Hallmark Design Pairing - The Brent-Berkus Family
Posted on March 31 2018
This week, interior design superstars Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent welcomed baby Oskar to their family. The announcement was made public when the pair posted a simple black and white photo showing their three year old daughter Poppy's little finger pointing to the her new little brother's tiny foot peeking out from a baby blanket.
Beautiful, natural...and oh so perfect.
Jeremiah Brent's Instagram post announcing the birth of the couple's son, Oskar Brent-Berkus
In my own experience, each time a new soul is added to the family, be it fur or no fur, life as you know it gets thrown out the window (even a stylish 1928 Spanish Colonial window). It was only a few years ago that these first time dads brought baby Poppy home to their super stylish New York City apartment which I am sure came with a whole set of adjustments. (See our 2015 blog post Hold Up Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent...Fusion Gates to the Rescue!).
Poppy Brent-Berkus with her dads, Nate Berkus & Jeremiah Brent Photo: Jeremiah Brent Facebook
Now with two little ones, their sweet dog Tucker and a gorgeous new LA home, Brent and Berkus need to set new boundaries to stay one step ahead of all the excitement. Did I mention the two bunnies, two turtles and pond of coy fish?! This dynamic design duo, best known for creating beautiful, harmonious living spaces, will need to find baby & pet gates to keep their loved ones safe while maintaining the ease and aesthetic harmony built into the beautiful home they share.
Nate & Jeremiah in the foyer and their dog Tucker. Video snapshot: Architectural Digest Dec. 7, 2017
Poppy Brent-Berkus and her rabbits, Harvey and Swiggens, Photograph: Douglass Friedman from Architectural Digest Article touring the Brent-Berkus LA home
We'll also show you our best guess as to how Nate and Jeremiah might approach the design of little Oskar's new nursery, a space the superstitious Berkus wanted to wait to create till after the baby was born.
Let's get started in the atrium...
The atrium paired with our black framed Fusion Gate with the Willow Branch art screen. Room photograph: Douglass Friedman from Architectural Digest Article touring the Brent-Berkus LA home
It's well known that both these designers like to stick to a simple and natural palette: black, gray, tan and lots of white as used in this first room, the atrium. Here we've paired the space with our Willow Branch design celebrating the earthy feel of this transition space and adjoining rooms.
Brent and Poppy in their black, white & beautiful-all-over kitchen paired with our Fusion Gate and Tellis art screen. Kitchen Photo: Douglass Friedman from Architectural Digest Article touring the Brent-Berkus LA home. Gate photo: Holly Werner Images
The kitchen was one of the spaces that sold the couple on their new Hancock Park home. Both Nate and Jeremiah agreed that little renovation had to be done to this beautiful black & white kitchen. We matched the room with a black framed baby & dog gate featuring our original Trellis design complimenting both the timeless and masculine features throughout this very special gathering space.
Nate Berkus and daughter Poppy taking in some literature in their gallery/library. Room photo: Douglass Friedman from Architectural Digest Article touring the Brent-Berkus LA home. Gate photo: Holly Werner Images
In researching Berkus, we find a very controlled and calculating artist. Designing a room that looks effortless takes a lot of effort. All things must connect. It's the "connection" that makes it beautiful. With this idea in mind, we paired their library/gallery with our new Linear Lace design. This interconnecting image mimics the stunning honey-combed detailed ceiling. We thought a safety gate in this room would be best in a white pearl frame to match the substantial 19th Century Italian bookcase.
Poppy Brent-Berkus bedroom paired with our white pearl baby gate with our Greek Key art screen. Room photo: Douglass Friedman from Architectural Digest Article touring the Brent-Berkus LA home. Gate photo: Holly Werner Images
When it came time to decorating Poppy's bedroom, the boys did their best to keep her large, hot pink toys out and limited to her playroom. The neutral colors bring together the variety of rich textures and diverse patterns. The stone/wood layering design along with artwork and sweet accessories gives Poppy just the right amount of stimulation to keep her mind clear and imagination flowing. Poppy might really appreciate a simple boundary to gently communicate to her new little brother Oskar that this room and its contents are off limits.
The two Brent-Berkus kids will share the playroom however...note the only room in the house where color is less controlled and free to go its wild way. We chose our Songbirds art screen for this room to celebrate and symbolize the the room's carefree attitude.
The childrens' colorful playroom paired with our Songbirds Fusion Gate. Gate photo: Holly Werner Images
Oskar will have his own space. But what will that look like?
In a recent People magazine article Nate Berkus revealed that he is a bit superstitious when it comes to decorating a nursery before the baby arrives. However, he gave us this hint:
“But it’ll be, I think, a masculine version of our daughter's room. It’ll probably be brown, tan, gray, black and white. That’s our guess.”- Nate Berkus, People Magazine
So if Berkus gets his way we're guessing "Tribal" all the way:
Samples from Nate Berkus' Shade Collection and our Fusion Gates baby gate framed in white pearl featuring our new Chevron Trail in Black art screen. Gate photo: Holly Werner Images
Jeremiah Brent wouldn't be opposed to a tribal-themed room as long as it followed his three basic rules for designing:
“My three design go-to's: Neutral colors, natrual elements, interesting textures.”
- Jeremiah Brent
If it was up to Brent alone we're guessing he'd go with a more Salt-of-the-Earth vibe:
Jeremiah Brent's design board found @jeremiahbrent on Instagram paired with our Willow Branch art screen framed in a white pearl Fusion Gate. Gate photo: Holly Werner Images
Either way Oskar, like his sister Poppy, is going to be in an atmosphere of love and groundedness. Now THAT is a real home.
Good luck guys. We know you're going to continue to be great parents and true inspirations to us all!
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