I’m not a huge Twitter-er, but a few weeks back the design blogger twittersphere was all atweet about the announcement of designer Nate Berkus‘ new talk show! {Aside: Nate Berkus is Oprah’s cute and charming design guru, frequently doling out decorating advice and wowing viewers with fabulous room makeovers and suggestions.}
mr. berkus himself!
Anyway, one set of bloggers, the Moggit Girls (@moggitgirls), tweeted Nate (@Nate_Berkus) proposing that one of his shows have an all design blogger audience! And get this – he and his producers agreed! So I submitted my name/URL to be in the audience (we’ll see if I actually get to go? – who knows), and then added myself to the Moggit Girls’ list of bloggers showering Nate with blog love today.
{If you tweet, check #NateDay for posts about him!…or here to see a full list if you don’t tweet. Speaking of…you can be my Twitter friend! – @InTheTweeds}
When I was looking through pictures of Nate’s work (and trust me, his portfolio is fabulous!), especially his living room designs (since I have “how to set up the future living room” on my brain), I began to notice a pattern that I have dubbed…
The Fail-Safe Nate Berkus Living Room Formula:
- Sofa in a solid, “neutral” fabric
- Leggy coffee table
- Pair of leggy chairs* flanking sofa and facing coffee table (*can be matching or not)
- Bench/pair of benches facing sofa
- Large wall art, sometimes hung asymmetrically/off-center
- Something that gives height to the room (be it art, a bookshelf, a floor lamp)
- Mix up traditional and modern pieces
Here are examples of the FSNBLRF in action:
This one is one of my favorite Nate rooms – it’s very much up my alley in terms of the type of furniture I gravitate toward (and have), plus the neutral base with touches of green. I like how he jazzed it up with the black and white rug and the piece of artwork on the right:
my favorite Nate room
This formula isn’t a hard and fast rule – but more of a layout that really just works. In his library below, he doesn’t have #4 (bench/pair of benches), but instead a matching sofa:
Nate's library room
This room is also one of my most favorite rooms – it just feels so refined and classy but still comfortable. My future living room has a fireplace, so I kind of like having the sofa perpendicular to it (instead of facing it), with the benches facing it for extra seating:
another favorite room of Nate's!
And yet another example of the Formula in action, this time in his own living room. I really like how the artwork he hangs is always a little wonky and different – somehow it just works:
Nate's own living room
This room feels so fresh to me, and is yet another example of his formula working so well. I LOVE that oval mirror, the X benches, and the use of branches to create height and drama:
another classy and comfy room
This is good example of how he mixes traditional (mirror, coffee table) and modern (artwork, side chair) elements in a way that works:
there's that black and white rug again!
When I think about my own living room, I think I can easily incorporate some of the Formula to create a room that just feels good and provides ample seating. I have the base of a great sofa, rug, and side tables, but need to look into getting some benches, a leggy side chair, and some oversized artwork.
Did you see any patterns in his rooms that I missed? Do you use any of his Formula elements already? Do you have a favorite Nate room? Do you love him as much as I do?!?!
{Note: sorry I don’t have credits for the pictures…they are all over the internet and I don’t have the original sources/photographers…please let me know if you know the sources so I can properly credit them!}
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
As much as I was bummed not to get to see some more reno pictures (loving following along, btw – how does it look in the flesh?)… this was a GREAT post! I love following his “formula” through your set of pictures… although, as usual, now it’s got me wondering what the heck I have going on in our rooms. We have one “leggy” coffee table but the other is more of a chest – yet the room with the chest in it has two side chairs that I am actually happy with and a corner cabinet giving height – and maybe something that I can squeek by in the department of “oversized” art, though I think both you and Nate would have something else to say about it. But our other rooms… not even close.
How do you like the actually off-centered art-work? I’m not one for symmetry myself but even with that, I don’t think I have the guts to do what he did in the first picture. In his own living room (picture 4), I understand why the art is off-center, due to the wall, so that one I can stomach quite a bit more.
Regardless, thanks for sharing! Love this kind of thing… here’s hoping I can implement some of it… eventually.
Kara – I love your comments! Thanks for the encouragement about the reno progress; I’m sure the pics get tedious but everything changes so quickly! The space feels GREAT – I can’t believe my little plan is getting executed and it doesn’t feel odd yet. Phew!
Anyway – glad you liked this post too! It was bizarre when I started looking at Nate’s pics because it was really easy to pick out the similarities. I think using his “formula” as a guide (but using what you have and love) will help guide you toward a room that really works well!
I actually kind of love his off-centered art…it’s so unexpected. I guess the good thing about hanging art is that it’s an easy fix if you don’t like where it is…a little spackle and paint and you’re good!
Errrr… due to the window, that is… not the wall (in my previous comment).
Also, re-reading your post quickly – I see that you mention having the base of a great rug (as you were thinking through implementing Nate’s style in your own house!)… do you have any tips/hints on selecting rugs for a room? I know what size we need but am lost beyond that… and have trouble “seeing” what a rug would look like hanging in a store/on a wall versus on our floor.
This is a really good question – I think I will save an answer for a later post! You’re giving me good blog fodder.
Very exciting news about Nate!! I love the progress you are making!
Karena
Art by Karena
ooh, i thought I hated formulas, but now I love them. You are totally right about him having one, yet it’s hard to pinpoint. he’s kinda genius.
xo
E