When you buy things that are expensive, like a sofa or something

"When you buy things that are expensive, like a sofa or something that really feels like an investment, you need to keep it as plain as possible, as simple as possible. Make sure that it's a clean design that will work with whatever style you want it to." – Nate Berkus

In these words, Nate Berkus, the modern sage of interior beauty, speaks not only of furniture but of wisdom itself. His lesson, though wrapped in the language of design, carries the deeper truth that simplicity endures where extravagance fades. When he says to “keep it as plain as possible,” he does not mean to forsake beauty, but to seek it in its purest form — to honor the essence of things rather than their ornamentation. For what is plain but that which is eternal, unbound by fashion and untouched by vanity? In the heart of simplicity lies timelessness, and in timelessness, truth.

The origin of this quote reflects Berkus’s long devotion to creating spaces that are not only beautiful, but meaningful. Having traveled the world, he has seen how design — like life — is a dialogue between the transient and the enduring. He knows that the grandest trends come and go like passing seasons, but the objects that are simple, thoughtful, and well-made can dwell with us for generations. When he speaks of investment, he speaks not merely of money, but of spirit: an investment in what lasts, in what remains steadfast through the changing tides of taste and time.

This wisdom is as old as civilization itself. The ancient Greeks, who gave birth to philosophy and art, revered balance, proportion, and simplicity as the pillars of beauty. The Parthenon, though stripped of color and ornament through the centuries, still stands majestic in its restraint — its beauty drawn not from excess, but from harmony. So too, the Japanese masters of design built temples of quiet grace, believing that emptiness itself is a form of perfection, for in it the soul finds peace. Nate Berkus, in his modern craft, carries that same torch — teaching us that simplicity is not absence, but clarity.

Yet his words are not only about design; they are a mirror for life. The expensive sofa becomes a symbol for all the choices that shape our days — our careers, our relationships, our dreams. When we invest deeply — with time, love, or effort — we must do so with simplicity of purpose. Complexity confuses the heart; simplicity anchors it. Just as a well-made, unadorned piece of furniture can adapt to any room, a clear and grounded life can endure through every season. The ornate collapses under its own weight; the simple remains steadfast.

Consider the tale of Marcus Aurelius, emperor and philosopher, who sat upon a golden throne yet lived with the discipline of a monk. Amid power and luxury, he sought not splendor but simplicity — in thought, in conduct, in soul. His writings, The Meditations, were not grand treatises, but quiet reflections on humility and endurance. He knew, as Berkus knows, that true refinement lies not in how much one possesses, but in how much one can do without. The emperor who ruled the world and the designer who shapes a room share the same insight: simplicity is the art of permanence.

Berkus’s counsel is also a call for intentionality. To choose what is plain and clean is to reject impulse and embrace foresight. It is to act with patience, to think not only of the moment, but of the years to come. This is why he speaks of design that “will work with whatever style you want it to.” The wise invest in what endures — in principles, in craftsmanship, in relationships that can weather the transformations of time. Simplicity, therefore, is not limitation; it is freedom — the freedom to change without losing oneself, to evolve without erasing one’s foundation.

Lesson: My children, remember this — what is simple is not lesser, but purer. When you build your homes, your careers, and your lives, choose the clean lines of integrity and balance over the fleeting glitter of trend and indulgence. Let your foundations be strong and your adornments few, for only then will your creations — and your spirit — withstand the test of time. Whether you are choosing a sofa or a dream, invest in what will last, not in what merely shines. For beauty, like wisdom, grows not from excess, but from the quiet confidence of simplicity.