Picture me miming the act of pulling out the old bucket list and crossing off one of the biggest pipe-dream items. As we mentioned briefly before, three Wednesdays ago The Nate Berkus Show contacted us and asked if we’d be interested in appearing on their show, which was taping just two days later in New York City. If we said yes, they’d fly us out the very next day.
Um, yes please.
I’ve admired Nate for years—honestly, I get a little giddy every time his name comes up. When they told us about a new segment called Nate’s Crate Design Challenge, I was instantly intrigued. The premise: two contestants compete to transform identical white rooms in an hour using only items from a mystery crate filled with everyday household objects—craft paper, blankets, feather dusters, push pins, burlap, staple guns, and the like. The results were inventive and fun, and here’s a shot of the contestants with their finished rooms.
So where did we fit in? They invited us to be judges—think Paula and Simon (or soon-to-be J.Lo and Steven)—since we’re big proponents of DIY and creative, budget-friendly decorating. We were totally speechless. They even set us up with an American-Idol-style judging desk:
And added the most flattering subtitle under our names. Blush-worthy, for sure.
Nate even invited us on stage to demo a few simple DIY projects using items from the crate.
The invite came so quickly that the day after we accepted we were on a plane to NYC. It was Clara’s first flight, and we timed the trip so it would coincide with her bedtime—thankfully she slept through most of it.
We arrived at LaGuardia and were picked up by a limo service. Yes, we took a photo of the sign with our names—total dorks, guilty as charged.
We reached our hotel around 11:30 p.m. The show put us up at the Flatotel—known for hosting contestants from Project Runway and America’s Next Top Model—and they even provided a crib for Clara, though she looked adorable in the big bed during our quick photo.
Morning came early—about 5:30 a.m.—and we had to be at the studio by 7:15. Nerves and excitement kept us from sleeping much, but we did soak in the amazing corner-room views before heading to the taping.
By 7:30 we were in the green room. My mom, who lives in New York, met us to watch Clara—our first official babysitter since Clara was born five months earlier. I may have over-explained Clara’s routines, but my mom had it handled. The green room was stocked with snacks and flowers, and Clara looked adorable on the small settee.
Then it was time for hair and makeup. Even John got powdered up, and I learned just how much makeup it takes to look camera-ready. The makeup artists were great, and their stories about working on soap operas and movie sets were entertaining.
We also ran into Mrs. Limestone, who was featured on the same show. After years of virtual friendship through our blogs, it was wonderful to meet her and her husband in person. They were warm, talented, and incredibly creative—no surprise they did beautifully on the show.
We couldn’t take photos inside the studio, but after a quick rehearsal, a final makeup touch-up, a last-minute feeding for Clara, and some microphone prep, we taped our segments. They don’t post full episodes online, but clips from the show feature our DIY demo and the challengers revealing their rooms.
I’ll admit a little vanity: on TV I learned that fitted is better. I wore a bright red, flowy top and after seeing myself on the monitor I realized it read as shapeless on camera. So my advice to other moms easing back into their pre-baby wardrobe—choose fitted pieces when you can. Still, I tried to relax and mostly found myself grinning at Nate and waving my hands around in excitement.
Sometimes I looked like I was yelling at a contestant, but I promise I was being encouraging.
Meeting Nate was an out-of-body experience. He was funny, gracious, and genuinely kind—on and off camera he complimented our home and our sense of design, which made us glow. We also gained a new appreciation for how much skill and rehearsal television requires: teleprompter work, camera awareness, and keeping the audience engaged all at once. It felt choreographed, precise, and impressive.
We even had a few friendly onstage moments—we got pretty cozy discussing the merits of burlap.
After our final segment a producer hurried us off set so we could catch a flight back home. They’d booked us on the earliest flight possible so we’d return in time to host friends for the weekend. We dashed out so fast we almost forgot the paper placard from our green room—luckily we grabbed it before leaving town.
At the airport Clara was more awake than on our overnight trip, flashing a TV-ready smile that kept us entertained while we waited to board. She didn’t judge our judging skills, but she did earn a lot of smiles from strangers.
On the flight home she napped and then enjoyed looking out the window—she was a stellar travel companion. We felt lucky that both of her first plane trips went smoothly; she’s an easygoing little explorer and seemed to take the whole experience in stride.
We arrived home just in time for the weekend guests, and Burger the dog was thrilled to see us—big thanks to John’s sister Emily for taking care of him while we were gone. It all felt surreal: we left in the morning and by evening we were back in Richmond, wondering if the whole day had been a dream. Watching the episode later confirmed it really happened.
All images and video clips of the show are courtesy of thenateshow.com.