Sitting With… Bobby Berk
You may recognize designer Bobby Berk from his appearances on HGTV, but make no mistake, he is no mere television personality. Starting in retail and rising his way through the ranks, Bobby has been running his own design brand, Bobby Berk Home since 2006. Representing a hip, minimalist aesthetic he’s quickly becoming a household name. Reflecting a youthful spirit, his designs perfectly fit into stylish, relaxed lifestyles. His products are featured around the globe, and we’re thrilled to carry his wallpaper collection. Bobby recently took some time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions for us.
Who is your favorite designer?
I love Marcel Wanders.
What inspires you to come up with your designs?
Inspiration can really strike from anywhere. A great example is the Sherwin Williams paint color I snapped with the Sherwin Williams color app off a photo of an old, dilapidated building in downtown Los Angeles. I was walking one day and noticed this great color on the side of a building that was a really beautiful, kind of dusty, subdued pink tone that I had been looking for! I was thinking before even seeing it, that a similar pink would be perfect for our new office and some of our new colorways such as my wallpapers with Tempaper. I grabbed the color off a photo I took on my phone and have used it so many times!
You teamed up with Tempaper to design some fun wallpapers. Any tips for choosing the right wallpaper for your space?
I tend to lean toward a more minimal aesthetic, so when I use wallpapers in my interiors, I like for one or two prints to be the star of the show. I would recommend being careful in your use of strong prints, so the room doesn’t get too busy. Use one print that dominates, and one as an accent. You can also mix prints that have different scales for a contrast. Also remember to keep them in the same color family, so your prints should usually share at least one color.
What is your favorite room of the home to design for?
I love designing great rooms, dens and living spaces. I got my start in retail, and carried a lot of great sofas, lounge chairs and casegoods. I’ve always loved great upholstery, and think that a great sofa is one of the most important pieces of furniture in your home. It’s where you spend the most time relaxing and entertaining, so naturally I gravitate toward these spaces, but it’s all a pleasure really!
You started out designing in the mid-century modern aesthetic — what do you think it is about designs from that time that make it so appealing?
I’m drawn to masculine forms with clean lines and really contemporary, sleek spaces. I think the streamlined simplicity of the mid-century aesthetic is a sort of an expression of my values and how I’d like my life to be. Simple, straightforward, and minimally complicated. Life throws us curves of course, but I find peace and calm among all the crazy within the aesthetic I’ve created for myself. I like to share that with others.
Why did you decide to name a lot of your pieces after television characters?
It wasn’t an entirely new idea to use a themed naming convention for a collection, but I chose characters from shows, because these were the shows I grew up watching reruns of, such as Laverne and Shirley, Cagney and Lacey, and Tabitha. Many of these shows featured strong female characters that pushed the envelope and redefined women in popular culture and revolutionized television. I’ve always admired strong women!
Do you think your background in retail gives you an advantage in the design world? I imagine having to deal with customers might have given you some insight into what people are looking for.
I think having a background in retail has given me many advantages. For one, I have a lot of exposure to different brands from my years shopping the trade shows for stuff for the stores. It allowed me to become familiar with a lot of vendors, and establish personal relationships with these companies and their people. It makes sourcing my current design projects a lot easier. Secondly, I have developed my own collections, so I know how manufacturing works, and this has given me a unique three-fold perspective as product designer, retailer, and designer.
How do you think the millennial aesthetic differs from some previous generations’?
I think millennials have a keener eye for design, because of their access to imagery through social media, Pinterest and the internet in general. We take those things for granted now, but there wasn’t always this window into the world of so many amazing interiors. I also think access to information informs all of the millennial buyer’s decisions. Working in the retail market, you realize that the customer is so savvy these days, and they will always look for the best deals. I think this generally affects their purchases in that they tend to settle on things that are more affordable. They don’t feel as committed to a purchase, as they have the attitude that things can always be swapped out or changed later. This wasn’t the case with previous generations. A choice about decorating was a fairly permanent decision. Aesthetically, I think it’s a mixed bag. Millennials love all types of design, and the market doesn’t seem to be particularly dominated by any one style.
Which do you prefer doing, product design or interior design?
Can’t I answer BOTH? Interior design projects are so fun, because you really get to flex your creativity and bring this fantasy in your head about new possibilities for how to live, and how to help others live, to life. There’s less of a direct relationship as a product designer, as you’re not working directly with the end user of your work as you are with a design client. But today, you see your products being shared online, and Instagram and Facebook users are posting pictures of your products and using them in different ways. That feels very personal and emotional too, so it’s all very rewarding!
How important is creating eco-friendly products to you?
Look, we have one planet and that’s it. It’s a no brainer that we need to strive to take care of it from wherever we stand and whatever we do. It’s our responsibility in this industry to be good stewards of the environment and make wise decisions based on our own ethical obligation as designers to spec products that are green wherever possible. I definitely try to do that where I can.
What do you think the future of furniture design looks like?
I think tech being incorporated into products for the home is already happening and will continue to happen. I think we’ll develop new materials, and greener alternatives to traditional materials and fabrication methods. And I think we’ll keep remixing all of the old stuff that’s never really going to go away! If it ‘ain’t broke, don’t fix it! I think some stuff will just be forever classic.
What do you think is the most overlooked space in the home, in terms of design/decorating?
One of the spaces that I think is the most overlooked are transitional spaces like hallways. Also closets. I love a cool hallway with either a nice printed wallpaper, or a gallery wall or sculptural wall décor. You can catch a glimpse from multiple rooms of the hallway and you get that special surprise every time. The spaces are small enough that you can get away with something funky, as it won’t overpower the space. Closets just need to be considered more than they usually are. Everyone needs lots of storage! The only way to pull off a contemporary aesthetic is for things to be clean, organized, and a space for everything to be stored!
You’ve designs a line of pet beds and bowls — are you a dog or cat person?
I am traditionally a dog person, but I travel way too much to have a pet. I wouldn’t want to have a dog at a stage in life where I can’t be home enough to be a good doggy daddy. I love all pets though, so cats are welcome too!
What’s your favorite piece that you’ve designed?
I’m really excited about some of my new bedding designs that will be coming out soon, but you’ll have to wait to see, as I can’t share yet! They coordinate with many of my new wallpaper prints.
Thank you Bobby for taking the time to answer our questions. We know you’re super busy! We can’t wait to see what you design next.
