Bobby Berk Reveals His All-Time Favorite Design Projects in 'Queer Eye' History
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Now that Bobby Berk’s final season of Queer Eye has dropped on Netflix, we’re revisiting all of the incredible projects the designer has tackled throughout the series. Naturally, we turned to Berk himself to find out his favorite home makeovers throughout all eight seasons (which amount to a whopping 65 episodes!). As it turns out, some of the experiences he treasures the most are with people he still has a connection with to this day—many of whom happen to be featured in earlier seasons of the reality series. Ahead, find out Berk’s top three cherished moments in Queer Eye history. And make sure to rewatch each episode in honor of his bittersweet farewell.
Season 1, Episode 2
Berk’s first opportunity to redo an entire home came when the Fab Five helped Neal Reddy. While part of season one and labeled as episode two, with the title “Saving Sasquatch,” the experience came after the team had already done a few projects in Atlanta, Georgia, for the first two seasons. “It was the first time I really was like, ‘Okay, I am redoing this dude's entire home,’” Berk tells House Beautiful. “Before, we were just kind of dipping our toes.”
The home makeovers on the Queer Eye reboot were initially selected by room. Berk explains: “We still had the mindset of the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, which was Thom [Felicia] decorating a living room in an apartment. And here we were in Atlanta with these big houses, and we're like, ‘Okay, well, I can't do the living room without doing the kitchen. You can see the living room from the kitchen, and this and that.’ So a whole can of worms was opened up when we got to Atlanta, and these makeovers became way more than we ever dreamed they would be.”
Berk was able to design Reddy’s home from a relatable level. “I really did it kind of along the lines of my own personal aesthetic, which was a lot of fun,” the designer says. “We were both around the same age and both kind of into the same things.”
Reddy’s “‘90s time capsule” home, as Berk described it in the episode, was an unkept, dog-hair-covered space with various unfinished home projects throughout. Berk gave the kitchen, living room, and deck a modern update with everything from sleek, black kitchen cabinetry to proper outdoor furniture for group hangouts.
After transforming Reddy’s home, Berk remained good friends with Reddy. “Watching how the show changed his life has been one of the most rewarding things,” Berk says. “Anytime we're in the same city together, we always see each other. It's been a lifelong friendship that I'll always cherish.”
Season 3, Episode 5
Another person Berk felt especially connected to is Jess Guilbeaux, who has a similar backstory to him. She stars in the third season's fifth episode titled “Black Girl Magic.” The designer explains: “We were both adopted by our aunt and uncle. We both didn't know it until later on in life. We both had a sibling that we thought was our cousin. We both left home [around] 15. We both grew up very religious. Even though she was in Kansas [and I’m from] Missouri, same thing. We both went through a lot of the same situations in life.”
When Guilbeaux was on Queer Eye, she was renting a house with roommates in Kansas City, Missouri. The outdated interiors were somewhat furnished with ‘80s-esque furniture. Since Guilbeaux was used to moving around a lot, she didn’t have a bed frame or adequate clothing storage. Berk gave the living room, dining area, kitchen, and Guilbeaux's bedroom a homey makeover. It involved fresh coats of paint, patterned wallpapers, and proper furniture for hangouts, dinner parties, and relaxation.
“We really put a lot into that home,” Berk says. “We were lucky that her landlord was like, ‘Sure, do whatever you want.’ We don't always get that from landlords. There's been moments where we have found the most amazing heroes, and unfortunately, they're a renter, and the landlord's like, ‘Nope.’”
Today, Berk still keeps in touch with Guilbeaux. “She lives in Philly now,” he says. “So when we were filming in Philly, we hung out all the time.”
Season 4, Episode 2
Through every Queer Eye project, Berk showcases how design can be life-changing. For Wesley Hamilton’s home, featured in the episode titled “Disabled but Not Really” in season four, Berk was able to do so in an even bigger way. As a wheelchair user, Hamilton’s Kansas City, Missouri, house wasn’t serving him the best it could be. Berk was given two full weeks to completely renovate it, ripping out the kitchen and bathroom. It’s the only makeover his team was allotted a full two weeks. “We tried to, within the time limits and the budget we had, bring his home as ADA compliant as we possibly could to really make his home work for him—just like anybody else's home.”
In the kitchen, Berk installed an induction stove to help prevent burns, removed upper cabinetry, and put in lower counters. A new washer and dryer set was moved to the main floor near the living room, which was given a modern update. Other highlights included an exterior ramp, a bed with an adjustable height system, and an expanded bathroom. “The moment he rolled into the bathroom and looked at the mirror and cried, he was like, ‘This is the first time I have been able to see myself in the mirror in my own bathroom,’ because I put in an angled mirror for people who use a chair,” Berk says. “And he was just like, ‘This is life-changing,’ so that was a really beautiful moment.”
The designer adds, “Wesley is also somebody that I still, not on a regular basis, but in the last year, we've seen each other. We keep in touch.”
Love knowing what your favorite stars are up to? Same. Let’s keep up with them together.
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