Bobby Brown is Queer Eye’s interior designer and decorator. Unfortunately, we don’t really see a lot of him. The Netflix reality show primarily focuses on the other members of the team, and Bobbers is left to just fix up a room off-camera. Yeah, sometimes we see glimpses of him doing up a room or tagging along on another journey, but for the most part, Bobby is relegated to the beginning and end of an episode. As such, casual viewers may not know much about his personal life. We’re here to change that. Here is Queer Eye: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Bobby Berk.
He Grew Up In Amish Country
Despite being born in Houston, Texas, Bobby grew up primarily in the city of Mount Vernon, Missouri. Mount Vernon is a small town of just over 4,000 people and lies smack in the middle of Amish country. Bobby has briefly spoken on the show about his upbringing, stating that his parents were very religious, he carried a Bible, sung in a Christian rock band, and he rigorously attended an Assemblies of God church. As you can imagine, this scared young Bobby, as being gay was largely condemned in his social circles.
He Had A Passion For Interior Decorating At A Young Age
It’s not rare to see childhood passions turn into full-fledged careers, and Bobby has had a passion for interior decorating since a young age. While growing up in Missouri, Bobby was inspired by Michael Graves’ Target collection and quickly took an interest in interior decorating. Bobby also told Metropolis magazine that he “moved around [his] parent’s furniture when they were gone at work” in order to both experiment with space and spruce the place up. He never thought it would lead to a career, but he was wrong.
He Was Homeless
For most teenagers, life is pretty good. That was certainly not the case for ol’ Bobbers. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Bobby left home when he was just 15 years old and alternated his time between Springfield and Branson, Missouri. He remained homeless during this time and would often sleep in his car after working at a local Applebee’s. He lived this way for a few years before saying goodbye to Missouri.
He Moved Around A Lot
Following his time in Missouri, Bobby bounced around the United States. When he was 18 years old, he moved out to Colorado where he got a job at the Bombay Company. In 2003, when Bobbers was 22 years old, he moved to New York City and worked at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. It was also here that he landed a gig at Portico, which served as his first major entry into the interior furnishing and designing business. He currently resides in Los Angeles, making California his fourth home state.
He Launched His Own Store In 2006
Bobby served as creative director at Portico before it closed in 2006. Needing a new job, Bobby launched the online store Bobby Berk Home that same year. He was just 25 years old. Following the success of the online store, a few old school bricks-and-mortar locations followed, including stores in SoHo, Miami, and Atlanta. Following this, Bobby launched Bobby Berk Interiors + Design, which is headquartered in Los Angeles — hence his residence there.
He Almost Didn’t Audition For Queer Eye
Queer Eye nearly had a different interior designer. While working in Las Vegas, Bobby got a call to interview for Queer Eye. The interview seemingly went well and he was called back in for an audition. However, he almost decided against it, as he was currently in the middle of a big project with the tiling company Porcelanosa and was scheduled to fly to Spain. However, he ultimately decided to cancel his commitments (after “feeling like an a**hole”) and audition. We’re glad he did.
He’s Too Busy To Be On Queer Eye
Yes, Bobby does realize that he’s not on the show as much as the other hosts. And yes, many people have brought it up to him throughout the years. In the same Metropolis interview, Bobby stated that many people question his lack of involvement in the show. Bobby in turn says that he is too busy working on the house while the others go out and do more entertaining things with the target. He also states that watching him renovate a house wouldn’t really add anything to an episode’s story or the guest’s emotional journey.
He Does A Lot Of Pre-Planning
Some people may question how Bobby plans and renovates an entire room in just a couple of days. Well, the truth is that he doesn’t. Kind of. While Bobby does physically remodel the room in just a couple of days, he actually pre-plans his work to make the process a whole lot easier. Bobby told People that he sends a team to the subject’s house weeks in advance to get space and window measurements and a floor plan. While he doesn’t see the room itself until the day of, he has a real good idea of what he’s working with when he steps in.
He Thinks He Has The Hardest Job
Bobby, and pretty much every Queer Eye viewer, believes that he has the hardest job out of the Fab Five. During an interview with Architectural Digest, Bobby said, “All of my friends in design have been texting me saying, ‘Oh my God. You have the hardest job.’ I’m like, ‘Don’t you know it.’” He also stated that the other members of the Fab Five typically have three or four days off each week while he is often working all seven.
His Favorite Makeover Is Remi’s
Bobby has seen and worked for a lot of people, but his absolute favorite makeover is that of Remi. For those who don’t remember, Remi was the subject of the sixth episode of Season 1. Bobby told Architectural Digest that he loved Remi’s grandmother’s house and her personal yet horribly outdated design. And, as you can imagine, he loved fixing it up. He also recounts a great personal relationship between them and Remi’s mother, as they would often text each other regarding design decisions.
