One of my favorite things is turning the pages of a decorating/design book and enjoying the photos of wonderfully created and recreated rooms.
Nate Berkus’s The Things That Matter had lovely photos…but all in black and white in this Advanced Reader Copy, which made it challenging to imagine the rooms in color, as they will be in the final version.
However, after the initial disappointment about the photos, I was immediately captivated by the text and the author’s story. For his mission in designing a home came through very clearly: “each object tells a story and each story connects us to one another and to the world.”
And as he leads us through his back story and through the wonderfully captivating tales of his friends whose homes are featured, I could feel the passion, the zeal, and the sense of how each object connected to this person’s life and how putting everything together became a denouement of their life moments.
We can imagine how the things that surround us do tell a lot about who we are. We have probably experienced these feelings in our own lives. I know I have in mine.
When Berkus describes how his pursuit of harmonious homes is a lifelong one, I can relate to him. He says:
“Some people sit in their family rooms at night rehashing their day or thinking about what’s on TV. I sit in mine, and wonder, Would that wicker table look good in the bedroom? Should I put two more chairs here? Should this bookcase be moved two inches to the right? Why are there two chests of drawers in here?”
When I closed the final page–and even during my perusal–I found myself leaping up to rearrange something that I had seen with new eyes as I read this book. And I know that I will grab it frequently to reread a passage or check out the rooms. It will find a home on one of my tables where it is readily accessible. Five stars!
AN INTERIOR JOURNEY 