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    Updated: Apr 11, 2022 by Kris Jarrett

    Nate Berkus on Kitchen Design (My Interview!)

    As a blogger, I get emails in my inbox on a daily basis from PR companies asking if I’m interested in interviewing this person or that one. Often the requests are kind of bizarre. Like do I want to interview this architect about the new wing he designed for a Florida monastery, this author of a book on LEGO crafts, this plastic surgeon with a new age-defying moisturizer, or this toilet company about the trend towards using bidets. All true emails. And while I guess that bidet one could have made for an interesting post (ha!), most are quick “no thanks” replies and deletes.

    But then I got this email in my inbox about a month ago asking if I wanted to interview Nate Berkus. My first thought was that it was funny that there’s some other guy out there with the same name as THE Nate Berkus. And then I realized that this was THAT Nate Berkus – umm…. yes! Love him!

    Nate Berkus

    I’ve followed Nate Berkus ever since he was on Oprah about 15 years ago and have loved seeing the amazing path that his career has taken. In addition to founding an interior design firm, he was the host of his own TV show for two years, has written two books, has had collections at Target, Calico Corner, and The Shade Store, and currently has a TV show (Nate & Jeremiah By Design) on TLC. How’s that for accomplished? 

    So what did we get to chat about? Kitchen design! One of my favorite topics at the moment since I’m currently planning our own kitchen remodel. You can check out my interview with Nate below – he had lots of great tips and ideas when it comes to designing a kitchen! They cut out the first minute or so of our interview when we just chit-chatted (I’m sure they’re used to editing for professional media outlets – next time, I’ll have to let them know we like chit-chat over here!) but it’s so worth a watch:

    (If you have any issues with not being able to get the volume up loud enough, you might have better luck watching it directly on YouTube {here} where you can adjust the volume on both your computer AND the video itself – just click over, hover over the video on YouTube, and slide the slider on the bottom left corner to the right) 

    A few of my favorite takeaways from our interview (and some pics of Nate’s past kitchen designs!):

    What are Your Tips for Designing a Timeless, Yet Not Boring Kitchen?

    Nate: “My best advice to keep a kitchen sort of timeless and classic and not boring is the color palette. The truth is that you can get away with using lots of different materials, lots of different new and interesting combinations as long as you keep everything neutral.” “You don’t have to have the white kitchen with the subway tile and Carrara, you can do things that are interesting as long as it’s still in the neutral family.”

    On the video, Nate shows off his brand new kitchen (he had just finished it the day before the interview!) in LA while talking about a few things he did to achieve the “timeless yet not boring” goal. I LOVE how he stained his butcher block counter tops black – brilliant for inexpensive countertops that make a statement! 

     

    What Do You Think About the Trend Toward Dark Cabinets?

    Nate: “I think color is really personal and I think with a painted cabinet it’s obviously something that you can change in ten years or in five years you might need to because painted cabinetry requires some maintenance. I like the deeper colors. I think most people would look at original cabinetry from the ’20s and think, “Why isn’t this white?” and I look at it and think, “What color can it be?”.” “I think when you err on the side of safer, warmer, kind of deeper tones and neutral tones, the kitchen will last longer.”

    This kitchen designed by Nate is one of my favorites of his that features dark cabinetry. It definitely falls into the “neutral but not boring” category – love the added detail of the gridded glass separating the kitchen from the living space!

    Gorgeous kitchen with freestanding marble island, herringbone wood floors, and dark cabinetry

    Nate Berkus

     

    What Are Your Tips for Using More Than One Finish Without it Getting Too Chaotic

    Nate: “More than one metal I think can be beautiful. I think when you start to get four, five, six different finishes in the same kitchen, it looks like you just had a tough time deciding. I don’t mind mixing metals though.” 

    His answer to this question is a must-watch on the video because Nate points out the different finishes in his kitchen including his black, stainless steel refrigerator (which is gorgeous!), brass hardware, and light oak cabinetry and how that all works together. He really is the master at mixing metals, this previous kitchen that he designed shows that as well with the silver stool bases, gold island and shelving brackets, and brass metal art on the backsplash:

    Gorgeous kitchen with herringbone wood floors, black cabinets, butcher block countertops, and gold island

    Nate Berkus

     

    Will the Beautiful Patterned Floor & Backsplash Tiles That Are Popular Today Stand the Test of Time? 

    Nate: “Would I build a patterned tile into my own home? Maybe in a powder room or in a secondary bathroom or a laundry room. In a kitchen in the center of my home? The answer is no. I think if you want to incorporate pattern, get on Etsy, find beautiful dish towels, start collecting vintage pottery or dishes and mix that in, take your grandmother’s dishes and have those sitting out on the counter… I think that it’s pretty and I don’t dislike patterned floors or patterned backsplashes but I think that it’s just not as safe as doing something neutral.”  

    I totally agree with Nate on this one – I LOVE all of the new patterned tile so much but don’t think I’ll be bringing it into my kitchen for fear of how quickly it might go out of style. It sure does look gorgeous though! He definitely had some good ideas for bringing in pattern with smaller items that you can easily change out in the future.

     

    Budget Kitchen Remodels: What Are the Small Things You’ve Found that Can Make a Big Difference in Kitchen Design?

    Nate: “For sure upgrading the hardware, for sure painting the cabinets. If you use the right primer and you sand first, you can do that yourself in a weekend. You can upgrade the window shade or the window treatment.  There’s lots of small expense, high impact things. But if you are renovating, let’s talk about what NOT to save money on because if you have the opportunity to renovate or build full scale, I would say that you need to invest in the best appliances that you can afford. It doesn’t matter how much time people like you or I can spend researching the perfect backsplash tile or the perfect brass knob, if you have a hungry family and your refrigerator doesn’t work, it’s over.”

    You have to see Nate’s refrigerator demo on the video – you knock on the refrigerator door twice and you can see inside of it – how cool is that? I’m just starting to look at appliances for our kitchen and am amazed by all of the new features that are available! 

    LOVE this window in the refrigerator that lights up when you knock on it! Genius!

    The interview wraps up with me asking Nate about how in the world he’s able to juggle everything he does, especially now that he’s added being a dad to his resume! Love his answer – definitely something I’m still working on myself. 🙂

    I hope you all enjoyed the interview! I just started my YouTube channel where this video is hosted and I have all of… 1 follower – woo hoo! I’m going to start posting video tours of my home and a few other things so now’s a good time to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss any of it – you can do that {here} – just click the red “Subscribe” button on the right!

    Thanks Nate – let’s do this again some time :)! I’ll be back next week when I’m sharing my all-time favorite “before” and “after” projects – see you then!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Calypso in the Country says

      July 29, 2017 at 7:50 pm

      What a wonderful opportunity, Kris! He seemed as sweet and charming as ever and I loved how he answered your questions. It was interesting to hear what he thought about patterned tile because as much as I love them, I would be afraid to commit to them in a big space in my home. I really miss watching his TV show and will need to watch the new one on TLC! Great interview! Enjoy your weekend!
      Shelley

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        July 31, 2017 at 9:56 am

        I’m with you on the patterned tile, deep down I know it’s not the right thing to do for my kitchen but I love it so much! It was good for me to hear his answer – if Nate says no, I gotta go with that. Ha!

        Reply
    2. debra @ 5th and state says

      July 29, 2017 at 8:57 pm

      bravo Kris!!
      such a score and I love his wisdom & string that knowledge. I would totally freak if I received such an email ????
      debra

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        July 31, 2017 at 9:56 am

        I did! So fun how you never know what’s coming around the corner next in this crazy blogging world of ours! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Haneen says

      July 29, 2017 at 11:59 pm

      Kris, I’m so impressed! What a fantastic interview! You asked great questions and he gave amazing tips! Love me some Nate! Great job!

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        July 31, 2017 at 9:57 am

        You’re so sweet – thank you Haneen!!!

        Reply
    4. [email protected] says

      July 30, 2017 at 10:52 am

      Kris, this was a wonderful interview. Lots of great questions along with Nate’s informative answers. I especially love the last question you asked of him. Great job!!

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        July 31, 2017 at 9:57 am

        Thank you Lauren!!

        Reply
    5. Susan Champion says

      July 30, 2017 at 9:21 pm

      Great job! What an opportunity!

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        July 31, 2017 at 9:57 am

        Thank you! Definitely a thrill!

        Reply
    6. Melissa says

      July 31, 2017 at 8:10 am

      Adore Nate Berkus and his work!

      Am I the only person having trouble with the volume/ sound quality of video? With my volume turned all the way up I can barely hear Nate and Kris I can’t make out what your saying at all. ☹️ (viewing on iPad)

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        July 31, 2017 at 9:36 am

        Thanks so much for letting me know Melissa! I think you’ll have more control over the volume if you watch it directly on my YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQT9cAuAsCM&t=20s

        Once you click over, just hover over the video and you’ll see a volume slider appear in the bottom left corner. Hope that works for you!

        Reply
    7. Garden, Home and Party says

      July 31, 2017 at 9:02 am

      Kris,
      How fun! You asked the perfect questions and we all appreciate that. I love Nate’s ideas and opinions. I love some of the trends but I agree with Nate, kitchens are the hub of the house and if you install something that will be “so last year” (and you have spent a lot to install it) you could be stuck with it for years. I’ve subscribed to your you tube channel. My grand kids love You Tube. Now I can join the fun in a topic I never tire of! 🙂
      xo,
      Karen

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        July 31, 2017 at 9:58 am

        Thank you Karen! Hope everything’s going well with you getting moved into your new place!

        Reply
    8. [email protected] Domestic Charm says

      July 31, 2017 at 9:36 am

      That is so awesome!!!! He gives some great insight on kitchen design. Love Nate! You asked some awesome questions, Kris…. maybe you should have asked his thoughts on a bidet…. HA!

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        July 31, 2017 at 9:59 am

        You know, he might have appreciated an off the wall question like that after what I would imagine was a long day of interviewing – ha!

        Reply
    9. Bree says

      August 10, 2017 at 1:12 am

      Kris, what a great interview with Nate! Loved your questions and so appreciate his great tips!!! His advice will be so helpful when I’m making the decisions for the new house…especially since I’ve wondered about the patterned tile and whether not it’s still going to be in in 5 years from now – yikes!! Thanks for sharing him with us, friend!!!

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        August 15, 2017 at 11:18 pm

        Thank you so much for stopping by for a listen Bree! I know EVERYTHING in your new house will be amazing!!

        Reply
    10. Betty Crossland says

      May 20, 2021 at 2:59 pm

      I saw a kitchen by Nate that used a country blue paint on the cabinet. Who puts out that paint and what is the number for the paint.

      Thank you,

      Betty

      Reply

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