When asked to describe their collective design style, Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent — hosts of HGTV’s The Nate and Jeremiah Home Project — only need to ponder the question for a beat.

“Storied,” Nate answers. We’re sweating in a third-floor bedroom of the Tudor home Nate and Jeremiah are renovating in Queens, New York, for Season 2. It’s currently in disarray, but it won’t be after the couple is done with it. Nate’s answer is spot on: These two (neither of whom has a degree in interior design) know how to renovate a home in a way that speaks to the past experiences of the family living in it.

Their clients range from high-profile celebrities like Oprah to the families we see them help on their show. With neutral tones, layered textures and a comfortable warmth about it (both men are inspired by interiors and furnishings from the '30s, '40s and '50s), their work feels intimate and comfortable while looking high end — no matter who they’re designing for.

So how exactly do they do it? Creative inspiration, they say, is anywhere and everywhere. Unsurprisingly, Jeremiah suggests anyone looking to spark their own creativity should explore art that evokes an emotional reaction.

“We all just want to live beautifully,” Jeremiah says. Luckily, beauty, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder, and the meaning behind any design is arguably what makes it appealing in its own right.

Here, Nate and Jeremiah get down to the basics of how they create their own definition of beauty day after day.