Last week, the 20-person firm Nate Berkus & Associates announced the promotion of its longtime design director, Lauren Buxbaum Gordon, to partner. Gordon, who joined the firm 17 years ago as an intern, says her 21-year-old self wouldn’t have been all that shocked at the job title in her cards—after all, she earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and an interior design degree from the Harrington Institute of Interior Design. But what would have thrown her for a loop: "How much I actually love my job and how it truly feels like what I am meant to do," she says.
Prior to joining Berkus’s AD100 firm, the designer had even tossed around the idea of pursuing a career in law. But present-day Gordon calls the promotion "a full-circle moment" that stems back to when she took an internship with Berkus at age 21. "It was right before he had started on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and watching his career skyrocket has been surreal," she says. "I’m beyond grateful that in the midst of all of that, he took me under his wing, taught me everything he knew, and then trusted me to become a designer at a really young age."
For Berkus, the promotion was a natural next step. "[Naming Lauren partner] wasn’t really even a decision," he says. “We’ve basically grown up together.” Tenure aside, Gordon’s proven herself a force in her own right, leading both the day-to-day operations at the firm’s Chicago headquarters, and the charge on high-profile projects around the globe—including those at the homes of Karlie Kloss and Katie Lee, plus a roster of clients "so private I’ll take their names to the grave," she says.
AD PRO spoke with Gordon about the biggest lessons she’s learned from Berkus, the projects on the firm’s horizon, and what she expects from her new role.
AD PRO: What does your daily work life look like?
Lauren Buxbaum Gordon: I honestly never know what my day will bring. Some days I think I’ll be at my desk searching for coveted antiques and unique finds, but instead I’m running to job sites, meeting with my team, reviewing drawings, selecting finishes…monotony is never a concern.
AD PRO: How does your design sensibility align with Nate's?
LBG: Nate is the only designer on this planet that I would allow blindly and completely to decorate my own home for me. Every time he moves and I get a tour of his new place, I tell him I could move right in. Nate and I love to collect, layer, style, and push creative boundaries. We are always sourcing and sharing vintage finds to keep our projects as unique and thoughtful as possible. The treasure hunt is one of our favorite parts, and we’ve shopped all over the country together.
AD PRO: What are some of the key things you've learned about design from working with Nate?
LBG: Above the ability to style, understand scale, and [make] interesting layouts, he taught me the importance of creating not just a beautiful room, but those that are truly personal. Each time we present to a client or do an installation together, I learn something new from him. He also set the bar for the level of service we provide clients, and every year my team and I come up with ways to raise it.
AD PRO: Are there particular projects you're most proud of? Any interesting ones coming down the line?
LBG: Aesthetics aside, I’m always amazed by the passion, thoughtfulness, and organization required to make a successful installation happen. It’s truly thanks to a team effort, and the whole creative process that we learned from Nate. As for projects coming up, we’re working on a fun house for a young family in Minnesota as well as a condo on the Upper East Side of Manhattan for a close college friend—both of those projects feel extra personal to me. Additionally, my family is making the move to the suburbs in the coming weeks, and to say [the move] was a labor of love would be the understatement of the century.
AD PRO: How has the firm grown since you started there 17 years ago?
LBG: While Nate’s energy and creative spirit have always been prevalent, those are about the only things that have remained the same. Not only have we grown in numbers, but our behind-the-scenes process changed dramatically from the number of resources we have to the level of organization. We are very proud of the system we have in place, as it took many years of trial and error and fine-tuning.
AD PRO: Do you expect your role to change at all?
LBG: Not really. Nate has always treated me as an equal and has given me the freedom to lead the company in a way that I feel both helps foster growth and create a happy company culture.
