Traveling Through with David Prior · Thursday, July 16, 2026
Nate Berkus shared his formative experiences in Paris at age seventeen, where he was fascinated by the blend of modern life within an ancient setting. He found inspiration in the city's architectural history and the contrast between different design movements.
“I think what it meant was that at seventeen, I was old enough to have this awareness of modern life happening in an ancient place, and in American interior design.”
“And I think that that was really formative for me. I was an intern at a costume jewelry designer. Her name is Dominique Orienttie. I lived with a family in the sixteenth Roundismont in this grand old apartment which wasn't particularly well furnished, but you know, it didn't matter.”
“It was this option that I discovered of being able to live with history in such a tangible way, and that never left me.”