Nate Berkus' Tip For Giving Your Home A Designer Look (Without Costing A Dime)

As an accomplished interior designer, Nate Berkus certainly knows a thing or two about making a home look good. From using his travels to inspire his décor choices to sourcing the perfect vintage pieces, the HGTV star has turned the inside of his and Jeremiah Brent's home into a true work of art. Surprisingly, his biggest tip for making a space feel more elevated is completely free: keep things organized.  

"The feeling of satisfaction I have when I open a drawer and everything is exactly where it is, or I put my kids' clean clothes back in their closets or dressers and I know exactly what goes where, has been valuable," Berkus said in an interview with Homes & Gardens. He's also said that a well-organized closet or pantry has made his New York City home feel more polished. And of course, he's got a process in place to make sure he stays on top of it. In a recent Instagram post, the TV personality explained that he's come up with a three-step system to make organization easy. He sorts by color, then size, and then considers how often something is being used.

When it comes to the first step in Nate Berkus's process, color-coordinating is a great organization tip that works in many areas around the home — especially closets and drawers where you store clothes. It's a visual upgrade that gives your closet a boutique-like feel, makes items easier to find, and makes getting dressed more enjoyable. When choosing the order of colors, go with something that you will remember. Professional organizers often recommend following the pattern of the rainbow or going from lightest to darkest. If you're dealing with limited space, you can still color-coordinate by using Marie Kondo's folding method to fit more.

Step two, sorting items by size, also works well in a closet by keeping smaller clothing separate from bulkier items. But it works just as well in a pantry, where placing heavier items on lower shelves and lighter items higher up makes things easier to navigate. The third step, sorting items by how often you use them, is another smart exercise in your organizational skills. In the pantry, keep daily essentials at eye-level and tuck away lesser-used items on higher shelves. In your closet, rotate by season — keeping warmer clothes accessible during winter months and lighter pieces front and center in summer.

Perhaps the most important step is maintaining your newly organized home. And while there are many organization tips that HGTV stars swear by, Berkus's best advice is to start small. Set yourself small goals for a weekend project and don't try to do everything at once. Finally, once a space is organized, make sure you take the extra time to keep it that way whenever you need to use it.