Nate Berkus's Design Partner Shares What He's Taught Her
Lauren Buxbaum Gordon may have started her career as a 21-year-old intern at Nate Berkus Associates, but this was no The Devil Wears Prada situation: “He really trusted me right from the start,” she says. Proof? Just weeks later, Berkus offered her a job; then, after a year and a half, she was promoted to designer and, as Gordon says, “it has not stopped since.” After nearly two decades at NBA, most recently as design director, she was named the firm’s first partner this summer.
The daughter of antiques dealers, Gordon grew up browsing furniture markets, but she majored in political science before finding her way into design. “I loved going on those buying trips. That should’ve been a pretty good indicator,” she laughs. When she landed a job with Berkus, “I couldn’t believe I got to do this for my job,” she says. Aside from admiring “her eye for detail” and “unparalleled work ethic,” Berkus says he and Gordon “like to be around each other. We spend as much time laughing as we do discussing work.”
NEXT WAVE NOTEBOOK
The No-Fear Guide To Antiquing
Gordon’s best practices for finding, buying, and repurposing.
Where to Find the Good Stuff
1. Old Plank Gordon’s parents’ shop in Chicago “carries some of the best old cabinets and commodes.”
2. Pavilion Antiques & 20th C This Chicago spot is “the first antique store Nate introduced me to,” she says, and it’s her go-to for modern pieces.
3. Serge Castella “When I’m looking for extra-special vintage,” she shops this dealer in Girona, Spain, online.
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