Designer, author and television personality Nate Berkus is marking a milestone this year — the 30th anniversary of his design firm — and he’s celebrating it in part with a new book, “Foundations,” that he’ll discuss at the St. Louis Jewish Book Festival on Dec. 6.

For Berkus, home is about more than finishings or paint colors. Berkus, who is raising daughter Poppy, 10, and Oskar, 7, in New York City with his husband Jeremiah Brent, knows that home is really about the life that’s lived inside the walls.

“The book invites readers to see design not as decoration, but as a reflection of who they are,” Berkus shared. “I wanted to give people the tools to create their own timeless and personal spaces.”

Berkus launched his design firm in Chicago in 1995, but his profile soared when he began appearing on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in 2001. He went on to host “The Nate Berkus Show” and “American Dream Builders” before later co-hosting “The Nate and Jeremiah Home Project” with his husband. As Berkus worked on his new book, he found himself looking back on all of his experiences—both personal and professional—and thinking about how they have shaped the designer he is today.

“I revisited so many moments,” he said. “The first apartment I ever designed, the pieces I’ve carried from home to home, the evolution of my own life.”

While Berkus reflected on being “a 24-year-old kid in my apartment when I started all of this,” he’s come a long way. Now 54, he’s “a husband and father with three design offices and a team of 40.” But through the decades, he’s stood true to his design ideology.

“My philosophy has always been that our homes should tell our stories, and the best homes are ones that are deeply personal,” he explained. “My references have evolved, but the core of why I do this and the sense of storytelling, has not changed.”

Growing up Jewish in the suburbs of Minnesota, he also noted that Judaism’s focus on tradition is interwoven into his work.

“There’s a deep sense of continuity and memory—the idea of honoring where you come from,” he shared. “That belief in storytelling is central to how I think about design.”

And just as the people in the home tell a story, the pieces inside do, too.

“Surround yourself with what you truly love,” Berkus emphasized. “Choose things with a story — objects that remind you of a certain place, or special memory.”

However, every person’s story looks different. For Berkus, home today means “Jeremiah, Poppy and Oskar. Full stop, the end.” Today, family defines his story, and as a dad, he’s had to “lean into the more practical side of design” in the process. That means making sure their home suits their family rather than simply fitting their family inside a space—something many can relate to.

One example he shared is how although his kids understand the basics, such as how “they need to respect the furniture,” he added that he and Brent give them a sense of agency in their space much like their designer dads. “Poppy loves bright pink,” he noted, “and Oskar has very specific ideas about what wallpaper he wants in his bedroom.”

Berkus also sees travel, history, jewelry, architecture and fashion as “huge influences” on his style. Of course, he also mentioned Brent—who got his start working with Rachel Zoe and joined “Queer Eye” as the design expert in 2024—as another source of inspiration. “We’ve learned to trust the tension in our differing perspectives,” he shared—with that banter often being seen in their HGTV show, “because it usually leads to the best ideas.

To those ready to dive into the 400 heartfelt pages of his latest release full of beautiful imagery, design advice and personal stories, Berkus believes every reader will find a piece that resonates with them.

“I hope it feels like an invitation — to look around their homes and see themselves reflected back,” he said. “Every object, every choice, every layer tells a story. I want readers to find themselves somewhere in these pages.”

So, while Berkus said that he’s particularly excited for “the frozen custard” on his St. Louis book tour stop—just one of seven stops in total—he’s ultimately looking forward to “an honest conversation about design, but also about life, family and the spaces that shape who we are.” 

As he put it, “Hopefully, they’ll leave inspired to see their own homes a little differently.”

Nate Berkus at St. Louis Jewish Book Festival

WHEN: 7 p.m. Dec. 6
WHERE:  Jewish Community Center’s Staenberg Family Complex, 2 Millstone Campus Drive
HOW MUCH: $45 for general admission or all-access pass
MORE INFO:  Visit stljewishbookfestival.org or call 314-442-3299