Quote Of The Day By Nate Berkus: 'There's Something So Special About Building A Home Slowly...'

Nate Berkus has always felt connected to design. Thanks to his time spent bonding with his mother, a decorator, and his post-college work at an auction house and a jewelry brand, he developed a keen eye for beauty and quality. Soon after, he found his way into the interior design space, forming Nate Berkus Associates at just 24 years old. It's safe to say this was a successful career move for Berkus — his portfolio quickly grew, and he became a major name in the world of luxury interior design.

Berkus didn't stop there, however. Over the years, he's worked on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" as a featured design expert, authored two New York Times bestsellers, and hosted several HGTV shows. His work alongside his husband, Jeremiah Brent, on "The Nate and Jeremiah Home Project" catapulted him from a well-respected face in interior design to a household name. It also certainly helps that his Nate Home by Nate Berkus product line has maintained a consistent presence in stores like Target, Belk, and Kohl's, offering stylish and well-made household essentials at a reasonable price point.

While Berkus' wide-ranging career demonstrates his knowledge of interior design at large, it's clear that his true passion lies in choosing the specific pieces that make a space feel like home. That's why he's the source of today's quote of the day.

Nate Berkus' full quote reads: "There's something so special about building a home slowly — watching it take shape layer by layer, season by season. What was a 400 year old structure in Portugal became an opportunity to create a place where our kids could grow up connected to nature and a slower way of living."

This sage observation comes from a June 2026 post on Berkus' Instagram, where he showed off the process and results of a long-running renovation of his historic home in Portugal to his 2 million followers. The post included snapshots of the original property, worse for wear but boasting stunning original details, in addition to a few finished rooms. The spaces weren't fully modernized — the antique character was maintained in the form of gorgeous accents — but they were restored to their original glory and styled in a way that beautifully blended the past and the present.

Berkus' experience with antiques, passion for sourcing beautiful pieces, and commitment to choosing home features that will never go out of style have given him a unique perspective in the design world, which is captured in today's quote. He believes that moving slowly is worth the effort, and this is a philosophy we can all embrace in our own spaces, regardless of whether we're working with a massive antique villa or a tiny studio apartment.

You'll never see Nate Berkus falling for a trend, and that's because he takes his time with his design choices. Of course, nobody is completely immune to outside influences, but following Berkus' advice and building your space slowly can certainly help to separate your true style from the noise. Designing and outfitting an entire house all at once means you'll likely have to make compromises, and if your goal is to curate your forever home, the last thing you want to do is settle for trendy, poorly built pieces that are sure to lose their appeal in a matter of months.

Berkus and his business partner, Lauren Buxbaum Gordon, define their approach to design at Nate Berkus Associates as "guided by Nate and Lauren's shared perspective that the best interiors are ones that evolve over time and feel deeply personal." Given his appreciation for antiques and timeless style, it's no surprise that Berkus would follow this same path when it came time to renovate and outfit his own home in Portugal.

While this perspective is especially important to keep in mind if you're working to buy antique furniture for your home, it applies regardless of your personal tastes. Slow down, do your research, and don't settle — eventually, you'll build a home full of items and design choices that feel like they speak to you. Patience is a virtue, and in many ways, an incredibly powerful tool in determining what it is you truly want.

• "I believe a home should tell a story — where you've been, who you love, what really matters to you." — from a 2023 Forbes interview
• "The most important advice that I can give to people is to sort of shut out the noise around them. Don't ask everyone for their opinion when you're about to make a decision — make the decision that feels right to you, and build on it." — from a 2024 Homes and Gardens interview
• "Strong entrepreneurs know what they aren't good at and let others handle it." — from a 2026 Entrepreneur interview
• "So here's the thing — I hate trends. I think they're designed to make us feel bad about what we just bought last year or last season. And you know, our homes are not fashion. It's a device to make us want to buy stuff and sometimes get rid of the stuff we love. I love the idea of a home evolving over time. You should be adding layers that complement what you already have instead of looking around and feeling badly that you don't have what's on the cover of every magazine at the moment." — from a 2018 interview with Colorado Homes and Lifestyles
• "I've always felt as a designer that you're really only as good as your references, and it's our responsibility as creatives to expand those references." — from a 2021 Artful Living interview