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The Things That Matter [Hardcover]

Nate Berkus
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (134 customer reviews)

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Book Description

October 16, 2012
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

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Samples from The Things That Matter

Homes tell stories of who we are
Interiors: Objects that bring joy
Things matter
 
Objects that bring us pleasure
The hunt
Importance of things

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.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Spiegel & Grau (October 16, 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0679644318
  • ISBN-13: 978-0679644316
  • Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 1.1 x 10.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (134 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,410 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Nate Berkus shows you how to make your home a place you'll love. The Discriminating Critic  |  60 reviewers made a similar statement
I think I will look back at this book often will great memories as well as ideas. Margie  |  19 reviewers made a similar statement
The photos in the book were beautiful, but the book is much more than that. Kathy  |  19 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
72 of 76 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)
This book made me pull out the silhouettes that my mom had done of each of us four children over forty years ago and find a place for them on my wall, it made me root out the iron bulldog bank my grandmother gave me and place it on a tray with two brass candle sticks(wedding gift of 33 years ago)- also ferreted out of a closet to sit with the dog on the tray.

"As I've said over and over again, our homes should tell the stories of who we are. Not who our decorator is. Not who our friends sometimes think we should be, not who our family occasionally wishes we would be,and not who any number of style magazines tell us we must be."

Nate Berkus begins by telling us who he is, where he grew up, what life was like for him as a kid in Minnesota and then a boarding student in Massachusetts, then on to college and his favorite and life-changing year of college in Paris. The telling of his life throughout the book is what takes it from a clever book to a poignant beautifully photographed and inspiring story. He tells of the death of his partner, Fernando Bengoechea, when the two of them were in Sri Lanka as a tsunami hit and swept them into the swirling ebbing and flowing flood. Berkus lived; Bengoechea perished.

As he walks us through the treasures of his house, he tells why the things he has mean so much to him.

Nate Berkus then walks us through some funky, fun homes of people: Brian Sawyer, Barri Leiner Grant, Kelly Framel, Stever Berg, Dr. Ruth Westheimer- as in the sex doctor- Barbara Hill. Thirteen in all.

Barri Leiner Grant loves sea shells. She's a hunter gatherer of the "smalls;" she could care less about the big stuff. Above her living room mantel, she has hung a simply framed chalkboard that her two daughters are welcome to draw on as the mood hits.

The photos are fantastic for inspiration, the stories are fascinating. Some of the homes are austere, like Barbara Cusack's.

Nate Berkus chose the title of this book- The Things That Matter- "because if it is about nothing else, it's 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."

This is much more than a coffee table book; it is full of inspiring stories, little bits and pieces in the homes of people that remind them of and tell a story. And it is about making these things tell a great story in your home. You can see how Nate Berkus helped my home tell a story: pinkpeppersDOTcom/2012/10/08/the-things-that-matter/
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28 of 30 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Much more than a coffee table book November 3, 2012
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)
I honestly thought I was just going to skim though this book looking at the photos of other people's houses, which I love to do in magazines, but I actually ended up reading the book because it was so interesting. The photos in the book were beautiful, but the book is much more than that. We learn so much about Nate's life, which is very interesting, yet he's really relatable. Then, we learn about the lives of 12 other people (the only one I knew of was Dr. Ruth) through the decorating Nate does of their homes. The book reminds us that that the things we have in our homes should be things we love, not just for show and, like the people in the book, tell a little bit of a story about ourselves. There is much more writing in the book than photography, so I'm not sure if this book would be super helpful in looking for decorating ideas, but it's definitely worth looking into for the stories.
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25 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)
I have a feeling if I was more of a Nate Berkus fan, I would have enjoyed this book just a little bit more. That's not to say I don't like him, I just don't know enough about his personal life to care about why he's in design or what types of design matter to him.

I had thought I'd get more of just design tips, photos, and the like from this, instead of so much of him. If you're a fan of this design personally, you'll probably love it. If you're looking for something to satisfy your need for design info, this perhaps is not the book for you as I just found it "okay."
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars The Nate Berkus show
The book is a guided (quite guided) tour of a dozen homes with the items on display called out with the philosophy that the images and curios in one's home are, or should be, a... Read more
Published 14 days ago by Michael A. Duvernois
5.0 out of 5 stars i've lived like this for decades and love it
i've been an artist most of my adult life so i have always lived like this in my own spaces. i intersperse my own art with others' art with an odd assortment of comfortable... Read more
Published 23 days ago by carol irvin
5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous
Love Nate Berkus and found this book really useful for decorating the home as well as being a beautiful book to look at.
Published 1 month ago by Mortimerk
5.0 out of 5 stars Great insights on what makes a home a HOME
I love Nate Berkus's designs and his view on what makes a home reflect who you are. I agree with his philosophy. Great read.
Published 1 month ago by Healthnut
5.0 out of 5 stars A Personal Connection
I loved Nate Berkus' very personal and beautifully written book, The Things That Matter. No, it is not a "typical" interior design book; it is much more. Read more
Published 1 month ago by marilyn
5.0 out of 5 stars This is truly a masterpiece.
If you want to see what the human spirit looks like manifested in design, this is your book. You will rethink the meaning of things as you redesign your life. Read more
Published 1 month ago by R. Williams
4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Look at the Human Side of the Design Process
I liked Nate's approach to design because it is similar to my own. Design schools teach a lot about color, blocking, furniture history and working with fabrics and scale, but the... Read more
Published 1 month ago by bunnyrabbit4
5.0 out of 5 stars Nates Great!
The Things That Matter is a thoughtful, well put together lovely book to read and through from cover to cover as well as just pick up from time to time and review ideas. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Laura Matthias
4.0 out of 5 stars Nate Berkus
A good read. I would have liked to know more about his personal life.. I felt it told a lot about his friends but the information about him was limited.
Published 1 month ago by Carolyn Hamer
5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific book!
This book is great. Wonderful color pics of fabulous designs and even more. We get a personal history of Mr. Berkus himself along with several clients that he has worked for. Read more
Published 1 month ago by the masked reviewer
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