Nate Berkus Swears by This No-Cost Trick to Transform Any Room

Interior designer Nate Berkus has overseen plenty of high-end, from-the-ground-up design projects. But in talking to him about his new book, Foundations, we discovered one of his favorite tricks for refreshing a room is something anyone can do: "Shopping your own house," as he puts it. Here's how to do it, and his best styling tips.

3 Easy Steps to Refreshing Your Space

1. Clear Every Surface

"This is going to sound crazy, but I really stand by it," says Berkus. "To refresh a room, take everything off every surface—lighting, accessories, whatever." This allows you to look at the room with a fresh eye and start to reinvent it.

2. Shop Your House

The next step is to shop the rest of your house for the room you're trying to refresh. Berkus looks for both small pieces he can use to create new vignettes—artwork, decorative ceramics, family photos—and occasionally large ones. "That dresser in your bedroom, for example, would that work in your entryway with a mirror hung above it?"

The genius of this approach lies not just in the fact that it's free, but that it can result in a deeply personal space. "You're using things that you've lived with and that you already loved to create a fresh look," he says. For instance, in one of his children's nurseries, he discovered a favorite bar cart worked perfectly as a side table.

3. Keep Editing

As you work, stand back and view the vignettes you've created. As he writes: "Figuring out which objects and books look good together is trial and error. You have to keep trying different combinations and placements until you get it right."

Berkus's Pro Styling Tips

As you style your space, keep these suggestions from Berkus in mind for combinations that sing.

Mix Materials

On a coffee table or a bookshelf, a balance of materials is key to a successful vignette of items, says Berkus. The contrast between metallic finishes, rustic wood, and textured stone is what gives a display a dynamic quality. He also loves to incorporate something with an artisanal quality, he says, be that a woven basket or textured vase: "I love things that are made by hand—I think it adds a lot to a space."

Warm Up Utilitarian Spaces

Don't overlook the kitchen, bathroom, and even laundry room as opportunities for a style moment. "Try non-kitchen things on kitchen counters," Berkus says. "In addition to your appliances and your cutting boards, I love a vintage lamp plugged in on the countertop."

Also, look around your house for interesting little vessels you can repurpose as storage. Berkus uses a special ceramic jar to boost the storage of something as humble as Q-tips, for example.

Place Family Photos Everywhere

Berkus begs you not to confine framed family photos to the hallway. "I like them in a bookshelf and on side tables mixed with other objects," he says. "I just don't like a blanketing of family photos on one wall."

When choosing family photos, consider those that don't just capture special occasions, but smaller moments, too. One of Berkus's favorite photos in his home is a shot of his mom laughing hysterically with his young daughter.

Tell Your Life Story

At the core of Berkus's design process is a dedication to creating spaces that reflect their owners. "For me, every horizontal surface in the home is an opportunity to tell a little bit of your story," he says. To put that into practice, bring items into the room that not only reflect the colors and silhouettes that bring you joy, but reflect your personal history—be that through objects from your travels or inherited from a relative.