Business of Home Podcast: Inside Nate Berkus' Three Decades of Success

Host: Dennis Scully
Guest: Nate Berkus
Date: October 27, 2025

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, Dennis Scully sits down with renowned interior designer Nate Berkus to chart his evolution from auction house intern to industry tastemaker and celebrated media personality. They explore Berkus' passion for antiques and the secondary market, his business philosophies, his approach to social media and branding, and—most notably—what sustains his love for the hands-on work of interior design after thirty years of success. The conversation is lively, candid, and rich with practical anecdotes and reflective insights relevant to both veteran and emerging designers.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Early Career and Auction House Influence

• Origin Story: Berkus recaps his formative years as an intern (then employee) at Leslie Hindman's auction house in Chicago (03:11).
  • “We call it the Gucci loafer, no dental insurance era... we thought we were really fancy, and we had little navy jackets with gold buttons...” — Nate Berkus [03:32]
• Lessons from Auctions: He credits this experience for shaping his design ethics and sourcing habits:
  • Preference for vintage, antiques, and pieces with “real” value over reproductions.
  • “I didn't want to be the king of reproductions. I didn't want to rely on furniture showrooms primarily for sourcing. I wanted to be at auctions.” [05:12]

2. The Thrill of the Hunt (and Mistakes Made)

• Addiction to Auctions: Candidly acknowledges his auction “addiction,” sharing both triumphs and expensive mistakes. Humorously discusses his husband Jeremiah Brent's intervention attempts (07:11–10:30).

  • “I have always loved and was raised to love multi dealer antiques malls...my mother trained me like a little sort of pony to go retrieve the key...” [09:04]

• Why Auctions Matter:

  • Values auctions as the truest market for “what anyone is willing to pay at that moment” (09:14).
  • Enjoys the hunt, not deterred by occasional missteps (e.g., bad diamond earrings).

• Natural Dealer:

  • Runs a side business selling finds on Cherish, 1stDibs, and has a Bergdorf Goodman pop-up for luxury vintage home goods.
  • “Nothing makes me happier than bringing boats of things to the real real...I lie when some of Jeremiah's things make it into my consignment.” [10:48–12:10]

3. Shifting Trends in Antiques and Taste

• Market Commentary:
  • French and Italian mid-century pieces are no longer bargains; he sees value in Swedish furniture, ‘brown furniture’ (classic English and Victorian pieces), but less appeal in American antiques (12:27–15:54).
  • “I've never specked one piece in 30 years of doing design work.” —Nate on formal American antique furniture [15:21]
• Nostalgia & Value:
  • Still finds “deals to be had,” especially in under-the-radar local auctions.

4. Personal Influences: Family and Design Upbringing

• Mother’s Influence:

  • Recaps his mother’s early days in design and her appearances on HGTV—both humorous and formative for Nate (16:24–18:57).
  • “Jeremiah, as a young gay guy in Modesto, California, used to watch my mother on that show and get ideas...It planted the seed for him.” [19:09]

• Lessons Learned:

  • While his mother modeled entrepreneurial risk-taking, her chaotic bookkeeping taught Nate what not to do in business (20:04–20:56).

5. Starting His Firm and Core Philosophy

• Desire for Independence:
  • Motivated to work for himself: “I knew that I didn’t want to answer to people...I really knew I wanted to be my own boss.” [21:26]
• Sensitivity to Clients:
  • Considers his ability to intuit clients’ aspirations the key to lasting interiors: “I could understand how people wanted to be perceived in their spaces. And that has taken me pretty far.” [22:30–23:52]
• Anti-Trend Stance:
  • “I'm vehemently anti trend because of that...I don't want a timestamp on any of the rooms that we do.” [23:59]

6. What Makes the ‘Nate Berkus Look’

• Timeless Over Trendy:
  • Uses antique/vintage wherever possible, loves patina, but not afraid to reupholster or reconstruct when needed (26:26).
• Collector’s Confidence:
  • “I can sell a Maria peret steel table 50 times. I'm fully confident in her body of work and how it will sit with new things that it will retain its value if not go up.” [27:45]

7. Oprah, TV, and Navigating Fame

• Break on Oprah:

  • Shares his moment of opportunity with Oprah’s producers, early lessons in business, and commitment to protecting both Oprah's and his own brand (28:25–35:23).

• Authenticity in Branding:

  • Distinguishes between authenticity and performative persona; discusses the challenge of staying true in the influencer era (35:23–37:52).
  • “You have to use your social media as almost your own magazine...My way is you cannot take every deal.”

8. Business Model and Client Work

• Billing Structure:
  • Firm uses net cost plus 30%, with hourly rates depending on seniority—doesn’t believe in flat fees except in rare, highly specific cases (46:53–48:09).
• Project Selection:
  • Open to diverse budgets if the project is exciting; not a firm with a single “signature look.” [48:23–50:59]
• Why Stay in the Trenches:
  • Despite “escape hatch” opportunities, loves the interaction, the challenge, and even the client management.
  • “Why do you still pick up the phone when someone's sofa is late? My answer was, THAT’S MY JOB.” [53:04]

9. Team and Company Culture

• Avoiding Burnout:
  • Sustained by a supportive, respected team. Lessons in management from Oprah: “Everybody wants to be seen. Everybody wants to be heard.” [55:10]
• Strengths-Based Management:
  • “She discovers what people are great at, and that's their job. And when they're bad at it, she gives that to somebody else so that you're not making somebody...suicidal.” [55:21]

10. Social Media and Modern Marketing

• Evolving with Instagram & TikTok:
  • Transitioned from skepticism to thoughtful curation, maintaining expert authority over “cool factor.” [41:54–45:00]
  • “I want you to focus on making me appear as such...I'm not an influencer. With all due respect.” [44:22]
• Business Generator:
  • Instagram is now a top project generator—even for a veteran like Nate:
  • “1000% people pick design firms from Instagram.” [46:14]

11. The New Book, Foundations

• Motivation and Vision:
  • Initially pitched a multi-volume box set, but editor condensed it to a comprehensive, practical guide (57:24–61:36).
• A Resource, Not a Trophy:
  • “I wanted it to be really handsome so it could just sit on a coffee table and look good and not be loud in a room...it's as thorough as we could possibly be. It does represent 30 years of work and it's just a really cool book.” [57:26, 60:09]
• A Thank You:
  • “It’s a thank you note on my behalf to anyone over the last 30 years who’s ever bought a bath mat with my name on it.” [61:12]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Making Mistakes at Auction:
  “I've really from diamond earrings that came and they were like the color of someone's bad teeth...but that hasn't kept me from the thrill of the hunt.” — Nate Berkus [08:43]

• On the Lure of Brown Furniture:
  “I do think that brown furniture is really good looking. I love a George 3 chest of drawers.” — Nate [12:46]

• Learning the Power of Authenticity:
  “You have to work to be authentic...because there are so many opportunities to not be.” — Nate [35:47]

• On Making Design Last:
  “I want somebody to walk into a room that we designed or I designed 15 years later and not know exactly when it was designed.” [23:59]

• The Importance of Team and Culture:
  “I have what I consider to be the best team in the business...I think, created a culture that is happy, that people feel seen and heard and celebrated. And that was an old Oprah lesson, too.” [54:23]

• Why Stay Hands-On:
  “I don't think I could do a great job at any of those other things if I wasn't still connected to the day to day of the design firm. I'm not sure what I would do with my ideas and what I would do with my time. I'm so not bored. I'm not burnt out.” [54:12]

• Advice to Designers:
  “Be the guy or the person that when they see your name on the schedule that afternoon, they don't want to die...They know they're going to have a really nice afternoon. Productive, but a nice afternoon, because everybody just wants a nice afternoon.” [41:19]

Important Timestamps

• [03:11] — Nate’s start at the auction house
• [05:12] — How auctions shaped his design philosophy
• [08:43] — Auction mistakes and “thrill of the hunt”
• [12:27] — Market commentary on antiques
• [16:24] — Memories of Nate’s mother and early design TV
• [21:26] — Starting out independently and business philosophy
• [23:59] — Anti-trend, building timeless spaces
• [28:25] — Oprah breakthrough moment
• [35:47] — Branding, authenticity, and influencer pressures
• [46:53] — Billing model and client philosophy
• [53:04] — Why he still loves working with clients
• [55:10] — Company culture and management lessons
• [57:24] — The vision and practical goal behind Foundations
• [61:12] — The book as a “thank you note” to his audience

Conclusion

This episode is an honest, detailed look at how Nate Berkus has found enduring satisfaction and relevance in design by remaining committed to his core values—curiosity, authenticity, a love of beautiful objects with soul, and building a company culture that recognizes individual strengths. It’s packed with both practical strategies for designers and warm, memorable anecdotes—making it a must-listen (or must-read) for anyone passionate about the design industry.