Nate Berkus, design star and Hopkins native, announced today that he will be launching “The Nate Berkus Collection” for Target, with more than 150 home decor products hitting stores this October. The busy guy will be in town May 6th to speak at his alma mater, Talmud Torah, for their Minneapolis Annual Benefit. Between his events, show, and big news, we caught up with him on everything from trends to his favorite Twin Cities’ locales .

Q: The Nate Berkus Show ends this month, what’s next?

A: We did wrap our season, but shows will air through the summer so keep tuning in. Stay close to my twitter feed @Nate_Berkus. I’ve got my product line [for Target] and my book, The Things that Matter coming out this fall.

Q: Love the shout-out on Glee—perhaps next a cameo?

A: How fun would that be! I don’t watch much TV but oddly Glee and 30 Rock have both stunned me by bringing my name up. If that doesn’t make you stop dead in your tracks in your living room, I don’t know what will!

Q: How often do you get back to Minneapolis? And what are your favorite local home and vintage stores?

A: I wish I were able to come home more. I love the Midwest, I love Minneapolis. I’m always telling friends how spoiled I am by the quality of antiques and flea markets back home. Folks on the Coasts don’t know what they’re missing.  Toss in the State Fair and it’s all I could ever want or need!

Q: What would be your ideal client/project in the Twin Cities?

A: The designers at my firm and I love to find projects in the Midwest. So, we’ve always got our eyes and ears open for any reason to head to the Twin Cities.

Q:  What of-the-moment paint colors, patterns, materials, or design tricks you’re crazy about right now?

A: I’m not into trends. What I love has always veered to the same elements, things found in nature like minerals and stones, handmade items like the woven baskets I picked up in Mexico on a recent trip and anything that brings a bit of shine to your space like vintage sterling frames or a bedecked sequin pillow for the sofa. In my current line (sold on HSN) and the line returning to retail this fall, I also played quite a bit with color. I’m really into this shade of sauterne green and lacquered grays.

The Nate Berkus Collection for Target

Q: What’s the biggest interior design trend you’d like to see everyone be done with?

A: 
I could do without people bringing things home just because they got it on sale.  I love a bargain as much as the next guy, but  no matter how much of a steal it was, what matters most is that you LOVE it. That’s the premise for my book out this fall. I’m starting a stuff revolution. It’s titled The Things That Matter and it’s based on the belief that we should love all the things that we live with…that the things we put in our homes tell the story of who we are. Truth is, living well isn’t an economic proposition…I’ve hauled things home that I love that I found for mere dollars at a garage sale. It isn’t the price tag, it’s the personal attachment to the objects and things that surround you.

Q: Finally, you’re big on making sure a space feels personal. What’s one tip to ensure a space feels less like a house and more like a home?

A: Let your home tell your story. Be a fierce editor. Let only what you love past the front door, whatever that might be.  My weakness is definitely decorative boxes and architectural objects. I’m constantly picking both up at flea markets and antique stores. The trick is I don’t put them all out at once. I keep some in my design closet and every few months I swap some things out. It helps the space feel new again.

The Nate Berkus Collection for Target