At Home with Jeremiah Brent
By now Jeremiah Brent’s face is probably as familiar to you as his designs. After all he is the beautiful man behind a beautifully designed world he’s created from scratch. He is also part of a powerful pack – his family – with husband and fellow interior design gawd Nate Berkus and their children Poppy and Oskar. Jeremiah’s success is a mix of talent and his ability to trust in himself enough to take the leaps needed to achieve new heights. And there is no doubt when you look at his path that he’s definitely leapt onto a level of success most people can only dream to reach. So take it from this family man with an impeccable eye for creating a home you want to live in – follow your passion, be grateful and never stop believing in what you can be! Keep reading to join our conversation with the imitable Jeremiah Brent.
MFP: You started your design career at a very young age and have had experience from hospitality design to high-end celebrity clients, what was your journey like and what did you learn along the way?
Jeremiah: My biggest lesson was learning to believe in myself. No one will believe in you unless you do. Bet on yourself, I took a leap of faith and followed my passion in design. I started at the bottom. My office was my living room and, as silly as it sounds now, I printed out a decal that said “Jeremiah Brent Designs” and stuck it on the wall. Strangely, that’s one of my fondest memories of my career beginnings.
We know that you always like to incorporate an emotional value to your design process, can you walk us through why you think it’s important and plays such a huge part in your philosophy in design?
Emotional connection is so important in the design process to me. I always ask my clients “What does home mean to you?”-- I think our lives are shaped around the moments that we cherish in each space. I want to design something that is based around that kind of connection, to make a home out of that feeling. You can design a beautiful house, but you have to dig much deeper to create a space that you feel is “your home” and that’s unique to everyone.
You always talk about the importance of “rituals" and “ceremonies”— can you explain what that means to you?
Rituals and ceremonies define who we are and tell our stories. It’s what we gravitate toward and what comforts us the most. They require a specific setting, an ambiance and a feeling of peace. I build my design philosophy around that. My ritual is waking up really early every morning and going to one specific corner of our home to meditate. I do this everyday. It’s a reset button, I use this time to evaluate and realign myself. It helps me find a balance and show gratitude for where I am in life. That, and Sunday pancakes with my daughter.
Tell us about your beautiful debut collection for Living Spaces. What was the creative process for you and Nate?
This collection is basically our third baby! We’re so in love with it. Nate and I really put our souls into this because we pulled inspiration from the places we’ve traveled, the things we’ve collected along the way. We believe that everyone deserves to live beautifully. We were committed to making this collection timeless, elegant and affordable. Believe it or not, the biggest inspiration for the collection is our home that we’ve built together here in Los Angeles.
What are some of your most recent obsessions in design?
I’m not a big believer in trends. I love mixing and matching, marrying old and the new. Finding a balance in design to tell your story. I love finding timeless pieces that will transition through time and place, that’s my obsession.
It sounds like you have some very exciting news for the upcoming year. What’s next for Jeremiah Brent?
It definitely has been a crazy year and it’s just going to get even crazier! In the best possible way and in all aspects. There’s a lot going on, you’ll have to follow along to find out!
Since we are a fashion magazine we must ask, what are some of JB’s all-time favorites when it comes to fashion and designers? How do you always look so good?
Saint Laurent. All day, everyday, and everything. I also love the shoes from Robert Clergerie, everything by Sandro. And I don’t know if I “look good” per se... (laughs). Most of the time I look like a hipster bank robber, but thank you very much!
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If you’re looking to bring a little of Jeremiah and Nate’s casual luxury into your own home, we’d recommend scrolling through their perfectly priced pieces now available at Living Spaces … because like Jeremiah says everyone deserves to live beautifully so go do that!
