Comfort and emotion. Flare and expression. A designer knows that one glance at a design must evoke a certain feeling of intention. Melancholy, nostalgia, serendipity, and even excitement, among others. A designer knows that in this field, expression matters as much as acceptance. Expression of the intended feeling, and acceptance of what it takes to evoke it.
In this female-dominated circle, there are multiple who convey their identity as they would their design: with pride.
Nate Berkus, a designer from California known for his neutral and classic style, is one of the most famous queer designers known today after appearing on several TV shows, partnering with Oprah Winfrey, and authoring three books on interior design. In addition to that, Berkus headlined news articles after a tragedy he faced with his late partner, Fernando Bengoechea, in 2004 during a tsunami in Sri Lanka. Berkus survived after swimming to calmer tides; his partner, on the other hand, was never found. In interviews, he fondly recalled how he saw himself through Fernando’s photographs and how they also reflected Fernando’s perception of him.
“The day I met [Fernando], I could see, through his photographs, how he saw me, and I remember thinking, things don’t get any better than this.”
In one of his books, ‘The Things That Matter’, Berkus allowed his readers to realize that the home is more than a reflection of an individual. Our homes tell our stories, he wrote, they reflect the places we’ve been and the people we’ve loved along the way – there can be no more beautiful design for living than that.
Southward to Texas, designer Todd Oldham also made a journey of his own before he arrived where he is now. Before Oldham became an interior designer, his career was in clothes and fashion. His decade-long career in the industry was marked by his playful, innovative designs and catwalks. However, by 1999, Oldham had lost interest in continuing his wholesale fashion business after deliberation about time and effort. Fashion is very noisy, he says. After an explosion of creativity and eccentricity from up-and-coming fashion designers inspired by Oldham and his colleagues' runways, many believed that it made sense for Oldham to move on in the field. But Oldham never strayed away from craft, art, or expression. An artist that can design a whole world, as they say. The former fashion designer became a creative director, an interior designer, and an author on top of TV show appearances.
"That’s the magic, watching nothing turn into something in front of your eyes..." Oldham answered in an interview, "Creativity saves lives. It certainly saved mine, and it saved the lives of everyone I know. The side-effects of creativity, if you will, are confidence and empathy.”
Berkus is neutral to Oldham’s eccentricity. Berkus’ LGBTQIA+ advocacies with his husband, Oldham’s book on ‘Queer Threads: Crafting, Identity and Community’. Oldham moving on, and Berkus moving forward. Both interior designers faced challenges that could have cost them their careers. Yet they move. Both prove that there will never be a fruitless endeavor for an artist doing their art. To a person putting themselves first.
Endeavor and tribulation. Recognition and acceptance. Seen or unseen, a designer who is true to the concept, true to the design, and true to themselves will never be left with an empty canvas.
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