! Featuring her home would have made the book ten times more interesting. The most meaningful story in this book was not about design, but about Nate's heart-wrenching tragedy when he lost his lover in a tsunami. Nate should have planned this book as a memoir and not a subpar coffee-table book.
March 23, 2013
From thepickygirl.com:
The rule in my home when it comes to decorating is this: If I don’t love it, I don’t buy it. That may mean that I live without the right piece of furniture for a while. It might even mean a wall remains black for four years (ahem). But I’m not a Kirkland’s fan. I’m not going to buy something just to buy. The result is a very “me” home. It’s certainly not to everyone’s taste, I’m sure, but I love it. The downside of all those meaningful objects? Well, all that meaning. Makes even cleaning out the closet very difficult.
When I first heard about Nate Berkus’s new book, The Things That Matter, I instantly loved the title. Then, when he was a surprise guest at the Random House Reader event during BEA last year, I was (ask Lori or Tara) ridiculously excited. Like, trembling. When they finally convinced me to go up and talk to him and take a picture, I felt like I was floating – partly because he’s Nate Berkus, and partly because when he talked about treasuring the things around him, I felt he was talking directly to me.
I was the little girl who lay awake at night thinking about which route I would take if my house was suddenly on fire. Yes, I would get my family out, but I had my belongings strategically placed so that I could stuff them in my pillowcase and run. The only thing that worried me was my dollhouse. How to lug that sucker out the window?
(In answer to your unasked question, I actually did have a stomach ulcer in high school. Stress related.)
At times I’ve felt badly about this relevance I give to my belongings. Does that make me materialistic? I knew that was not likely. I’ve never had much money and certainly haven’t been wasteful. And here was Nate Berkus, a true force in the design world, telling me that a home should reflect its owner, not the decorator. As silly as it may sound, that was powerful for me.
My sister bought me Things That Matter for Christmas, and I waited until a quiet evening to pore over it. It was unexpectedly delightful. Not that I didn’t think it would be good, but as most coffee table books go, I thought it would be heavy on pictures, light on text. What I found, instead, was a lovely tribute to the things with which we surround ourselves. The book is broken up into its introduction, which Nate delivers and that had me tearing up within 12 pages as he discussed coming out to his family and later, the death of his partner. After the introduction, Nate focuses on the interesting, well-cultivated spaces of his friends. It ends with his own current space and his reflections on how he got to the place he calls home now.
Aside from Nate’s own story, the most poignant was Dr. Ruth Westheimer’s. The famous radio sex talk show host left her family home in Germany as a young girl, never to see her family again. She learned later, both of her parents died in the Holocaust. When she asked Nate to take a look at her place, she told him she wouldn’t get rid of anything. Challenged, he went to learn more about her and her things, and he shared some of the most meaningful pieces and how he crafted her space to highlight them. His reverence for her objects and her memories was touching and lovely.
At the same time, Nate also touches on the beauty of editing, and this is the heart of good design, in my opinion. Editing a room is also the reason I never feel fully pleased with a space. It’s never quite right, but as insane as that sounds, the tweaking is part of the enjoyment for someone like me, and as he talked about his own tweaking, I felt the joy he gets from crafting his house, as it’s much the same as my own joy. To physically be able to touch and move my grandmother’s sofa, to glance over at my other grandmother’s typewriter or my aunt’s paintings, books from a particular trip – these are all important to me.
The things that matter. For you, it might be something seemingly insignificant. But there is a beauty there, regardless.
If you love design or things, I’d highly recommend The Things That Matter.
October 28, 2012
Oh Nate Berkus you confound me. I would love to sit next to you on a long flight across the country and pick your brain. If you came to my house, you would be astonished at the sheer number of toys that litter the floors, counters, closets and shelves of my home. In another life (read: before marriage and kids), I was a neat-as-a-pin, a-place-for-everything-and-everything-in-its-place, freak-about-making-the-bed-just-right kind of girl, and you and I might have been friends. (Growing up, my sister knew that the way to really piss me off was to pull out one corner of my military-precision bed sheets. That's as close as I can come to decanting my eggs, you wild and crazy guy!)
National American sweetheart Nate Berkus opens up his home, and those of several clients and friends, in his new book, The Things That Matter. Most of us were first introduced to Berkus via Oprah, where his casual clean style was used to bring order and beauty to many "make-over" recipients. Fans also remember that he was caught in the middle of the tsunami several years ago in Indonesia, where he (obviously) survived but his partner did not. Nate shares many of the details of his life in this book, explaining how he got from there to here. I received a proof copy, so I hope that the photographs in the actual book are clearer and perhaps even in color (I trust this is the case). For true followers of Nate's style, he shares the origins of many of the pieces in each vignette -- sometimes going a bit overboard (where a door knob came from?). More of a "read" than other design books, Nate's writing is (usually) clean and interesting, and I came away from it with a better understanding of this unique designer.
National American sweetheart Nate Berkus opens up his home, and those of several clients and friends, in his new book, The Things That Matter. Most of us were first introduced to Berkus via Oprah, where his casual clean style was used to bring order and beauty to many "make-over" recipients. Fans also remember that he was caught in the middle of the tsunami several years ago in Indonesia, where he (obviously) survived but his partner did not. Nate shares many of the details of his life in this book, explaining how he got from there to here. I received a proof copy, so I hope that the photographs in the actual book are clearer and perhaps even in color (I trust this is the case). For true followers of Nate's style, he shares the origins of many of the pieces in each vignette -- sometimes going a bit overboard (where a door knob came from?). More of a "read" than other design books, Nate's writing is (usually) clean and interesting, and I came away from it with a better understanding of this unique designer.
October 4, 2012
I was lucky enough to win an advance uncorrected proof thru Goodreads’ First Reads.
Here’s what I found.
If you’re looking for a book that tells you step-by-step instructions on how to decorate your living room, this is not the book for you.
If you’re looking to be inspired by a heart-warming story and interesting people, then you can’t miss this book.
I’ve been a fan of Nate Berkus ever since he first started appearing on Oprah, and I always thought he seemed a nice and charming guy. What this book reveals is that he’s also caring, interesting and, above all, a survivor.
Berkus lays his life bare for all to see and uses it as an example of how everything you live and care about is what should inspire your home. I never thought a book about interior design would make me cry much less inspire me to reanalyze how I live my life, but this book did that.
At the end, I not only found myself looking around my reading room and thinking how I could make it more my own, but I found that there are things in my life that could benefit from what I learned: it’s not about what’s the most fashionable thing, it’s about how your house is your home and how it represents you and your life.
Here’s what I found.
If you’re looking for a book that tells you step-by-step instructions on how to decorate your living room, this is not the book for you.
If you’re looking to be inspired by a heart-warming story and interesting people, then you can’t miss this book.
I’ve been a fan of Nate Berkus ever since he first started appearing on Oprah, and I always thought he seemed a nice and charming guy. What this book reveals is that he’s also caring, interesting and, above all, a survivor.
Berkus lays his life bare for all to see and uses it as an example of how everything you live and care about is what should inspire your home. I never thought a book about interior design would make me cry much less inspire me to reanalyze how I live my life, but this book did that.
At the end, I not only found myself looking around my reading room and thinking how I could make it more my own, but I found that there are things in my life that could benefit from what I learned: it’s not about what’s the most fashionable thing, it’s about how your house is your home and how it represents you and your life.
October 26, 2012
I have never seen Nate Berkus on television, didn't know a thing about him except that he maybe had been on Oprah once or twice. I don't watch Oprah so didn't know for sure.
I LOVED this book. What a great introduction to Nate's philosophy. I learned a lot about trusting my own taste and not apologizing for my style. Why not surround myself with things that remind me of my life's best moments. Nate and his client's homes actually resemble mine - an experience I rarely have with decor books. I think he is a kindred spirit.
I LOVED this book. What a great introduction to Nate's philosophy. I learned a lot about trusting my own taste and not apologizing for my style. Why not surround myself with things that remind me of my life's best moments. Nate and his client's homes actually resemble mine - an experience I rarely have with decor books. I think he is a kindred spirit.
April 27, 2021
Part memoir, part inspiration, part design-focused, all wonderfully written and presented. Nate Berkus explores the things that matter and helps us realize that the best part of these things goes well beyond their material value. It's the memories they provoke, the people they represent, the relationships they honor, the stories they tell, and the feelings that live on well after these objects begin to weather and fade. Ultimately, the things that matter are the ones that make us better, more loving and inspire us to live life to the fullest. And that, in the end, truly does matter.
October 16, 2012
One of my favorite things is turning the pages of a decorating/design book and enjoying the photos of wonderfully created and recreated rooms.
Nate Berkus's "The Things That Matter" had lovely photos...but all in black and white in this Advanced Reader Copy, which made it challenging to imagine the rooms in color, as they will be in the final version.
However, after the initial disappointment about the photos, I was immediately captivated by the text and the author's story. For his mission in designing a home came through very clearly: "each object tells a story and each story connects us to one another and to the world."
And as he leads us through his back story and through the wonderfully captivating tales of his friends whose homes are featured, I could feel the passion, the zeal, and the sense of how each object connected to this person's life and how putting everything together became a denouement of their life moments.
We can imagine how the things that surround us do tell a lot about who we are. We have probably experienced these feelings in our own lives. I know I have in mine.
When Berkus describes how his pursuit of harmonious homes is a lifelong one, I can relate to him. He says: "Some people sit in their family rooms at night rehashing their day or thinking about what's on TV. I sit in mine, and wonder, Would that wicker table look good in the bedroom? Should I put two more chairs here? Should this bookcase be moved two inches to the right? Why are there two chests of drawers in here?"
When I closed the final page--and even during my perusal--I found myself leaping up to rearrange something that I had seen with new eyes as I read this book. And I know that I will grab it frequently to reread a passage or check out the rooms. It will find a home on one of my tables where it is readily accessible. Five stars!
Nate Berkus's "The Things That Matter" had lovely photos...but all in black and white in this Advanced Reader Copy, which made it challenging to imagine the rooms in color, as they will be in the final version.
However, after the initial disappointment about the photos, I was immediately captivated by the text and the author's story. For his mission in designing a home came through very clearly: "each object tells a story and each story connects us to one another and to the world."
And as he leads us through his back story and through the wonderfully captivating tales of his friends whose homes are featured, I could feel the passion, the zeal, and the sense of how each object connected to this person's life and how putting everything together became a denouement of their life moments.
We can imagine how the things that surround us do tell a lot about who we are. We have probably experienced these feelings in our own lives. I know I have in mine.
When Berkus describes how his pursuit of harmonious homes is a lifelong one, I can relate to him. He says: "Some people sit in their family rooms at night rehashing their day or thinking about what's on TV. I sit in mine, and wonder, Would that wicker table look good in the bedroom? Should I put two more chairs here? Should this bookcase be moved two inches to the right? Why are there two chests of drawers in here?"
When I closed the final page--and even during my perusal--I found myself leaping up to rearrange something that I had seen with new eyes as I read this book. And I know that I will grab it frequently to reread a passage or check out the rooms. It will find a home on one of my tables where it is readily accessible. Five stars!
January 21, 2013
I didn't really know anything but the basics about Nate Berkus when I came across this book: he went from a regular on Oprah to having his own show and he lost his partner in the tsunami several years ago. I was just expecting a book of pretty pictures that might give me a thing or 2 to borrow for my own home someday. I wasn't even sure I would finish it.
I was maybe a third of the way through before I started moving my furniture around, and now I finally understand how people actually find useful things at flea markets. I don't think I've ever read an interior design book where there _was_ so much to read. There are pages of explanation of the people who live in these homes and how they put together their rooms out of the experiences that they have had. One intriguing chapter covered the work that Nate did with Chris Gardner of "The Pursuit of Happyness" fame, and what it was like to design a home with someone who had been homeless. I particularly liked how several of the homes featured weren't actually done by Nate at all, as far as I can tell; he knows the owners and likes how they've done their thing, so he featured them in his book.
I did finish the book and I am sorry to have to return it to the library. I would recommend this to anyone who needs some fresh ideas or who really wants the back story of how people make things come together for themselves.
I was maybe a third of the way through before I started moving my furniture around, and now I finally understand how people actually find useful things at flea markets. I don't think I've ever read an interior design book where there _was_ so much to read. There are pages of explanation of the people who live in these homes and how they put together their rooms out of the experiences that they have had. One intriguing chapter covered the work that Nate did with Chris Gardner of "The Pursuit of Happyness" fame, and what it was like to design a home with someone who had been homeless. I particularly liked how several of the homes featured weren't actually done by Nate at all, as far as I can tell; he knows the owners and likes how they've done their thing, so he featured them in his book.
I did finish the book and I am sorry to have to return it to the library. I would recommend this to anyone who needs some fresh ideas or who really wants the back story of how people make things come together for themselves.
February 13, 2013
Let me just plunge in here: I LOVE this book. Every dripping word. I could hear Nate's voice carry through in each description and every little joke. His enormous passion for creating a space you love is contagious. And his adoration for every friend featured in the book was inspiring. If we are a reflection of those we attract, Nate has collected a gorgeous and mercurial tribe. His love for story is marvelous as he unquestionably values the resonance a memory carries. Nate infuses every space with the balm of a story, which is how you really transition a house into your home.
This review would not be complete without also acknowledging how he beautifully shares finding the light again after surviving a most horrific disaster and losing a love of his life. The book and stories ultimately felt like a humble tribute to this loss and his excavated hope.
This review would not be complete without also acknowledging how he beautifully shares finding the light again after surviving a most horrific disaster and losing a love of his life. The book and stories ultimately felt like a humble tribute to this loss and his excavated hope.
August 28, 2020
Since moving to the West Coast I have been completely consumed by interiors. Trying to find our next home, trying to figure out how to furnish said home with what little furniture we have, trying to adhere to a design aesthetic when you be bein' broke.
After binging "Say I Do" on Netflix, I was introduced to interior designer Jeremiah Brent. Turns out I already knew Jeremiah and didn't know it. Like most girls my age I was a loyal viewer of The Rachel Zoe Project back in the day (imagine girls today who don't know where "I die" comes from, good grief.) But gaspth! Jeremiah is husband to Nate Berkus, who unless you've been living under a rock for the last fifteen years, is one of the biggest celeb interior designers in the world courtesy of his tenure at the Oprah show. Nate has been designing for Oprah for so long, even my mother (who died in 2003) knows who he is.
Turns out Jeremiah and Nate have a design show on TLC (that might be in its 4th season if it weren't for corona and Say I Do.) It's on TLC and run don't walk to binge all three seasons. Even Erik was sucked in. It's fun to watch the big design reveals, but what makes it addictive is the true compatibility between Nate and Jeremiah. Watching them razz on each other like a real couple made us both laugh. And I am known for having ovaries of ice, but their daughter's personality and the birth of their son (on the show) made my thirty year old ovaries defrost a little, no joke.
So when I found Nate's second coffee table book for sale used on Bookshop, I jumped at it. "The Things That Matter" isn't a 'how-to' book. It's an illustrated tour into several of Nate's friend's homes (most of them in NYC) and which pieces of art, tchockes, furniture, etc. means the most to them. It's so much fun to read about where people got their most valued possessions, and not cliche at all to realize that most of what we value didn't cost a thing. JLo tried to tell us.
It's a little envy inducing to see that Nate and all of his friends are kajillionaires, so they find "great deals" at antique stores that as someone who frequently peruses antique stores (even here in the California desert) and can't afford even the discounted geodes, I know their finds aren't as dirt cheap as they're extolling. Corona has put a big kibosh on flea markets and garage sales lately, but hopefully I can start to find a few of those soon.
Another reason I feel so strongly about Nate's design aesthetic and how he approaches value, is his story of loss and grief. Nate's partner Fernando was killed in the tsunami (where Nate survived) and he writes about this experience in detail in "Things That Matter." Though it's not stated explicitly, he writes several alternate scenarios that might have happened: leaving the island for F's home in South America, not taking the time off to travel at all, etc. Those are details remembered only through grief. If they'd gone to visit family, if he'd refused to take the vacation, maybe F would've survived. These memories are only more bittersweet in the reading, knowing that many years later Nate is happily married with children. F's presence in Nate's life is very apparent, not only in this book from 2012 (where he's living with his partner pre-Jeremiah) and on the show where he's married with kids. I love to see the way he incorporates his loved one into the different iterations of his life, and I recognize the way he talks about F in the way I talk about my mom.
Also, reading this illuminated how many pieces in our home Erik and I have kept or collected that mean so much to us. Our books and magazines are number one (moving, unpacking and reshelving these items reminds me each time I touch them how much they mean to us) but also our furniture, my small collection of scotty dog figurines, crystals and soaps most of them gifts or souvenirs from vacations. There's the Brooklyn farmer's market cactus we smuggled across state lines that survived! and the ceramic decorative bowl that Alison gave me that I waited to unpack until very last, sure that it had been broken by our disastrous movers and hallelujah hallelay! it wasn't. That it remained in tact makes it a piece I love even more. Being reminded of all the things around you that you love (especially when you've moved or taken time to edit your things down to just what you love) is such a nice reminder, not to be taken for granted. I recommend this book for that alone.
So even though the written descriptions will sometimes talk about things that aren't photographed, or the photographs don't have captions to connect the text, and all of Nate's friends are super wealthy (or can at least afford to buy property and ritzy antiques) this is one coffee table book that's full of heart and cements once and for all how much I love Nate and Jeremiah. I swear if they fall into controversy I'll drown myself in our pool. But I'll keep this book.
After binging "Say I Do" on Netflix, I was introduced to interior designer Jeremiah Brent. Turns out I already knew Jeremiah and didn't know it. Like most girls my age I was a loyal viewer of The Rachel Zoe Project back in the day (imagine girls today who don't know where "I die" comes from, good grief.) But gaspth! Jeremiah is husband to Nate Berkus, who unless you've been living under a rock for the last fifteen years, is one of the biggest celeb interior designers in the world courtesy of his tenure at the Oprah show. Nate has been designing for Oprah for so long, even my mother (who died in 2003) knows who he is.
Turns out Jeremiah and Nate have a design show on TLC (that might be in its 4th season if it weren't for corona and Say I Do.) It's on TLC and run don't walk to binge all three seasons. Even Erik was sucked in. It's fun to watch the big design reveals, but what makes it addictive is the true compatibility between Nate and Jeremiah. Watching them razz on each other like a real couple made us both laugh. And I am known for having ovaries of ice, but their daughter's personality and the birth of their son (on the show) made my thirty year old ovaries defrost a little, no joke.
So when I found Nate's second coffee table book for sale used on Bookshop, I jumped at it. "The Things That Matter" isn't a 'how-to' book. It's an illustrated tour into several of Nate's friend's homes (most of them in NYC) and which pieces of art, tchockes, furniture, etc. means the most to them. It's so much fun to read about where people got their most valued possessions, and not cliche at all to realize that most of what we value didn't cost a thing. JLo tried to tell us.
It's a little envy inducing to see that Nate and all of his friends are kajillionaires, so they find "great deals" at antique stores that as someone who frequently peruses antique stores (even here in the California desert) and can't afford even the discounted geodes, I know their finds aren't as dirt cheap as they're extolling. Corona has put a big kibosh on flea markets and garage sales lately, but hopefully I can start to find a few of those soon.
Another reason I feel so strongly about Nate's design aesthetic and how he approaches value, is his story of loss and grief. Nate's partner Fernando was killed in the tsunami (where Nate survived) and he writes about this experience in detail in "Things That Matter." Though it's not stated explicitly, he writes several alternate scenarios that might have happened: leaving the island for F's home in South America, not taking the time off to travel at all, etc. Those are details remembered only through grief. If they'd gone to visit family, if he'd refused to take the vacation, maybe F would've survived. These memories are only more bittersweet in the reading, knowing that many years later Nate is happily married with children. F's presence in Nate's life is very apparent, not only in this book from 2012 (where he's living with his partner pre-Jeremiah) and on the show where he's married with kids. I love to see the way he incorporates his loved one into the different iterations of his life, and I recognize the way he talks about F in the way I talk about my mom.
Also, reading this illuminated how many pieces in our home Erik and I have kept or collected that mean so much to us. Our books and magazines are number one (moving, unpacking and reshelving these items reminds me each time I touch them how much they mean to us) but also our furniture, my small collection of scotty dog figurines, crystals and soaps most of them gifts or souvenirs from vacations. There's the Brooklyn farmer's market cactus we smuggled across state lines that survived! and the ceramic decorative bowl that Alison gave me that I waited to unpack until very last, sure that it had been broken by our disastrous movers and hallelujah hallelay! it wasn't. That it remained in tact makes it a piece I love even more. Being reminded of all the things around you that you love (especially when you've moved or taken time to edit your things down to just what you love) is such a nice reminder, not to be taken for granted. I recommend this book for that alone.
So even though the written descriptions will sometimes talk about things that aren't photographed, or the photographs don't have captions to connect the text, and all of Nate's friends are super wealthy (or can at least afford to buy property and ritzy antiques) this is one coffee table book that's full of heart and cements once and for all how much I love Nate and Jeremiah. I swear if they fall into controversy I'll drown myself in our pool. But I'll keep this book.
Read
January 20, 2018I never thought a design book could make me feel so much.
December 26, 2012
"The Things That Matter" are important because they are pieces of our life, physical reminders of hopes, dreams, and memories. Author and design expert Nate Berkus offers a baker's dozen of very different lives and lifestyles, but the most fascinating story remains his own. Influenced at a young age by his interior designer mother and image-conscious entrepreneur father, Nate marched through his childhood to the beat of his own unique drum, and he continues to follow his own inner compass to this day. The book begins with Nate's own narrative, and I was drawn into his life experiences, which includes the tragic loss of his life partner, Fernando. Vacationing together in Sri Lanka in 2004 when the devastating tsunami struck, Nate watched in terror as his loved one was swept away in the dark, swirling water. Nate survived a horrible ordeal, and no trace of Fernando has ever been found. Eventually, Nate moved forward with his life, always carrying memories of loved ones, and favorite places and moments in time with him through the living space he created in his own private world. Having risen to national prominence through his work with Oprah Winfrey, and later with his own TV show, Nate has also written other design books. What I enjoyed most about "The Things That Matter" was the sense of embracing your own life, and letting that essential energy be the guiding force of the reality of your own living space. The heart of this book is the heart of the author himself, and he most appropriately includes a photo gallery of "people who matter" in his own life. When you read this book, you will be encouraged, as I was, to look at your own "things", wonder where you got some of them, and ask yourself why you have them. Other things will need no such reminder, for they are the things that matter.
Review Copy Gratis Library Thing
Review Copy Gratis Library Thing
March 22, 2017
I thought I liked Nate Burkus' style until I read this book. This felt like a gigantic montage to himself rather than a design book. Long blocks of boring text with pics of over decorated spaces. He spends far too much time talking about himself and his things. Or other people's things that he found for them. I wasn't inspired at all.
November 6, 2012
Loved this book & Berkus's philosophy behind it. He is such an interesting person, I've always been a big fan of his style, wit & generous sharing with us of his life & experiences. This is the book if you like him.
Want to read
December 30, 2015I absolutely love how Nate talks about Dr. Ruth being like rain in the dessert in the absence of any other media saying that it was okay to be gay when he was growing up. Her home is beautiful, too!
December 30, 2013
Um livro delicioso e aconchegante sobre as coisas que realmente têm importância na vida.
October 2, 2021
Descubrí a Nate Berkus, el interiorista gurú de The Oprah Winfrey Show, en el otoño del 2004, mientras estaba haciendo mi rotación extranjera en Boston (EEUU). Desde el primer momento me llamó al atención. Me pareció agradable, cercano pero distante a la vez, y que destilaba un aroma a cariño por su profesión que lo hacía muy atractivo para el televidente.
Compré su primer libro de decoración, Home Rules, con la esperanza de encontrar el momento necesario para remodelar el interior de mi propio hogar, con las ideas que siempre he tenido dentro. Y eso que mi casa es preciosa, pero a qué negarnos, siempre hay algo que mejorar.
Ahora ha publicado su segundo libro de decoración, The Things That Matter y me ha parecido maravilloso. No por el lujo de esos ambientes, ni por las personalidades atractivas que desfilan por sus páginas, si no por la historia de su vida, que cuenta con un candor y una sinceridad admirables, y que roza la cercanía más absoluta a la confesión.
The Things That Matter no es un libro sobre decoración: es un libro sobre cómo la vida, al ir desplegándose en nosotros mismos, se ve reflejada en las cosas que tenemos, que recolectamos o que dejamos atrás; y en sí mismo, es un reflejo de lo que Nate Berkus ha aprendido y ha vivido, desde su infancia hasta la actualidad, y un boceto de su filosofía de vida.
Es un retrato, capa a capa, año a año, objeto a objeto, de lo que fue, lo que es y lo que siente un hombre profundamente realizado, con sus idas y venidas, con sus meteduras de pata y sus aciertos, y sobre todo, con sus ganas enormes de aprender. The Things That Matter es un libro escrito y creado para mostrar la Belleza: de las cosas que nos rodean y del amor hacia sí mismo y hacia los demás; de las lecciones aprendidas y de lo que nos queda por vivir.
Nada hay más valioso que las cosas que importan: recuerdos, sensaciones, vivencias, reflexiones, tactos, olores, sonidos e imágenes que quedan congelados para siempre en nuestro recuerdo y en lo que nos rodea.
Compré su primer libro de decoración, Home Rules, con la esperanza de encontrar el momento necesario para remodelar el interior de mi propio hogar, con las ideas que siempre he tenido dentro. Y eso que mi casa es preciosa, pero a qué negarnos, siempre hay algo que mejorar.
Ahora ha publicado su segundo libro de decoración, The Things That Matter y me ha parecido maravilloso. No por el lujo de esos ambientes, ni por las personalidades atractivas que desfilan por sus páginas, si no por la historia de su vida, que cuenta con un candor y una sinceridad admirables, y que roza la cercanía más absoluta a la confesión.
The Things That Matter no es un libro sobre decoración: es un libro sobre cómo la vida, al ir desplegándose en nosotros mismos, se ve reflejada en las cosas que tenemos, que recolectamos o que dejamos atrás; y en sí mismo, es un reflejo de lo que Nate Berkus ha aprendido y ha vivido, desde su infancia hasta la actualidad, y un boceto de su filosofía de vida.
Es un retrato, capa a capa, año a año, objeto a objeto, de lo que fue, lo que es y lo que siente un hombre profundamente realizado, con sus idas y venidas, con sus meteduras de pata y sus aciertos, y sobre todo, con sus ganas enormes de aprender. The Things That Matter es un libro escrito y creado para mostrar la Belleza: de las cosas que nos rodean y del amor hacia sí mismo y hacia los demás; de las lecciones aprendidas y de lo que nos queda por vivir.
Nada hay más valioso que las cosas que importan: recuerdos, sensaciones, vivencias, reflexiones, tactos, olores, sonidos e imágenes que quedan congelados para siempre en nuestro recuerdo y en lo que nos rodea.
January 16, 2020
One point for the tragic story of the loss of his partner in a tsunami. I can’t even imagine how gut-wrenching that must have been. And another point for the idea that what material things matter to us is very personal and shouldn’t be dictated by others. Have in your home things you believe to be beautiful (the first part of William Morris’s dictum), with an emphasis on “believe.” I’ve no doubt some of the things I cherish would be unappealing to others.
But that’s it. The writing was difficult to follow once he started describing homes and I spent far too much time flipping back and forth from descriptions to photos trying to find (often in vain) what he was describing. Why do that? Either show it or don’t talk about it. And there were only one or two of the profiled homes I found remotely appealing. Most of them were cluttered, kitschy messes that made my teeth hurt. Clearly wealth does not necessarily come with a pleasing aesthetic. Maybe he and his buddies/clients need to stop spending so much time prowling through flea markets looking for more junk to buy.
But that’s it. The writing was difficult to follow once he started describing homes and I spent far too much time flipping back and forth from descriptions to photos trying to find (often in vain) what he was describing. Why do that? Either show it or don’t talk about it. And there were only one or two of the profiled homes I found remotely appealing. Most of them were cluttered, kitschy messes that made my teeth hurt. Clearly wealth does not necessarily come with a pleasing aesthetic. Maybe he and his buddies/clients need to stop spending so much time prowling through flea markets looking for more junk to buy.
August 5, 2019
Part design book and part autobiography, this was one I didn’t finish. My loan was up before I could wade through the many chapters of “stuff in people’s homes, their significance and why Nate likes said stuff”. It does not necessarily lend a lot of insight on how to style a home or find one’s own design style, but is better viewed as a glimpse into others’. It really didn’t even touch on the style that I associate with Nate Berkus (part MCM, part modern, part things that tell a story).
The chapters I loved were those telling Nate’s story: from childhood (wow, I wasn’t the only kid rearranging my room all the time!) to adulthood and the loss of his partner in the tsunami. It was worth digging into just for his perspective on those events.
The chapters I loved were those telling Nate’s story: from childhood (wow, I wasn’t the only kid rearranging my room all the time!) to adulthood and the loss of his partner in the tsunami. It was worth digging into just for his perspective on those events.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2023
I love “Nate and Jeremiah’s Home Project,” so I was excited to find this book at my local library. Nate (and Jeremiah, of course, but he and Nate hadn’t met when this book was written) is such a good listener, which is key when designing homes that reflect the lives and personalities of their inhabitants. Not all of the beautiful residences featured in this book were designed by Nate, but they’re all prime examples of his design philosophy: filling your home with meaningful things that you love. These things don’t have to be expensive designer items. In fact, most of the items that Nate highlights throughout the book were handmade by family and friends. This lovely book will cause you to carefully consider the items you surround yourself with and how they make your house a home.
August 17, 2019
I was disappointed that there was so much text in this book (that I thought was a book on interior design) but I read it to the bitter end. Part of me thinks this was too much a tribute to stuff and the importance we imbue to it, part thinks it was a thoughtful memoir of Nate's life and... well, I guess, stuff and the importance he imbues to it. Nicely photographed, though the stuff he talks about isn't necessarily shown in the photos. Very annoying. Also, it's easy to have all these beautiful, glorious interiors if you have the cash. And the mind set that the stuff is important. Ultimately, a waste of my (our) most precious thing that matters - time.
December 10, 2021
Things DO matter!
Part memoir, part inspiration, part design-focused, all wonderfully written and presented. Nate Berkus explores the things that matter and helps us realize that the best part of these things goes well beyond their material value. [Jeff Roberts]
Nate Berkus describes how the 2004 Tsunami so tragically separated him from his partner, photographer Fernando Bengoechea Fernando - who’s body was never found - and how his survival changed his life for the better.
https://fernandobengoechea.com/pages/...
https://nateberkus.com/home-collectio...
Part memoir, part inspiration, part design-focused, all wonderfully written and presented. Nate Berkus explores the things that matter and helps us realize that the best part of these things goes well beyond their material value. [Jeff Roberts]
Nate Berkus describes how the 2004 Tsunami so tragically separated him from his partner, photographer Fernando Bengoechea Fernando - who’s body was never found - and how his survival changed his life for the better.
https://fernandobengoechea.com/pages/...
https://nateberkus.com/home-collectio...
March 9, 2023
Okay, so... Full disclosure. I LOVE Nate Berkus. I love his designs, how his mind works, and how he carries himself in public. I also love designing (more like, dreaming about) designing spaces. So, this book had been on my wishlist for quite some time... and it did not disappoint. Mostly.
I loved reading about Nate's thought process behind designing the interiors of different homes. It was amazing to read about the varied ways to make a space a classy comfort zone and how there is no set formula for it. I also loved seeing different personalities' insights and how unique everybody's idea of perfect is.
Each home felt like a story that unfolded beautifully. However, in some places, the book felt more like a repository and that dampened the experience a tiny bit. I would also KILL to see the pictures of most of the things described in the book.
Overall, it was a good book and one that I will most definitely revisit time and again.
I loved reading about Nate's thought process behind designing the interiors of different homes. It was amazing to read about the varied ways to make a space a classy comfort zone and how there is no set formula for it. I also loved seeing different personalities' insights and how unique everybody's idea of perfect is.
Each home felt like a story that unfolded beautifully. However, in some places, the book felt more like a repository and that dampened the experience a tiny bit. I would also KILL to see the pictures of most of the things described in the book.
Overall, it was a good book and one that I will most definitely revisit time and again.
December 1, 2017
This is less of an interior design book and more of a (quite stunning) documentation of how the things around us affect our everyday lives. I didn't expect to love the book as much as I did. It inspired me to start writing the stories behind each item I hold dear, something I've been enjoying immensely. Each story is incredibly powerful and I love how there's a mix of his friends and clients. I can't say enough about this book! (Also, seeing him thank his ghostwriter in the back of the book made me smile as a fellow ghostwriter.)
December 17, 2017
A nice book to escape into and look at. I picked it up from the library after hearing him again on Oprah’s podcasts. Some of his ideas are a little out there for the everyday person, but you can take what you need from the elements and go from there. Enjoyed how many of the homes bring so many natural elements in. This book was written before Marie Kondo took over the world of decluttering and getting rid of everything in one’s house and I kind of liked that too!
December 3, 2017
I loved this book and am going online right now to buy it (I read a library copy). This book is where Nate tells his story of surviving the tsunami and losing his partner, Fernando, what happened, how he grieved, and how he moved on. It is also a huge design book filled with pictures of homes he designed, or friends’ homes that he thinks you should see. It’s a really great book.
September 29, 2022
Just a really pretty book. I love the stories of people and things. I love the meaning different people find in different belongings, and I'm fascinated by people who have the gift of putting a collection of seemingly disparate furnishings and objects together into something beautiful. 4.5/5 for me.
December 16, 2019
Not just beautiful photos — this book came out of nowhere and I didn’t know the story at all. I couldn’t stop reading/crying and loved every moment of Nate’s lessons about what makes a space feel like home.
October 15, 2020
Nate writes the things that had matter most in his life, and a tragic story about his boyfriend, his perfect match at the time. He also gives insight into other people and their decor designs that matter most to them and helped in Nate's growth as a designer. Interesting book.
March 17, 2021
I really connected to his design ethos and liked the way he presented it through the descriptions, stories, and pictures from his friends and clients homes.
The story of losing his partner in the tsunami was unexpected.
The story of losing his partner in the tsunami was unexpected.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews