The Things That Matter Hardcover Author: Visit Amazon's Nate Berkus Page | Language: English | ISBN:
0679644318 | Format: PDF, EPUB
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Designer and TV host Berkus was an Oprah Winfrey find. Here in his new decorating book, he infuses his life story on every page. The tragedy he experienced during the Sri Lanka tsunami (the loss of his partner, Fernando) became the foundation for the things that matter to him: It’s about how the prints on our wall and the rough-hewn rocks we swiped from the Marfa, Texas, farmer’s market gave our everyday lives shape, texture, and a sense of who we are, who we’ve been, and where we may be heading. This is truly an awe-filled, happy book, on the surface about decorating, but, on a deeper level, how the things we love unfold our soul. We meet artists and media executives (no, not Oprah), celebrities and the nearly so, all secure in their selves—and their relationships. Gaze at the pictures, read the words, and then think as you look into your own homes how much of who you are and where you’re going shows. As Berkus has it, The correct order for achieving joy is people, then animals, then things. --Barbara Jacobs
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- Hardcover: 336 pages
- Publisher: Spiegel & Grau (October 16, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0679644318
- ISBN-13: 978-0679644316
- Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.5 x 1.1 inches
- Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
This book made me pull out the silhouettes that my mom had done of each of us four children over forty years ago and find a place for them on my wall, it made me root out the iron bulldog bank my grandmother gave me and place it on a tray with two brass candle sticks(wedding gift of 33 years ago)- also ferreted out of a closet to sit with the dog on the tray.
"As I've said over and over again, our homes should tell the stories of who we are. Not who our decorator is. Not who our friends sometimes think we should be, not who our family occasionally wishes we would be,and not who any number of style magazines tell us we must be."
Nate Berkus begins by telling us who he is, where he grew up, what life was like for him as a kid in Minnesota and then a boarding student in Massachusetts, then on to college and his favorite and life-changing year of college in Paris. The telling of his life throughout the book is what takes it from a clever book to a poignant beautifully photographed and inspiring story. He tells of the death of his partner, Fernando Bengoechea, when the two of them were in Sri Lanka as a tsunami hit and swept them into the swirling ebbing and flowing flood. Berkus lived; Bengoechea perished.
As he walks us through the treasures of his house, he tells why the things he has mean so much to him.
Nate Berkus then walks us through some funky, fun homes of people: Brian Sawyer, Barri Leiner Grant, Kelly Framel, Stever Berg, Dr. Ruth Westheimer- as in the sex doctor- Barbara Hill. Thirteen in all.
Barri Leiner Grant loves sea shells. She's a hunter gatherer of the "smalls;" she could care less about the big stuff.
I was sent a copy of this book to review as part of the Amazon Vine program. Unfortunately, the copy was really bad--all black and white, and not even printed evenly so that it was barely legible in some places. I decided, for a book like this, I wanted to see it in person. So I went to Barnes and Noble and bought it, fully intending to return in after I was finished reviewing it. (Sorry B & N.)
First, this book is really beautiful. The pictures are crisp but also dreamy. The variety of homes photographed is amazing. From a very minimalist (yet warm!) family-sized home, to a one-bedroom, teeny-tiny apartment in New York, to very unique, extremely small backyard cottage, there is something for everyone in here.
Second, the stories of the individuals or couples featured in this book are really wonderful--Berkus's included. (His account of losing his boyfriend, Fernando, in a tsunami was extremely moving.) I loved looking at all the pictures, sure, but the meaning behind the unique trinkets and headboards and lamps and bookcases really made the photos special.
I also liked that Berkus addressed the issue of "things." I was worried that this book was going to push the idea that your entire identity is wrapped up in the crap you buy and fill your house with. But he doesn't. His approach is pretty common sense, actually. He says:
"I think people sometimes confuse loving things with being materialistic, or grasping, or lusting after things that tell the world who you are. But to me, surrounding yourself with the things you love has nothing to do with impressing other people or gaining status...
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