Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent Redesign their New York City Home

Table of Content

• Nate Berkus Associates
• Shop Nate Berkus
• "I didn't want my experience in the tsunami to deprive our family," the designer explains in the October issue of Elle Decor
• Lov Footed Dish by Montana Labelle Lifestyle
• Nate Berkus & Jeremiah Buy Back Former NYC Penthouse They Sold in 2015: 'It Was Always Home'
• They have an open floor layout centering around their kitchen

In Architectural Digest's October cover story, the HGTV stars show off their newly designed NYC apartment — a place they called home once before. The couple collaborated on the renovation and design of the contemporary property, and took a carefree approach to the decorating process. Berkus and Brent, who have two small children, Poppy and Oskar, bought the 1899 townhouse in 2019 for $9.75 million, according to property records. The gut-renovated townhouse, which has been featured in Architectural Digest, is at 66 Charles St. Nate and Jeremiah have designed a new collection of habitats, furniture and accessories for PetSmart.

Nowhere is that more apparent than in his dressing room, superbly appointed with painted floor-to-ceiling cabinets custom made to contain every element of his stylish wardrobe. When plotting their return to New York City the AD100 talents tried contacting the original Fifth Avenue buyers to see if they might possibly be interested in selling. Berkus, who describes himself as someone who philosophically “doesn’t hold on to real estate,” was at peace. Yet here we are, back where it all started, where the designers lived together when they first began their lives as a couple, before their marriage, before their kids. Because their space is so small, the designers added chicken wire to the doors of their top cabinets, revealing their organized dishes and housewares.

Nate Berkus Associates

In all his homes, he has kept trinkets from his travels, picture frames and family photos, and collectible prints from his former partner Fernando Bengoechea. Because the home has an industrial feel and a clear railing, adding a natural bookcase was the couple's way of warming up the central living room while also providing a space for their cherished trinkets. Both Brent and Berkus have an extensive collection of design books showcased on the warm oak shelves. Brent tells Marie Clairethe books are special to him because he and Berkus stayed up until four in the morning on one of their first dates talking about them. The 30-foot bookcase also holds a variety of pictures, which Berkus told Architectural Digest are equally as near-and-dear to them. "I didn't want to live without those picture frames — they've been in every home I've lived in for the past 15 years."

The home feels luxe yet cozy — something the designers say it did not convey when they first bought it. They worked together to add their own flair and "gave it some soul again," says Brent. The design experts, who began dating and started their life together in New York, say they decided to move West after Berkus's father died, to be closer to his family in Southern California. "One thing I can promise you is that I will never again tell a publication that a house is my 'forever home," Berkus, 48, says, in a story about their newest place, a West Village townhouse, in the magazine's May issue. Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent, married designers with two children, are all about the heart of a home.

Shop Nate Berkus

You see, despite all of their success and accolades, there are zero egos with them, none of the typical celebrity fanfare, and definitely no air kisses. Berkus and Brent are as genuine as they come, with big hearts, and when you greet them, even bigger bear hugs. They are generous with their time and value soulful connections over frivolous small talk.

He slipped a note under the door of their downstairs neighbour, who was willing to sell only if the couple find them an apartment in the building to buy—which Brent promptly did, searching floor by floor until all the pieces fell into place. "It's a blend of his modernity and rule breaking, with my sort of traditionalism and crazy auction-house encyclopedic furniture history that lives in my brain," he says. The couple decided to sell their Big Apple townhouse — for a reported $13.5 million last August — and make an offer on their old home.

"I didn't want my experience in the tsunami to deprive our family," the designer explains in the October issue of Elle Decor

"Both of us don't believe in buying nursery furniture," Berkus said during the home tour, which led them to find more unique pieces for the little one's room. For example, rather than buying him a child-size dresser, they instead had rods put inside an existing armoire to match the size of his clothes. The room is also filled with gifts from their friends, like a painting painted by Michael Hainey and Fernando's photographs. Mimicking their Los Angeles home, which per Architectural Digest had black marble with gold finishes, the duo's New York townhouse is centered around a white Calacatta marble backsplash, custom hood, and countertops with brass finishes.

Since 2017, Berkus has co-hosted the TLC reality design series Nate & Jeremiah by Design, alongside his husband Jeremiah Brent. They did so using decor that has stayed with the family from New York to L.A. And back again — including some picture frames that Berkus says have been in every home he has lived in for the past 15 years. "Our old living room had 30 pieces of furniture," Berkus explains. Looking around the house, you can also quickly decipher that they're both fairly color-averse, erring on the side ofneutrals with a hint of greige .Regarding color preferences, Berkus skews darker and moodier while Brent generally skews lighter and brighter.

The family of four split their time between the Montauk beach house and the West Village townhouse throughout the pandemic. There’s also a double-height white oak book case which had to be bolted to an exterior wall, along with a full-floor main bedroom, a wine cellar, a sweeping staircase and a roof garden. In early 2014, they were featured in clothier Banana Republic's "True Outfitters" ads in InStyle and Rolling Stone, among other magazines. The New York Times noted they were the first same-sex couple to be featured in ads for the magazines. Their Manhattan apartment was featured in the September 2015 issue of Architectural Digest magazine, where Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent appeared on the cover with their daughter Poppy.

In the adjoining bath, two sinks equipped with bronze fittings sit against a book-matched marble slab wall. The spacious closet includes custom shelving to fit the couple's wardrobe — and Berkus's exacting organization. The dining room is equally as impressive with its mirrored wall and antique pendant light.

Nate Berkus & Jeremiah Buy Back Former NYC Penthouse They Sold in 2015: 'It Was Always Home'

They are madly in love with each other and their children, and it's humbling to be in the company of two people who seem to have nothing to hide, who aren't afraid to stand in their true selves and ditch their glossy identities to bare it all for the world to see. That old air travel adage to put your own oxygen mask on first really rings true for Berkus. "I love that. I will maintain my own sense of self first so that I can be present and contribute in the way that I know I'm capable of." Putting yourself first also applies to their relationship and parenting style. "Our relationship is what everything in this house is born from," he tells me. "If we're good, we're getting along, and we're open with one another and vulnerable with one another, the whole house runs beautifully." Berkus admits that he's better at finding that quote-unquote alone time than his husband.

Their love is spellbinding and it certainly captured the entire MyDomaine crew. “I am surrounded by memories of what I’ve done, where I’ve been, and whom I’ve loved,” Berkus says. Nate Berkus in the dining room of his Manhattan duplex, in front of a custom-designed bookcase by Carlos Huber. It also features unique touches like driftwood repurposed as beams. The gated home includes a pool, a pool house, a sauna and even a chicken coop. The modern residence comes with koi ponds, a stone mosaic fireplace and a paint-splattered living room.

With so many lighting options, it can be intimidating for people to pick the best one for their spaces. According to MyMove, people's biggest mistake is assuming overhead lighting is their only option to put a room together. While interior designers will tell you that lighting is best when done in layers. It's essential to have an ambient or general light, an accent light, and task lighting, which is used when completing a particular task, such as a desk lamp. This will create different light levels, creating a cozier aesthetic.

In an earlier video with Architectural Digest highlighting their previous Manhattan house, Brent comments on how he adapted to Berkus' tidy organization style and has loved doing it. Even though the designer couple's space isn't very large, they make use of their open floor plan to provide plenty of seating for friends and family to gather. It was important to Brent that the kitchen was the focal point of the entire house. According to him, it's the heart of the home and the place where his kids and friends like to gather the most. In their children's rooms, the designer couple plays with colorful wallpaper that mimics natural elements and bold colors.

The photogenic first couple of TV home makeovers had originally moved West following the death of Berkus’s father in 2015. Berkus, who was born in Orange County but mostly raised in suburban Minneapolis, wanted to be closer to his siblings out in Southern California. During their time there, they filmed three seasons of their show, welcomed the birth of baby Oskar , and continued to grow their separate design businesses. (Berkus’s headquarters have always been based in Chicago; Brent kept his New York practice going, and also opened a Los Angeles office.) But almost immediately, Brent missed the energy and street life back East.

Avid fans of the designers may know that the couple likes to work with metal details throughout their projects. Throughout their Manhattan apartment, the couple has incorporated gold and brass details. For example, you can find custom-built brass faucets in the kitchen and bathroom. You can also find brass cabinet knobs and brass stove features in the kitchen. In the kitchen, the walls’ subway tiles were removed, the black cabinetry is now white, and the butcher block on the countertops and the brass wrapping the island have been replaced with Calacatta Paonazzo marble. And while the public rooms are bathed in creamy neutrals that allow the architectural details and furniture to star, the bedrooms feature bold wallpapers that cocoon their inhabitants.