Nate Berkus & Jeremiah Brent
Nate Berkus and his fiancée, Jeremiah Brent, are the sort of dear, like-minded friends who provide me with inspiration, support, and a healthy dose of laughter. Our friendship is based on a shared appreciation of beautiful, elevated design.
As you can imagine, when we get together, there is A LOT of design talk. We talk decor, resources, personal projects. There’s a lot of, “Ooohh where did you get that?!?” and “I hate that I don’t have that!” We swoon pretty hard for one another. When you throw their dog, Tucker, and my son, Jivan, into the mix, it turns into a full-fledged party, packed with reckless shenanigans—like a Nerf war that in hindsight, I probably should have put an end to. Apologies for the bruises, Nate!
We often talk about the fine art of balancing our busy lives—something both Nate and Jeremiah are familiar with. In addition to heading his Chicago-based design firm, Nate Berkus Associates, Nate continues to manage his line of home goods at Target, and is launching a new design show, American Dream Builders on NBC. Jeremiah also has his hands full running Jeremiah Brent Design, a full-service interior design firm with offices in Los Angeles and New York.
I recently stayed at the boys’ home in the Hollywood Hills for the first time and was blown away by their gorgeous 1930s bungalow nestled among fragrant lemon trees, towering cypress, and vibrant bougainvillea. Their home and its embracing landscape made me feel like I was on perpetual holiday.
The bungalow—their first home together as a couple—is unique and ridiculously chic. Light filters in from every angle of their U-shaped living room; art-deco alcoves are painted black, a bold and brilliant design choice; and a window above the fireplace exposes the vista to the pool and garden. Nate and Jeremiah decided to keep the interior simple and stuck with their signature palette of blacks, whites, and camel—a perfect palette to highlight the personal touches and thoughtfully curated objects that express who they are as individuals, and who they’ve become as a couple.
As if designing the LA home together wasn’t enough, the couple have a big year ahead of them, with a wedding on the horizon, and Nate’s show, American Dream Builders, slated to air this Sunday, March 23rd, on NBC. Nate serves as the executive producer, host, and judge. The show gives twelve experts in their field two homes a week to renovate and design from the ground up. Nate wanted to shift the focus of the show from the usual “quickie design on a budget” model to one of quality design. He spared no expense, giving the designers the best materials to create swoon-worthy designs.
Oh, and did I mention that these two are currently in the thick of tackling a major renovation of their new NYC duplex? If it’s anything like their Hollywood Hills home, it will be a warm space full of mindful details and sophisticated ease. I am so inspired by what these two have created in their shared lives and spaces. The time I spend with them is purely playful, kooky, sometimes even sarcastic, and it reinforces the importance of having friends that serve as sounding boards, mentors, and the best Nerf war soldiers a girl could ask for.
Starburst Wall Decor
