Out Spotlight

Today's Spotlight is an American designer, author and as of tomorrow a syndicated talk show host. Today's Out Spotlight is designer Nate Berkus.

Nathan Jay "Nate" Berkus was born September 17, 1971, in Orange County, California to interior decorator Nancy Golden and Sport memorabilia and Sports Card dealer, Mike Berkus. He's parents divorced when he was baby and grew up mainly in suburbs of Minneapolis, with his mother and two brothers. His mom Nancy is known to many from her appearances on the HGTV and DIY networks.

He began his career in design at a young age. "I was barely in grade school when I helped my mother rearrange the living room furniture for the first time," he says. With his allowance dedicated to buying things for his bedroom and his mother's influence (she's also a decorator), Nate began a lifelong passion for design. "I think I was the only kid on the block who knew about furniture scale by the time I was 8." He has spoken many times about growing up and going into his mother's design presentations and changing things, her only find out what he did when she went to present to her client.

Berkus graduated from Lake Forest College near Chicago in 1994 with degrees in French and Sociology. While in college he worked at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers as well as at Sotherby's in Chicago. He also did an internship with Dominique Aurientis auction house in Paris. It was from this work, he developed a deep love and knowledge for the decorative arts and furniture.

From his experience in auction houses he gained an education in how to shop and what to buy. Without any formal design training, just natural instinct, growing up under his mother's design experience, and knowledge from his work in the auction houses, he took out on his own, forming the design firm, Nate Berkus Associates in 1995.

Moving from the auction house to interiors was a natural for him. The firm grew to include projects for Wolfgang Puck's Spago, Barneys New York, W hotels, as well as a prestigious list of private homes and clients.

In 2002, Nate was invited to make over a small space for The Oprah Winfrey Show. The rest was history. From there, Nate became a featured design expert for the show. Nate's work continues to be featured in the pages of US Weekly, Elle Décor, O, The Oprah Magazine, Domino and many more.

Out and open about his orientation from the beginning of his career, Berkus had found love with photographer Fernando Bengoechea. In December 2004, he and Bengoechea, were vacationing and celebrating the holidays at a beach resort in Sri Lanka when the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami hit.

"It's not just the sight — it's the sound and the smell that will be with me forever," Berkus said, describing in horrific detail how the scene unfolded in a hut about 50 feet from the shoreline.

"We were in a room making plans for the day. All of a sudden water started coming in between the wall and the roof...Fernando jumped up and started lifting our things onto the desktop. I said, 'What is this?' Then we heard a crack and I was pressed against the wall and the floor."

Their hut's roof was torn off by the force of the water and they immediately experienced the sensation of drowning. Berkus said he had "a heightened sense of consciousness" that kicked in his survival instinct.

"[Fernando and I] ended up popping up together and he swam over to me and said 'Stay together,' and then a minute later we were drowning again, and then we popped up together again, and the water was calm...we were trying to hold onto each other. You were just swirling, just trying to keep your face up."

When another wave hit he thought they would become separated. "And then we both popped up about three feet away from one another. Fernando and I came back to one another and there was a telephone pole and we both held each other."

There was nothing he could do in his last moments of contact with Fernando.

"And I felt his hand on the back of my shirt and I felt his hand slip away..."

Berkus survived, Bengoechea was missing and presumed dead. He talked by phone of what happened to his lover to ABC News within hours of the ordeal. Fans of Nate and of The Oprah Show expressed their concern for Nate, and their condolences for his loss in the days following. He appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show on January 17, 2005, to talk about his ordeal and the loss of his love. While nothing can be confirmed, it was said that Oprah had privately hired former Marines to go Sri Lanka, to find Bengoechea or provide confirmation of his death.

In the months after the ordeal he focused on his work. In November 2005, his book Home Rules: Transform the Place You Live into a Place You'll Love, a step-by-step guide to home design and decoration was published. He also began selling his merchandise in the Linens n' Things chain throughout North America, until the chain folded.

In 2006, Nate debuted his Oprah Radio Radio show. Airing each week, he speaks to listeners, celebrities, callers and guests about the home and living well.

He later became involved with a New York based TV/Film producer and DJ. Dating for nearly two years the relationship ended amicably and the two remain friends.

He went on hosted the short-lived reality show Oprah's Big Give, where the focus for individuals to give back to others in a series of challenges. The show premiered March 2, 2008. "Working on Big Give was an opportunity that I felt compelled to do. It was my chance to share in showing people how they can give big in their own life, to send the message that giving goes way beyond the gift of money. We want to share that the best thing you can give is your time and understanding." The series ended on April 20th. On May 13th it was announced by ABC that it would not be renewed for a second season.

In the fall of 2008, Nate launched a new line of home products on HSN. "It's funny. As a kid, I think I rearranged the rooms of almost every house on the block. I feel like I'm still doing the same thing. Except, now I'm coming into the living room through the TV, helping people make their home their own."

He is currently involved in a relationship with Bally Shoe designer Brian Atwood and makes his home in New York City.

After nearly eight years and 127 makeovers on The Oprah Show, he is launch his own daytime talk show. It will featured a broad range of subjects and guests, with a focus on design, lifestyle, entertainment and personal transformation. The Nate Berkus Show will premiere tomorrow September 13, 2010.

Reminder: Austin's film Beautiful Boy premieres tonight at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Time: 6:30
Location: Isabel Bader Theater