Nate Berkus Biography

Nathan Jay "Nate" Berkus (born September 17, 1971) is an American interior designer, author, TV host and television personality. He runs the Chicago interior design firm Nate Berkus Associates and has been a regularly featured guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show, offering design advice to viewers, as well as coordinating surprise make-overs for people's homes. He has released numerous lines of products, and authored several books.

His own show, The Nate Berkus Show, debuted in broadcast syndication September 13, 2010, featuring make-overs, culture, design, and personal advice. It was co-produced by Harpo Productions and Sony Pictures Television, and was cancelled after its second season ended on May 24, 2012.

Personal life

Berkus was born in Orange County, California, and grew up mainly in suburban Minneapolis. He is Jewish, and openly gay. He attended Cushing Academy, a boarding school in Ashburnham, Massachusetts. He started working in design immediately after leaving high school and interned at Dominique Aurientis in Paris and Sotheby's in Chicago. Berkus graduated from Lake Forest College near Chicago in 1994 with degrees in French and Sociology. Berkus founded the company, Nate Berkus Associates, in Chicago in 1995.

Berkus is related to the venture capitalist Dave Berkus, architect Barry Berkus, musician/artist Gunther Berkus, Josh Berkus of Software in the Public Interest, casino manager/author Eric David Berkus, and western states lawyer Matt Berkus. Designer Nancy Golden from HGTV and DIY networks is his mother. His father Mike co-founded the National Sports Collectors Convention.

In December 2004 Berkus and his partner, photographer Fernando Bengoechea, were vacationing at a beach resort in Sri Lanka when the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami hit. While Berkus survived, Bengoechea is missing and presumed dead. Berkus appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show on January 17, 2005, to talk about this ordeal and the loss of his partner.

After nearly a year of dating, Berkus became engaged to Jeremiah Brent in April 2013. They were married on May 3, 2014 in New York City. In early 2014, the couple was featured in clothier Banana Republic's "True Outfitters" ads in InStyle and Rolling Stone, among other magazines. The New York Times noted they were the first same-sex couple to be featured in ads for the magazines.

Career

In November 2005 Hyperion Books published Berkus's book Home Rules: Transform the Place You Live into a Place You'll Love (ISBN 1-4013-0137-1), a step-by-step guide to home design and decoration.

In 2005 Berkus began selling his merchandise at Linens 'n Things stores throughout North America.

Berkus was the host of the short-lived reality show Oprah's Big Give, which premiered March 2, 2008, but the series ended on April 20 that same year. On May 13, 2008, it was announced by ABC that it would not be renewed for a second season.

On September 13, 2010, he debuted as the host of his own syndicated daily show, The Nate Berkus Show, which was co-produced by Harpo Productions and Sony Pictures Television. It was recorded at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York, but aired in the nation's largest markets on the ten NBC-owned-and-operated stations. In December 2011, Sony Pictures decided not to renew The Nate Berkus Show for a third season.

Nate Berkus is also an executive producer of the 2011 film The Help.

He appeared as himself on the October 12, 2011 and October 13, 2011 episodes of Days of Our Lives, a United States daytime television soap opera, designing the offices of MadWorld Cosmetics for Madison James.

Berkus' book The Things That Matter was published October 16, 2012, by Spiegel & Grau. It became a New York Times Best Seller and also named "One of the Best Books of the Year" by Seattle Times.

Also in October 2012, Berkus collaborated with Target stores to launch his Target Home collection, a 150-piece line that includes bedding, bath, accessories, lighting, rugs, and window treatments. In January 2013, Berkus introduced his own fabric collection at Calico Corners.

In March 2013, television journalists noted Berkus began working on a primetime series with NBC, initially titled Renovation Nation. By May 2013 the title was changed to American Dream Builders. Berkus is the host and one of the producers of the show in which, according to NBC, "American top designers, builders, architects and landscapers go head-to-head each week, putting their talents to the test on extreme home renovations." Early descriptions report that the cross-country competitions will be judged by both design experts and viewers; the live finale will include audience evaluation to determine the winner. NBC has initially ordered 10 episodes which will reportedly premiere mid-season 2013-14 on Sunday evenings.

Further reading

• Who is Nate Berkus? Your Life, The Boston Globe March 23, 2006
• "Gay designer returns home from tsunami-ravaged region" - article from Advocate.com