King of interior makeovers
Nate Berkus’ makeovers seem easy as pie in his show.
WHAT’S the next big thing on TV? Food-centric shows, fashion and celebrity gossip programmes – seen them all, yesterday’s news.
If the flavour of current times is to be believed, it appears interior decor shows are the passion of the season, judging from the many decor shows that keep popping up on the small screen.
That being the case, given a choice, who would you invite to your home to give it a new lease of life?
I would hand my house keys over to decor maven Nate Berkus in a minute. ( Queer Eye’s Thom Filicia comes in a close second.)
A self-confessed interior design junkie, I was thrilled when I found out The Nate Berkus Show would be airing on Li TV. When I first “met” Berkus some six years ago, he already had a couple of seasons under his belt, guest-starring in Oprah Winfrey’s show. He had made his first appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2001 when he ingeniously transformed a small 37sqm apartment space.
After that fate-defining introduction, he became a popular featured design expert on the show and Oprah affectionately referred to him as the “cutie-pie designer”. He frequently joined her in her mission to change people’s lives for the better, and in turn, he said she “helped me redefine my own vision and purpose”, and “challenges me to use my own life to help others live better”.
It’s easy enough working on an empty room, but the real test is when you’re faced with a space already filled with furniture and pieces of memory, and you have to rearrange all that and still reflect the owner’s personality. This is Berkus’ forte and his makeovers have been nothing short of amazing.
Of course, I was sorely disappointed, probably along with millions of female viewers the world over, that the charming and dishy Berkus was gay, but that didn’t stop me from drooling over his extraordinary home makeovers and eclectic ideas.
Born in Los Angeles on Sept 17, 1971, Berkus’ career got a jumpstart when he joined Leslie Hindman Actioneers in Chicago and developed a love for interior decoration then.
At 24, the self-taught Berkus established the Chicago-based Nate Berkus Associates, which took on prestigious projects such as Wolfgang Puck’s Spago, Barney’s New York, W hotels, as well as an impressive list of private clientele. He also has his own home line with Linens-n-things, a huge licensing deal expressed in original designs, textures and fabrics.
In 2005, Berkus authored Home Rules: Transform The Place You Live Into A Place You’ll Love, a guide to achieving beautiful interiors based on his intuitive approach to design. Simple but invaluable tips like how to update an old piece of furniture, pick paint colours and optimise space are cleverly imparted so sensibly that you ask yourself, “Now why didn’t I think of that?”
This same spirit of design innovation is carried into his own show where Berkus shows viewers design tips and industry secrets, and gives away a treasure trove of information on how to improve your living space.
A series co-produced by Harpo Productions and Sony Pictures Television, The Nate Berkus Show isn’t just about makeovers though. In fact, it is everything but that, and I was a teensy-weensy bit disappointed that it didn’t show more of the fantastic makeovers he used to do on Oprah.
Instead, Berkus fills the hour with entertaining topics, from celebrity guests to personal dress sense, life- style trends and interesting characters from ordinary walks of life.
Having been given a leg-up by Harpo, you would think Berkus has hit pay dirt; after all, anything touched by Oprah, who seems to have the Midas touch, should prosper. Well, yes, and no.
With the affable Berkus at the helm, things get off to a smooth start as his boyish charm paves the way to easy conversations leading to home aesthetics. He tackles eve-ryone and everything, from soccer mums to film stars, collecting cou-pons to recycling trash.
What’s attractive about the talk show is that it deals with real people and offers practical, workable solutions. Berkus is at his best during a regular segment where he picks a home viewer with a design problem and cooks up a brand new layout in super quick time. The computerised design plans are given to the viewer.
But the show encompasses a whole lot more – maybe a little too much sometimes – and the makeover sessions are usually almost the last item on the show. Save the best for last, per-per-perhaps?
The show premiere starts off with a mini-makeover vignette, surprising a single mother with a brand-new kitchen. In fact, often when Berkus comes out shining with his intelligent makeovers, the grateful recipients are moved to tears. I never cease to be amazed how interior decoration can be such an emotional experience for some people.
There are subtle attempts at sol-ving relationships, as strained families torn by home liv-- ing conditions (inevitably brought on by design constrictions) undergo life-changing catharsis thanks to advice either meted out by Berkus or experts who guest star on the show.
He also makes a point to prove that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure as another segment has him refurbishing old pieces of furniture from the curb side or garage sales for charity. Interesting when you see that what people throw out can be changed into useful resources, pretty wasteful when you consider how much the Americans throw out as trash.
Home tips are dispensed at every show. One particular
segment which had Berkus handling “kid-tas-trophy” had the audience going “awww” when cute, adorable kids confessed to how they wreck their homes. (I cringed when I heard how one little girl tried to shave her little sister “just like how daddy shaved his beard!”)
But on top of all that, there are cooking segments, celebrity interviews, fashion ideas and personal stories. Whew! Sure, it’s fun watching Berkus cook face-off with Martha Cross aka Bree from Desperate Housewives and take lessons from chef Jamie Olivier, but it detracts from Berkus’ true talent and identity: the makeover guru that he really is.
Each episode carries five to six different segments. I would have preferred fewer but longer seg-ments, and more concentration on actual interior design work.
The heart of any talk show is finding its own voice. Berkus holds his own pretty well, but he’s such a nice guy that you can’t imagine anything controversial stemming from the show. The furthest he’s pushed the envelope is having two gay dads on air as he redesigns the baby room for them. And let’s face it, cat fights, drama and controversy sell better on TV.
And somehow, I couldn’t help but hear Oprah in my mind in the distant background as I imagined her stepping out from the shadows and closing the show.
Nonetheless, it’s a well-spent hour with Berkus, and his invaluable tips and wonderful home ideas will survive long after the show is forgotten. And besides, he’s great eye candy. So sorry, guys, I won’t be available tonight as I’m staying in with my man Nate!
The Nate Berkus Show premieres today at 10.30pm and 3.30am on Li TV (Astro ch 706). It airs on Wednesdays at the same time.