Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent’s new house in Greenwich Village could seem strangely familiar to those who have followed this architectural power couple over the years. This is because their “new home” is actually their old one.

Its visual appeal is unmistakable, as Berkus puts it: “It’s like a wedding cake.” With all the plaster and the French doors, it resembles an old Parisian apartment, and with the sun-drenched kitchen‘s arced, greenhouse-like windows, the marble fireplaces, and the fantastic position, it’s an apartment that anyone would want.

The house, being the first thing they had designed together, held, for that reason, a really important place in their hearts. According to Nate Berkus, the process of decorating a home with a partner is a way of understanding each other’s vision and a truly bonding experience. 

A Carlo Bugatti chair that Berkus gave Brent for his birthday is one of their treasures. In the kitchen, the butcher block counters and the brass trim around the island have been replaced with Calacatta Paonazzo marble, and the walls were covered in subway tile have been painted white. Additionally, while the bedrooms each have dramatic wallpapers that enclose their respective occupants, the communal areas are drenched in creamy neutrals that highlight the architectural aspects and furniture.

In addition to pooling their design talents, they took advantage of the opportunity to make other small adjustments that weren’t possible ten years ago. One of them was the flooring in the entryway, which Berkus thought leaned just a touch too “fancy granny.” This time, Brent discovered a stunningly worn black-and-white Spanish tile that had been salvaged. When those new tiles were installed, Berkus felt like their house was completely theirs.