Has your interest in the outdoors changed your design sensibilities any, or the way you think about indoor or outdoor spaces?
Brent: Nate's finally coming outside, which is great because when I met him, he was like, "What's the point? Nature should be viewed through glass." The great thing about our children and through what we've experienced as parents is they crack the world open in such a different way. You get to experience joy in the little things, like Nate was saying, collecting rocks and making up silly games — anything and everything. Everything is an adventure if you let it be one. That's been so fun for us. I love the outside. It's always been where I find inspiration with design, and now to see my children find inspiration out there, it's been really exciting.
Berkus: Poppy went last winter ... We were out in the backyard, [in the] middle of the pandemic, and she climbed this huge hill that we have in our backyard. She was so proud of herself when she got to the top. Then, I could see the eyes go like this, because there was a moment of panic — "Wait, how do I get back down?" I stood there and watched her navigate it. But I remember that. Don't you remember that as a kid? That feeling of, "Wow, I just did something. Oh, wait. Now, how do I undo it?"
You can't plan what nature has in store for you. You can't plan the challenges that kids will design for themselves. It's not about the big grand vacation. It's not about the amusement park or whatever. We can have these moments. We can all have these moments spending time outdoors.
