Yahoo Lifestyle Nate Berkus Dishes on His Favorite Holiday Traditions With His Family
Nate Berkus and husband Jeremiah Brent may both be interior designers, but they have very distinct roles when it comes to the holidays.
"I'm not the cook in our family. My husband Jeremiah actually has a rotating recipe thing. I am the eater in our house, and I'm in charge of the dishwasher," Nate tells Good Housekeeping. "One tradition that Jeremiah started over 10 years ago — and we've been married 10 years — was that he makes this jalapeño-glazed ham, which is the most delicious thing I've ever had. I eat it for days after the holidays." As a "classic appreciator of holiday food" raised in Minnesota, Nate adds that "anything in a casserole dish is fair game. I love stuffing, I love anything with melted cheese on top, I love a carb."
Keep reading to learn about more of Nate's favorite holiday traditions, plus his go-to host and hostess gifts to give, his top tips for setting a holiday table and most importantly, how he's giving back to others this year.
Save by shopping holiday decor year-round
For a cost-saving tip when it comes to the holidays, take a page out of Nate's playbook. He regularly shops at thrift stores and collects unique, inexpensive pieces all year long. You might not find an entire set of dishes, he points out, "but you'll find one really beautiful teapot that can be used as a vase, or you'll find a beautiful plate that you could use to serve a side dish on." Nate says that he'll "stick with a pretty tight palette of neutrals and metallics, and that's stuff that's really easy to find secondhand for not a lot of money."
Choose a palette, then mix and match
"As long as you have a palette type, it's really easy to mix in old and new," Nate emphasizes. "The holidays for me as a designer are an opportunity to pull out things from the cabinets that I've bought at estate sales or flea markets — vintage silver trays, old brass bowls, all of that comes out. I am in charge of setting the table, so that's where I can take what [Jeremiah] has so lovingly prepared and present it to our guests in a way that feels elevated." One example he gives is to group candlesticks that don't match, but use all the same candle colors.
Have a signature scent
"Scent is really important in our home every day, but it's also super important around the holidays. We tend to have a smoky candle burning as people arrive, but that gets blown out as food is served because you don't want to have the conflict. You want people to smell what somebody's been working on for hours."
Get personal with gifts
"I like to give things that have meaning. I gift a lot of vintage finds, one-of-a-kind things. I see something at any time of the year and I hang onto it because it reminds me of the person that I want to give it to. Printing out a photo that you know the person that you're giving it to absolutely loved because they posted it on their social media account, and finding a vintage frame is a really great gift as well."
As for what he's planning to give his kids for Christmas, Nate's leaving that up to Santa. "Our daughter is nine, so we're very much in the phase of life where they write lists. It's really, really cute. My husband bakes cookies with our son, they leave them out — and carrots for the reindeer, of course — so that's all continuing for the foreseeable holiday future."
Wrapping is everything
"I'm big on wrapping. I love collecting gift wrap and ribbon all year round when that stuff goes on sale and I keep it all in a big bin in the basement, so I always have everything handy," Nate says. "I think picking out something that feels chosen specifically for that person — a book that you know that they're going to love that you've read or something — and then wrapping it beautifully, shows that it's not just something that you picked up on the walk over to their dinner party."
Don't forget a gift for your host
But if you do need to pick something up last-minute, an inexpensive bottle of wine is a solid option. "I love bringing a scented candle, I love bringing stationery, I love bringing a bottle of wine," Nate adds. Another elegant and surprisingly affordable gift Nate recommends is a monogrammed linen guest towel. "A lot of people clean house in the springtime and upgrade stuff; I like a new set of towels in the guest room and a new bath mat before the holidays. New bedding, a great set of sheets, is an amazing holiday gift. Wrapped with ribbon and beautifully presented."
But the most important thing is to give back if you can
This year, Nate is partnering with Woodbridge Wines to support Feeding America by providing 2 million+ meals across the country to those in need this holiday season. And we actually spoke with the designer at the Food Bank For New York City in Harlem, before he helped out in their Community Kitchen.
"I know the food bank and have worked with them before. I love what they do and how involved they are in the community and the relationships that they've built in this community," Nate shares, while also noting how he and Jeremiah make sure, especially during the holiday season, that their kids know the importance of giving back and having gratitude.
"My husband and I feel like it's really important for our kids to understand that everybody has their own story and to understand that there are a lot of people who are food insecure in the United States. We want our children to know that they're part of something a little bit bigger than just our family unit."
You can learn more on how to give back this season by visiting Feeding America and Food Bank for New York City's websites.
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