Designer Nate Berkus Talks Travel Inspiration—and Reveals the Limited-edition Scotch He’ll Be Sipping Until It’s Gone

As you search for special spirits to toast the holiday season and ring in the new year, interior designer Nate Berkus has the inspiration you’re looking for.

Oban, a whisky distillery in a tiny Scotland seaside town of the same name, introduced its limited-edition Single Malt Scotch at a Los Angeles event hosted by the tastemaker earlier this year, and the limited-edition bottles of Oban 15 Cask Strength Sherry Cask Finish are still available. Finished for more than four years in Andalusian Oloroso and Palo Cortado Sherry casks, the taste is reminiscent of sweet dried fruits, citrus, combined with “Oban’s signature maritime salinity.”

Oban’s heritage and dedication to quality match the appreciation Berkus has for craftsmanship and tradition, inspiring the noted designer to celebrate both the whisky and the historic distillery, founded in 1794.

A bottle of the Oban 15 Cask Strength Sherry Cask Finish.

Diageo

“It’s such an interesting partnership because it’s about heritage: small batch, well-crafted,” Berkus told Travel + Leisure. “Coming from an interiors perspective, the spaces that I create are spaces that I hope stand the test of time and allow for the making of memories as a family. Oban 15 Cask Strength Sherry Cask Finish and the launch of this limited edition bottle feels in line with that. It’s a respect for history and heritage, for doing things slowly and with care.”

We spoke to Berkus about the ways he’s been inspired by both Oban and his travels.

T+L: How does your design philosophy relate to a 200-year old distillery in a tiny Scotland town?

NB: “I love this question. I’ve spent the last 30 years hunting down who makes the best of everything—whether it’s velvet made on looms in Venice from the 18th century, and then making that fabric into pillows for a New York City apartment to looking at auctions of old Scottish cut glass or beautifully woven textiles from South America. The idea of craft—whether it’s a basket from a flea market in Mexico or it’s an 18th-century single malt scotch whisky—they’re the same for me. I’m always fascinated by the romantic notion of Oban—the town—and the fact that this is one of Europe’s oldest and smallest distilleries. I would like to think the thoughtfulness I bring to crafting an interior comes close to what the seven people who work at the distillery bring to crafting their product every day.”

T+L: How does travel influence your designs? Are there any parts of the world that have special inspiration for you?

NB: “There are areas that provide constant inspiration for me—obviously Europe—because of the age, legacy, history, and architecture. Part of my job is to take the pattern of a marble floor in a cathedral and turn it into a duvet cover. For me, travel has always been about understanding what’s truly representative of a culture.

Nate Berkus

Part of my job is to take the pattern of a marble floor in a cathedral and turn it into a duvet cover. For me, travel has always been about understanding what’s truly representative of a culture.

— Nate Berkus

In Scotland, single malt scotch whiskies from distilleries like Oban are the fabric of the town. It’s the industry where skilled craftspeople can really shine. In Peru, it’s hand-woven textiles and vegetable-dyed rugs. In Mexico, it’s pottery, textiles, and food. I think for a curious person like myself, it’s almost like I feel a responsibility to figure out what is made there—what the people use, enjoy, and love. What are the objects, whether it’s furniture, decorations, food, or whisky, that bring people together culturally.”

T+L: Where do you and your husband travel for pleasure?

NB: “We’re really connected to Portugal. We’re working on restoring an 18th-century farm right now, and we’re so excited about it.”

Do you take your children for family vacations? Any favorite places?

NB: “Our kids have traveled the world, and they’re 10 and seven years old. I think it’s one of the most beautiful gifts you can give a child—to experience other cultures and to grow up hearing other languages.”