A lot of guys go in immediately for status, as opposed to comfort and allowing their home to tell a story about them.

They used to tease me at the 'Oprah' show, 'Are you really going to do another white Shaker kitchen, with white subway tile and stainless steel appliances?' And my answer is, 'I can vary it a bit, but I'm never going to err from classic materials.'

I'm interested in fashion; I buy fairly good pieces, and I think as I've gotten older, I've pared down a lot.

I can change a light fixture, and I can do certain things. But I'm really bad in terms of construction. I can't do any of it on my own.

I was barely in grade school when I helped my mother rearrange the living room furniture for the first time.

In design-speak, 'a library' means a room lined with books, floor-to ceiling, but it all depends on the space you have. You may have a free-standing bookshelf of your favorite books if that's all you have room for.

I live in a beautiful vintage building that was built in the heart of downtown Chicago.