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PHOTO BY CARTER BER
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Nate Berkus, the boyishly handsome decorating icon, has countless fans tuning into
Oprah to see his dramatic home makeovers. That comes as no surprise. Ever since the
talk-show queen catapulted him into national fame, Berkus, 37, has become one of
the country's leading decorating gurus. He published Home Rules: Transform the Place
You Live into a Place You'll Love (Hyperion 2005), runs a design firm and recently
introduced his own line of furnishings for the Home Shopping Network "I have
one of those rare careers and feel very lucky," says Berkus, who has designed posh
residences and trendy commercial properties, including W Hotels and Barneys New
York. "I can do what I am passionate about and help people at the same time."
A firm believer that everyone should "love where they live," the Chicago-based
designer tells all his clients to please themselves and not worry about what others think.
"I don't care how much money you're spending on a project, ifs depressing to me to
walk into a home put together solely by an interior decorator or architect — it tells
nothing about the people who live there. I understand not being comfortable with your
own sense of style, but I think it's worth taking time to develop one."
When delving into a project, Berkus loves being eclectic, picking up meaningful
pieces when he travels and finding treasures at garage sales, flea markets and roadside
stands. "Budget obviously plays a role in what you buy, but you don't have to spend a
fortune," he points out, adding that accessories like rugs, pillows and lamps can trans-
form a room. "There are so many things you can buy second-hand that are infused
with personality and style."
How it all began
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Berkus, a Minneapolis native who was raised in a Jewish home and was a bar mitz-
vah, can trace his interest in home improvement back to his childhood. His mother,
Nancy Golden of Minneapolis, was a design professional and looked to her young
son for advice. "My mother used to wake me up because she would be working on
something and wanted to know what I thought," says Berkus. (Golden was a host on
Room for Change and Decorating Cents for Home & Garden Television.)
"He must have been around 10 or 11 when he started rearranging things in his
room by displaying collected mementos or editing his stuff," says Golden, who runs
Goldenware, a company selling her personally designed leather jewelry and acces-
sories. "I realized how important his surroundings were to him."
But both Berkus and his mom predicted he would choose a career in fashion rath-
er than home decorating. "I knew he'd go into something creative," says Golden. "He
had such a clear vision as to what worked and what didn't. He'd appraise my outfits
and as a teenager would confidently say to me, 'Good outfit, Mom, but lose the neck-
lace!' I thought he'd end up in fashion but am thrilled he chose interior design."
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• JANUARY 2009 •
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