Descubrí a Nate Berkus, el interiorista gurú de The Oprah Winfrey Show, en el otoño del 2004, mientras estaba haciendo mi rotación extranjera en Boston (EEUU). Desde el primer momento me llamó al atención. Me pareció agradable, cercano pero distante a la vez, y que destilaba un aroma a cariño por su profesión que lo hacía muy atractivo para el televidente.

   Compré su primer libro de decoración, Home Rules, con la esperanza de encontrar el momento necesario para remodelar el interior de mi propio hogar, con las ideas que siempre he tenido dentro. Y eso que mi casa es preciosa, pero a qué negarnos, siempre hay algo que mejorar.

   Ahora ha publicado su segundo libro de decoración, The Things That Matter y me ha parecido maravilloso. No por el lujo de esos ambientes, ni por las personalidades atractivas que desfilan por sus páginas, si no por la historia de su vida, que cuenta con un candor y una sinceridad admirables, y que roza la cercanía más absoluta a la confesión.

   The Things That Matter no es un libro sobre decoración: es un libro sobre cómo la vida, al ir desplegándose en nosotros mismos, se ve reflejada en las cosas que tenemos, que recolectamos o que dejamos atrás; y en sí mismo, es un reflejo de lo que Nate Berkus ha aprendido y ha vivido, desde su infancia hasta la actualidad, y un boceto de su filosofía de vida.

   Es un retrato, capa a capa, año a año, objeto a objeto, de lo que fue, lo que es y lo que siente un hombre profundamente realizado, con sus idas y venidas, con sus meteduras de pata y sus aciertos, y sobre todo, con sus ganas enormes de aprender. The Things That Matter es un libro escrito y creado para mostrar la Belleza: de las cosas que nos rodean y del amor hacia sí mismo y hacia los demás; de las lecciones aprendidas y de lo que nos queda por vivir.

   Nada hay más valioso que las cosas que importan: recuerdos, sensaciones, vivencias, reflexiones, tactos, olores, sonidos e imágenes que quedan congelados para siempre en nuestro recuerdo y en lo que nos rodea.

   I just discovered Nate Berkus, top Interior Designer of The Oprah Winfrey Show (and I must add, I found out who Oprah Winfrey was back then) in 2004 fall, during my internship at Mass. General Hospital in Boston (USA). Since the very first moment I saw him on the TV screen I felt his nearness and distance, his glow and that unique love about his profession, his Art, that makes him so special and unique.

   I was so under his spell that I brought his book Home Rules just to feel I was still in my little ugly room in Boston, watching the TV show and the snow fall down, dreaming about to do a makeover of my place and transforming it as what he liked to say : a place in where I like to live at.

   Now he just published his second book, a new kind of Interior Design book title The Things That Matter. What a remarkable and beautiful book. And it is so not only about the beauty of the pictures and the people who is portrait on it, but it’s just a gem because of Nate Berkus’ true essence, his painted soul, his human journey, he’s searching, his flawless and his spirit that truly take fly and rise beyond words and goes into our hearts and souls.

   The Things That Matter is a soul journey, a man searching, a man finding and truly a treasure to be kept. Nate Berkus show to us how our places can speak about us, how our stories make our own spirit and are reflected in the things we collect, in the vows we make and in the steps we take in the search of our soul, of our own kindness and perfection.

   The Things That Matter is full of beautiful people, chic places, luxury and beauty statement. But its real treasure is hiding in the words he write, in the story of a soul’s journey he describes and shares with us. It’s through his work that he transmits the lessons he learnt about present and past, about love himself and forgive himself and others; about facing the future with hope and a little freak control. But his words are the ones that make magic. His own story, his very own portrait, his soul searching and his acceptance make this beautiful book take fly.

   Beauty is the end of a thoughtful soul. So, it’s the reason we love to be surrounded by things that remind us so. Let’s make room to Beauty in our lives to be reflected by it and, then, to be one with it, from the outer to the inner, from the inner to the outer. And finally be free.

   Those are the things that matter: those who made us who we were: the best version of ourselves forever.