It’s a beautiful spring morning in Austin.
Bobby Berk and his four “Queer Eye” cast members – Tan France (fashion expert), Karamo Brown (culture expert), Antoni Porowski (food and wine expert) and Jonathan Van Ness (grooming expert) – have reunited to film season six of their popular Netflix show.
The reboot of the beloved Bravo show “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” which ran from 2003 to 2007, has a new cast and a new mission. As the show’s home and interior design expert, Berk, 38, works behind the scenes to transform the lives and homes of contestants, or “heroes,” as they’re dubbed.
“Much of the work I do isn’t shown,” Berk says with a laugh. “Viewers see the hero’s home at the beginning of the show and then a magical remodel at the end of the week, but it takes a lot of planning and teamwork to get to that point.”
Fans have been quick to point this out, noting how one expert’s job might be done in a couple hours whereas Berk’s takes days. This has earned him a reputation as one of the hardest-working – and underappreciated – men in reality television.
He begins the design process by talking to each contestant and getting a sense of their lifestyle and what colors speak to them, even inquiring about favorite TV shows and dream vacations. Berk then collaborates with his team (many of whom previously worked on the “Extreme Home Makeover” show) and a construction company to install new flooring and appliances, repaint rooms and do whatever else is necessary to renovate the home in the span of a week.
As an example of how the process works, Berk cites Remy Porter, an Atlanta entrepreneur from season one, who lived in his grandmother’s house.
“Remy didn’t have a clear idea of the kind of design he wanted, so I asked him about his likes and dislikes and learned his favorite TV show was ‘Mad Men’ and that he’d always dreamed of visiting Cuba,” he says. “I used that input in the design process, and the result was a modern bachelor pad with Cuban elements that Remy absolutely loved.”
Laying A Foundation
Growing up in Missouri, Berk enjoyed decorating his room but never imagined he would one day become an industry leader.
“I was raised in a small, rural, conservative town where coming out as gay wasn’t an option,” he says. “I left home at 15 and moved to a bigger city, where I worked at Applebee’s and either slept in my car or on the couches of friends.”
It wasn’t until Berk relocated to New York City in 2003 that he began getting on-the-job design experience by working at Restoration Hardware, The Bombay Company and Portico.
His creative eye and friendly approach to helping customers personalize their homes helped Berk rise through the ranks, first as store manager; then as buyer; and, ultimately, as creative director for Portico.
As Berk honed his skills on the job, he studied design trends and the psychology behind why people buy certain pieces of furniture.
“When Portico went bankrupt, I decided to launch my own brand,” he says. “I was 25 when I opened my first store, Bobby Berk Home, in New York’s SoHo neighborhood.”
Over the next decade, he added stores in Atlanta, Los Angeles and Miami as well as an e-commerce business.
“My stores helped to create an awareness of my brand,” Berk says. “But, after a while, I realized I didn’t have the time to do the design work I really enjoyed.”
After deciding to close his stores and move from New York to Los Angeles, he launched Bobby Berk Interiors + Design in 2015, hoping to work with residential and hospitality clients.
In addition to consulting with clients, Berk finds himself fielding queries for design advice from fans of “Queer Eye,” which debuted in 2018.
“I get tons of messages from fans that want input on what types of furniture or designs might look good in their home,” he says. “Since I can’t give them all an individual consultation, my new lifestyle and design site, BobbyBerk.com, showcases creative ideas and some of my favorite finds.”
Berk advises clients to tap into what makes them happy. Your living space should make you feel safe and secure, he says.
“There’s so much chaos in the world that I encourage people to decorate their home in a way that incorporates personal elements of their life while also promoting tranquility.Surround yourself with designs you love and that bring you joy rather than choosing pieces that are trendy at the moment.”
As an example, Berk cites the shadowboxes he uses on the show to frame children’s artwork and a memory chest he created for a family that had recently lost their mother to cancer.
Last year, he partnered with A.R.T. Furniture to introduce his first furniture collection, showcasing pieces for the living room, dining room, bedroom and outdoor spaces.
“The collection features pieces that I’ve designed myself that are both functional and affordable,” Berk says. “It’s not disposable furniture that will quickly show wear and tear but rather good quality furniture that will last for years.”
When not adhering to his packed travel schedule, Berk has been busy decorating the Los Angeles home that he bought last year with his husband of eight years, Dewey Do, a maxillofacial surgeon.
In 2019, Berk told People that they hoped to expand their family and that children were part of the couple’s five-year plan – or “when things have calmed down from ‘Queer Eye’ a little bit.”
“My husband has said he doesn’t want to be a single parent because, at the moment, I’m gone 90 percent of the time. We have a rule right now where we try to see each other at least once a week, either with me flying home or Dewey flying out to wherever I’m filming.”
Given his experience designing lives for contestants on “Queer Eye,” we have no doubt Berk will build a magical life for himself, his husband and their family. O
Portraits courtesy A.R.T. Furniture; group photo by Christopher Smith/Netflix; saw photo by Denise Crew/Netflix