So listen. I know we usually post our favorite vintage goodies on Monday…but today we have something a little different for you. Hello cutie pie, it’s NATE BERKUS DAY!  I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned this, but I loooove me some Oprah. I tape it religiously and watch it every night. The ever-adorable Nate has always been one of my top favorite Oprah “pals.” Just in case you’ve been under a rock, he is one of Lady O’s friends (she always calls him Mr. Cutie Pie) and is a fabulous interior designer. He also loves doggies, seems incredibly sweet and has the best guy hair on TV. Just sayin’. A few weeks ago he had a tearful farewell on the show as Oprah sent him off to start his own show—The Nate Berkus Show, which will be premiering September 13th. The ladies over at Moggit (a hysterical blog, kinda like the Fug Girls but for home interiors) approached The Nate Show via Twitter and said, “Hey, you should do a show where the entire audience is filled with bloggers!” And thus, NATE BERKUS DAY was born!
We’re not a traditional Design Blog over here at Modern Kiddo, but we love chatting about cool kid’s rooms and giving ya’ll fun ideas for little spaces. We are super excited to be a part of Nate Day and we would looove to see more of Nate’s great ideas applied to cool rooms for kiddos. (As an aside, I’m also super impressed that Nate and his show’s producers are listening to bloggers!! Woot!)
One of the things I’ve always loved about Nate’s work was his eclectic mix of styles. His rooms are never too fussy or formal but warm, modern, chic and LIVEABLE. He also has a great appreciation for vintage and always throws in fun eclectic pieces to give his rooms a twist. Check out his own kitchen below and that rad vintage drafting table. I love it!
I think one of my favorite Nates designs was when he redid Katie Lee Joel’s townhouse. I saw it in Domino magazine and it was so sunny, hip and inviting. I looooved it:
But really, let’s just cut to the chase and talk about Katie Lee Joel’s bathroom. More specifically THE TUB and THAT chandelier! Hellllllllo glass of wine and quiet time for mama!!!
Gorgeous, huh. So Nate has a few simple rules when it comes to decorating and we thought it would be fun to take a look at some of our favorites and see how our kiddo rooms stack up!
NATE TIP #1: Hang something other than artwork on your walls, like antique objects or your favorite collectibles.
We love this tip! Hanging vintage dresses, aprons, record albums—even the records themselves!—is a great way to bring personality to your little one’s room.
See more of Georgia’s adorable room here.
NATE TIP #2: Live bold, but start small.
Another great piece of advice. Don’t be afraid to experiment, but try it out in small doses. Remember this amazing grey and green nursery from Virginie in Montreal? Who would have thought that grey would work for a baby nursery? Yet it does! And the big bold pops of color come in small doses, making this a totally warm, sweet but utterly modern space!
NATE TIP #3: Don’t be Afraid to Use the Good Stuff
While the original tip probably referred to things like grandma’s good china, we interpret it to mean, don’t be afraid to have grown up “nice” things in your child’s room. We’re not talkin’ your prized collection of razer sharp Japanese katana swords, of course, but we think grown up art or and even grown up furniture (like a mid-century dresser) can look dandy—and totally appropriate!
See more of Wolfie’s funky space here.
And finally, NATE TIP #4: Bookcases aren’t just for books anymore.
This is another super fave of ours. Books are such an important part of a child’s room (yay for storytime!) but I’m also a huge fan of displaying fun toys and mementos on shelves too. One of my All Time Favorite executions of this is Kristin’s incredible converted dollhouse changing table in her little boy Sayer’s room. Some of the shelves house books but many are home for fun items like vintage Fisher-Price toys and modern favorites. (Plus she has that awesomely clever book wall over there…)
If you never saw this post, do yourself a favor and check it out here!
So that’s our take on Nate the Great. We heart you Nate! Good luck with your new venture and HURRAY for recognizing design/style bloggers and giving us a shot at being in your audience! *MWUAH! from your fans in San Francisco!*
Be sure to tune in when The Nate Berkus Show airs September 13th, 2010 on ABC.
PS. Special thanks to Julieann of CreateGirl who dreamed up the idea for NATE DAY and got the attention of Mr. Berkus to begin with!
PPS. Vintage Monday is being pushed to tomorrow so look forward to a VINTAGE TUESDAY! We’ve got our usual Retro Round Up of fun vintage kiddo clothing as well as a Vintage Toy post that is not only fun but will give you some more cool decorating ideas for your sweet kiddo’s room!