He`s designed hundreds of spaces for the Oprah Winfrey Show, but now Nate Berkus is taking UsMagazine.com behind the scenes of his latest makeover -- his own New York City apartment!
Relocating to the city from Chicago to tape his syndicated design series, The Nate Berkus Show, premiering Sept. 13, Berkus, 38, moved into a two-bedroom apartment in NYC`s Chelsea neighborhood.
To give the ultra-modern 1,700-square-foot rental a cozy feel, Berkus relied on natural materials, antiques and "things that have meaning, like gifts from friends," he says. (Take a video tour of his space, above.)
One of Berkus` favorite pieces: a leather rhinoceros that was a wedding gift to the designer`s parents, who divorced when he was 18-months-old.
"It ended up in the basement of my mother`s house in Minnesota," Berkus says of the item that is now displayed in his foyer. "I looked at it one day when I was home and 10 years ago, my mother gave it to me. It`s always been with me in every home I`ve moved to."
The designer`s top tip to furnish your digs on a budget?
"The flea market is the best place in the world," he tells Us. "When you`ve got that bookshelf that seems so intimidating [to fill], you can buy things for $3 or $4 -- whether they`re vases or little storage boxes or vintage coffee table books -- those are the things that really rise up in your home and tell the story of who you are. I would never go in and design something with all new things."
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