
11. Interior Designer Nate Berkus Transformed The Living Room Of This Manhattan Apartment
In 2011, interior designer Nake Berkus bought a duplex in Manhattan with views overlooking the Hudson River. The building was originally built in the 1800’s, so the living room already had a white brick fireplace. He didn’t want to change these historic New York features. So instead of completely gutting and renovating the entire space, he found a way to incorporate both old and new. He embraced the flaws, saying, “I like things that look like they have a story to tell”.

Over the span of 3 months, he renovated and decorated the home with the help of an architect named Carlos Huber. They replaced damaged hardwood floors and outdated kitchen tiles in the kitchen and replaced it with oak hardwood in the entire house, which would have been in keeping with the original history. The contractors also added a skylight in the ceiling, and they added metal and glass panes in-between the kitchen and living room, just to keep it a sense of separation. If you would like to see more details about this makeover, check out the Architectural Digest article here.