for Kravet and plumbing fixtures for
ROHL. He traces his interest in art
and design to his very early years in
Detroit and Oak Park.
“My [late] parents [Rowe and Jack
Berman] bought a new house in the
1960s, and my mother would swear
that she had me, at 6 years old, select-
ing all of the background material,
countertop material, wallpaper and
paint,” Berman recalls.
“My mom and dad knew early
on that was a flair that I had, and
I knew before going to [Berkley]
high school that I wanted to go
into the design industry, but didn’t
know what kind of a fine art career
I wanted.
“I went to [what is now known as]
the Otis College of Art and Design
in Los Angeles, and I got an amaz-
ing opportunity to work for interior
designer Angelo Donghia. He gave
me a firsthand education — not just
about how to create interiors but
also the way to run a business and
how to interact with employees. “
After working for Donghia for six
years, Berman opened his own inte-
rior design business in the 1980s.
His furniture company launched in
the 1990s.
“Other designers and architects
were seeing my work in national
magazines, and they would call my
office and ask where I got a particular
chair or sofa, and I would say that I
had made it,” Berman recalls.
“I realized my work was being
sought by colleagues, and that was
the impetus for the furniture com-
pany. From there, it grew to creating
products for other companies. Every

time I design, there’s continuity as I
repeat my inspiration of American
modernism, Art Deco and Mid-
Century Modern.”
Berman, whose dominant design
color is green, has a home in Los
Angeles and a vacation home in
Palm Springs. Both are Mid-Century
Modern and allow him to experiment
with ideas.
“I do extensive traveling with my
partner, David Rubin, who has a com-
pany called David Travel,” Berman
says. “I design environments, and he
designs experiences. We go all over
the world to select amazing objects,
and I get inspiration and new ideas.”
Berman and Rubin stay connected
to their religious roots by attend-
ing Temple Kol Ami in Los Angeles.
Berman also sits on the board of
the Jewish Healing Center of Los
Angeles, which, he says, “provides
spiritual healing and guidance for all
people in need, whether in crisis or
simply wanting to nurture the soul.”
Berman, who feels uplifted by
driving cars from his collection
around California, names his favor-
ite as a 1954 Oldsmobile Starfire.
In Michigan, he likes visiting with a
group of friends who go back to his
early school years and seeing all the
development in Detroit.
“I’ve been connected to Downtown
for years because my father started
the Riverfront Festival that took
place in the 1960s,” he says. “When
I go Downtown, I love checking out
the new restaurants, galleries and
original architecture. I love what’s
happening Downtown with the
resurgence of energy,” •

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November 9 • 2017

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