Exclusive: Nate Berkus says every home should have these two things – here's why

Few forces rival Nate Berkus in the interior world. The designer and co-star of HGTV's The Nate & Jeremiah Home Project are among the most famed designers of a generation – and so – when he shares design advice, we listen. 

Nate sat down with H&G to talk timeless decorating ideas, following his eponymous collection with mDesign that launches today (February 6th). The series consists of versatile 'basics' that elevate everyday living – and can be styled alongside whatever you may have in your home. So, it's no surprise that, when asked how to elevate your home, Nate shared the importance of finding the perfect basics.

'Two things are vital. One: it's incredibly important to get the basics right. I go to an analogy about spending a fortune on facial moisturizer but then picking up a towel that doesn't feel right every morning. It's important to get both right,' Nate says. 

Alongside the basics, Nate says that every space should have at least one vintage or antique piece amid your contemporary furnishings.

'It’s deeply important to mix in vintage things. You can’t have everything new and have a home that feels layered with all new things off the shelf, whether that’s adding a vintage mirror or some old lighting and having it rewired – or even a pair of antique lamps,' Nate says. 

There’s something about a patination and a character in things that have aged that I think deepens the space and the sentiment of a room. I’ve never designed a room that was all new.'

To Nate, decorating with antiques is one (of two) influential ways to elevate your home quickly, but what makes them so impactful? 

'When we look to history, both as consumers and designers, the interiors that really stood out and the ones we write about are those where the people broke the rules – and they were deeply personal,' Nate says.

'They brought in certain elements so that – when their eye traveled around the room – it simply gave them joy and made them smile. It evoked emotion and memory,  and that feels good.'

Nate's collection with mDesign is based on the ideology that every home should tell a story of who you are, where you've been, and who you love. Decorating with personal, sentimental items (whether through heirlooms, antiques, or goods from your travels) allows you to create a well-crafted space that is personal and free to evolve. 

'I want people to have permission to know that a well-crafted space is one that feels assembled and layered over time,' Nate says. 'The only way you can do that is to allow yourself to break what feels like 'rules.' These rules are a construct that makes us believe that you can't do certain things unless you do them right.' Rules are there to be broken, after all. 

You can shop the new Nate Home by Nate Berkus collection via mDesign from today, February 6th.