Nate Berkus Won’t ‘Tempt Fate’ by Designing Nursery Before His Baby’s Born

02/20/2015 at 06:30 PM ET
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Nate Berkus Unstopables collection launch New York City
Eugene Gologursky/WireImage

With all his expertise in interior design, you’d think Nate Berkus would be itching to decorate his baby-on-the-way’s sleep space — and you’d be wrong!

“I’m Jewish, so we don’t decorate the nursery before the baby’s born,” Berkus, 43, told PEOPLE Thursday at the Unstopables home fragrance scent decor collection launch in New York City.

“It’s a superstition; it’s a cultural thing,” Berkus explains. “I think it means you’re tempting fate, so I’m not tempting anything: healthy baby, gorgeous nursery on the way. Knock on wood!”

In September, Berkus announced on Facebook that he and husband Jeremiah Brent were expecting their first child via surrogate this spring.

This isn’t the first time the designer-turned-TV personality incorporated his heritage into a major life moment: When he and Brent, 30, tied the knot in May, they included the ceremonial glass breaking into their service. And by the sounds of it, the dads-to-be are still in the honeymoon phase.

“The truth is that I’m happier now than I’ve ever been,” says Berkus.

“I really think that if you divide life into buckets like relationship, career, health, those are the main three universally for everyone … Something about being married means that that bucket has been decided,” he explains.

“We are together, we work through everything we need to work through, we figure out ways to add to each other’s happiness, and because of that, we can focus on our relationship and making it better and making it work for both of us, but it allows for us to shift our focus to other things as well. It’s a very peaceful place to be.”

— Jeff Nelson

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Showing 22 comments

Shawna on

He’s worried about Jewish customs and he’s gay?? Seriously, he doesn’t see the irony here??

Hea on

Shawna – I guess he knows better than to let ancient irony ruin his modern day life.

Lexi on

Shawna, you’re an ignorant narrow minded idiot….I pity you. Shame that your religion must teach you ignorance. On a happier note, Congrats and Good for them….I’m Jewish too and this is what we did before our daughter was born even though it was hard to wait to do the nursery.

Lilah on

I wish Nate’s show would be resurrected.

Easyup on

Always loved Nate since he started out with Oprah. All the best with the new expected little one. Congratulations.

Suzanne on

I love Nate and wish him all the best!!!!

Brooke on

This is that guy who designs that Target crap? Oh.

Melanie on

So happy for you and wishing you all the best as await your new baby. I must say you are one of my very favorite celebrities. I just love your goodness and authenticity.

SMH on

Many of you should be ashamed of yourself. You are what’s wrong with this world.

Patti on

I love Nate. I wish his show was still on. I am very happy for him and husband. They will be great parents.

Debbe on

Congratulations once again to Nate and his hubby. I can’t wait to see their baby and I am sure they will be the best parents ever.

bebe on

Shawna, he says it’s a CULTURAL thing, not religious. There is a difference. My mom was the same way, and not Jewish. Most items were on layaway, because a thousand things can go wrong and it would add to the devastation to come home and have no use for it.

GVD on

So happy for Nate and his partner! Congrats.

renne d on

Poor baby; every infant deserves a MOTHER. Its one thing to believe in SSM, but taking an infant away from a womans touch, willingly, is SICK,SICK, SICK. Everything is not for everybody.

Bootziegurl on

It’s amazing how closed minded people still are!!! Very happy for the both of them, this child is going to be SO LOVED!!!! And that’s all that matters really, not that if it has a Mother and Father or 2 Fathers or 2 Mothers, as long is this child is taken care of, happy and loved that’s all we should care about!!!

judger of whom....??? on

what exactly defies an mother…..female/gender…..do you know how many mothers are animals/humans who kill their own……?do you not read the news? i am pretty sure any child just wants to be and feel loved. they don’t care who it’s by. for all the people who do not believe a man can love a child just as a woman….do you not have a husband, your child not a father, that loves their child unconditionally? i believe it doesn’t matter whom raises a child as long a they love them and do the best they can as parents to guide this child. whom is anyone on earth to judge? of course this is my opinion, i just think if anyone who casts judgement on this story reads/listens to the news and hears how many children die each day from murder by a parent of all people……wouldn’t you rather see 2 men or 2 women raise any child as their own, and offer love to them than to see them suffer. does this really matter…..? especially if its not your child, it’s theirs, and GOD bless this selfless woman…..wish we could all be this selfless, she will be rewarded greatly!

Marky on

It sort of bothers me when someone makes a statement that a child cannot be okay if they don’t have a mother. I don’t think there’s any question that all children do best with a good mother, and a good father. The truth is anything can happen…illness, death, divorce, etc, one of the parents (or both) are total jerks or incapable of parenting, therefore the child might be left with only one parent who may do a very good job raising that child, adoptive parents, or even foster parents who do a very good job.

Bec on

No, Shawna, I don’t see the irony. And, by the way, Judaism is very accepting towards the LGBTQ community — we always have been.

carissa on

@renee d: remember andrea yates? I bet her 5 dead children are wishing they’d never experienced that woman’s ‘touch’.

NK on

Loved Nate’s show on TV, he is a talented designer.

excellent on

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