BOBBY BERK

I think you could say L.A. has a bit of a cookie-cutter gay community.

I do remember when I was little - I had to have been no more than 6 - I redid my room. I talked my mom into taking me to a store, and I got, like, all coordinating blue, green, and yellow colors, and the theme was dinosaurs.

Design doesn't have to be daunting. Some people really find it challenging to take on their entire home, because they don't know their aesthetic; they don't know where they want to go.

Religion was my entire life. And then, when I came out, religion completely turned their back on me. And I've never really gotten over that.

I don't think you should follow trends for your home; things for your home are less about fashion and more about investment. So, find things you truly love and make you happy when you see them.

I like going into places that you never know what you're going to find because you can go in with no ideas and leave with thousands.

Nothing makes you feel better than when you get into a hotel bed, and the sheets feel so good. Why shouldn't you wake up like that every day? Spend money on your mattress and bedding because these things make a difference on your sleep and, ultimately, your happiness.

I love Marcel Wanders.

People don't realize that lighting can change the whole look of a place and the feel.

I'm constantly taking calls and responding to e-mails at home, and I find it best to have that little work space. And then when you're not at that little space, it's not work anymore.

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.

I love a good set of basic white dishes.

In a sea of millions of people, you really have to set yourself apart to make a statement.

I love a good monochromatic moment with doors/walls. I think it looks great!

Even if you're not ready to live at your full volume, turn it up halfway and get there.

I would be Sassy Spice.

I'm all about the highs and lows. I'm not a designer that thinks you need to spend a lot of money. You can get the look you want between thrift stores and stores like Ikea and Target.

Being in New York has definitely intensified my desire to be different and individual.

I think a man should definitely be helping in the home. There are so many places in our country where it's kind of thought to be a woman's place, and it shouldn't be.

I used to beg my mom to let me put a real bed out in forest so I could lie there and listen to the sounds of the forest while still having all the comforts of home.

The biggest cost in making a sofa is the labor/time, thus why recovering one cost almost just as much as a new one.

I have a background in counseling because I've been to a lot of therapy.

When I came out, everybody in my life that said they loved me unconditionally turned around and said, 'Never mind!'

To me, design is very personal. I'm not one of those people who is like, 'This is right, this is wrong.' You should do things that you love, not things that magazines tell you to do.

Guys should be doing laundry, doing dishes.