10 Ways Nate and Jeremiah Incorporate Personal Keepsakes into Their Designs

The Nate and Jeremiah Home Project hosts find creative inspiration in every home they redesign, but sometimes the most important (and heartwarming) details are already there — they just need a little extra love. Ahead, check out their most storied design ideas.

By: Emily Fazio

Show: The Nate and Jeremiah Home Project

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Photo By: Anders Krusberg

Photo By: Jason DeCrow

Photo By: Anders Krusberg

Photo By: Anders Krusberg

Photo By: Anders Krusberg

Photo By: Anders Krusberg

Photo By: Anders Krusberg

Photo By: Anders Krusberg

Photo By: Anders Krusberg

Photo By: Anders Krusberg

Photo By: Anders Krusberg

Honoring and Appreciating the Details in Every Home

Designers Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent approach every remodel on The Nate and Jeremiah Home Project with heart. Redesigning for function while maintaining (and even elevating) the most meaningful parts of a home is their jam. So, we rounded up their best ideas for honoring sentimental keepsakes through design. Of course, we recommend you try this at home.

SEE MORE: The Nate and Jeremiah Home Project

Making Space for a Cherished Piano

A vintage grand piano stuns in this home's remodeled, airy living room thanks to Nate and Jeremiah. “It was [my mother's] 16th birthday present, and she ended up going to The Juilliard School," the homeowner explained. "Hopefully, it will go from one generation to the next.” In fact, Nate and Jeremiah discovered that the piano was sold into the family in 1945. Now it's valued at more than $100,000. Steinway keeps perfect records,” shared Jeremiah during the reveal.

see more: Interview: Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent Discuss Living Beautifully

From: Jeremiah Brent and Nate Berkus

Restoring a Clawfoot Tub

The owners of a historic fixer-upper had big dreams of honoring their home’s Victorian architecture but struggled with a poor floor plan and limited space. Nate and Jeremiah turned the cramped bathroom into a luxurious spa-like retreat with a glamorous drop mirror over the vanity and hand-glazed shower tiles. Most importantly, they incorporated the existing clawfoot tub as a focal point in the room.

see more: Luxurious Bathroom Makeovers From Our Stars

From: Jeremiah Brent and Nate Berkus

Giving New Life to Midcentury Bedside Tables

This family was thrilled to inherit side tables and a midcentury chest of drawers from their home's previous owners, but the baby blue paint coating both pieces of furniture was a point of contention. To make the pieces work in the home's new design, Nate and Jeremiah had the furniture stripped and stained to reveal its natural wood grain. Now the family fully enjoys them in their remodeled, midcentury-inspired bedroom.

see more: Nate and Jeremiah Deliver Six Meaningful Makeovers on Season One of 'Home Project'

From: Jeremiah Brent and Nate Berkus

Honoring a Sculpture With a Rocky Backstory

The trip of a lifetime left this homeowner with a prized jade souvenir, but during an appraisal he learned the stone was fake. Unconcerned with monetary value, however, the family fell even more in love with the sentimental piece of jade. Rather than store the ornate sculpture in a closed cabinet, Nate and Jeremiah created a focal spot for it on a hallway table. Now, it brings beauty and happiness to the family every day.

see more: Tour Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent's Holiday-Ready Apartment in New York City

From: Jeremiah Brent and Nate Berkus

Watercolor-Inspired Wallpaper Honors an Artist

Nate and Jeremiah were excited to learn this homeowner attended art school and had a collection of paintings from a semester spent in Italy. Not only did the designers frame some of her most-cherished pieces, but they also infused art into the new kitchen and dining room. Watercolor-inspired wallpaper flows throughout the remodeled space to honor her artistic past and inspire an art-filled future.

see more: Designing Love: The Story of Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent’s Relationship

From: Jeremiah Brent and Nate Berkus

Displaying A Sentimental Piece of Art

A colorful painting of the New York City skyline brightens up this neutral dining room by Nate and Jeremiah. A close friend of the homeowner commissioned the art in remembrance of a special vacation the family took after a cancer diagnosis. As well, the diagnosis put a halt to previous renovation plans — so Nate and Jeremiah knew it needed a prominent spot to live in the newly remodeled home.

see more: 10 Times HGTV Stars Pulled Off Coastal Grandma Designs

From: Jeremiah Brent and Nate Berkus

Preserving a One-of-a-Kind Stamp Collection

This homeowner stored his prized stamp collection in envelopes and tucked them away into a box, completely out of sight. When Nate and Jeremiah discovered it, they set out to honor and preserve it in a special way. Now, organized on archival paper in a bound book, the collection decorates a table in the main living area and can be enjoyed and admired every day.

see more: HGTV Stars' 25 Best Before-and-After Makeovers

From: Jeremiah Brent and Nate Berkus

Updating an Old Display Cabinet

Nate and Jeremiah saw the potential in this old cabinet. They moved it from the dining room to the sunroom, then lined the back of it with ornate paper. The piece now displays a collection of decorative woven baskets, vases and glassware — functional, sustainable and aesthetic.

see more: Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent Share Their Ultimate Source of Creative Inspiration

From: Jeremiah Brent and Nate Berkus

Saving Dad’s Favorite Leather Chair

Broken-in leather furnishings are a staple in many homes. Nate and Jeremiah knew these homeowners loved and appreciated “dad’s favorite chair,” so they made sure to incorporate it into the updated living room. Freshly cleaned, the soft leather cozies up the new space (in more ways than one).

see more: 20 Neutral Living Room Ideas From HGTV Stars

From: Jeremiah Brent and Nate Berkus

Framing a Cherished Keepsake

The painted Irish sign hung to the right of the mud room door — which reads, "a hundred thousand welcomes" — echoes this family’s desire to create a welcoming home for anyone. Of course, it needed a dedicated spot. So, Nate and Jeremiah framed it and hung it in the family's mud room.

see more: 20 Living Room Decorating Ideas From HGTV Stars

From: Jeremiah Brent and Nate Berkus

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