What Jeremiah Brent’s Kids Can’t Live Without

My daughter’s name is Poppy; she just turned 11. And my son’s name is Oskar; he just turned 8. Their birthdays are actually three days apart, so I’ve got two fantastic Aries at home. There’s never a dull moment. My kids are proper New Yorkers, which is such a wild thing to say, because I was always so worried about raising kids here, but it’s been the most magical thing. When I sat down to think through this list, I realized we do make such an effort to be out and in and around this city as much as possible. We’re at the Metropolitan Museum of Art at least twice a month. We had family visiting, and the kids were giving them a tour around specific things they love and wanted them to see.

The kids are obsessed in particular with all the period rooms. They can walk and be a part of the space, which may or may not be because they’re children of two decorators. My daughter always laughs at me and Nate [Berkus, Brent’s husband] and says we have no taste and no style, because if she had her way, she’d literally live like Marie Antoinette, so the Met is her opportunity to do so. Anything Egyptian: huge success, very important. They’re learning all about Egypt and mummification, so we’re always in there.

Outside of the Met,Neue Galerieis another really important museum to us. It was actually the first museum I had ever been to. We have lunch atCafe Sabarskyall the time. But you know, we do it all. We’ve donethe Color Factory, all of those things. Anything and everything you can think of, we’ve done it.

Whether they like it or not, I always have music playing. I change the playlist in the morning. The evening playlist is usually different; it’s more moody, a little edgier. Sundays we’ve got the typical Sunday-morning playlist going. For Poppy’s birthday this past year, she wanted a record player, and so every morning she’s got a little record on in there, which I think is so sweet. She’s listening to everything that you think she would: Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Chappell Roan. All the ladies are in the house; it’s really cute. I love listening to her put that record on every morning.

When I was growing up, we didn’t have a lot, but one of the things that my mother always required of us was she’d ask us to find something really beautiful no matter where we were. The camera was kind of continuing that legacy. It started when the kids were younger, because we moved here from L.A. and I wanted them to start capturing the things that they liked about the city so it started to feel like home, because it’s so big. That’s really where it began, and it’s always fascinating to see what they find and what they think is interesting and beautiful. It’s usually nature, or it’ll be a moment like kids playing with a ball or a balloon. It’s interesting to see where their eye lands. They keep all the photos. It’s a great way for us to take pictures of each other and to play and be silly. And it’s fun for their friends. We frame them and put them on the refrigerator. I always carry a couple of them in my work bag. There’s actually one in my wallet right now. They’re kind of scattered about everywhere. It makes me really happy to find them.

They started using the Paper app on myiPadbecause I sketch and draw everything for my design firm. The kids have always seen me on there, drawing and working. The Paper app is very basic, but that’s what I want. I want to feel like I could draw and it would stay somewhere. The kids have an iPad that they get basically when we travel, otherwise they’re not on it ever. But they draw on it, they sketch, they write. The newest thing is they put together these little albums with their photos. It’s super-user-friendly and really easy. I highly recommend it. There are no bells and whistles.

I never thought that I would be talking about a beef stick but, listen, they’re easy, the kids love them, they’re high protein, and they taste great. They’re just a simple snack. We have them everywhere. I like the spicy jalapeño ones, and the kids like the regular. It’s a popular snack with their friends, which is how they were introduced to us.

We have a little farm in Portugal. The boots were purely born out of necessity because it’s filthy out there and you throw them on when you go outside. We live in them. We’re usually in sweatpants and Hunter boots. Obviously, we have them in the city for when it’s raining, but for me they’re intrinsically linked to that chapter and that time at the farm. I love them all lined up. I love seeing my daughter running around the farm in a dress with Hunter boots on without a care in the world. We only wear the classic green and the pale-gray boots, but the gray are harder to find.

We also live inthese Portuguese slippers, but kid sizes aren’t always online. It’s literally like having a stuffed animal wrapped around your foot and walking around the house with them. They’re so amazing. They look like what I imagine those child slippers that are animals feel like; they’re just so comfortable.

The beauty of the farm and when we’re there is the complete contrast to the city. The kids go outside, and the only requirement is they take a walkie-talkie and check in with me as they’re running around playing in the fields. They’re out all day long, and they just have to be back before nightfall. Somehow, they always find something to do or explore or discover. They’ve got freedom there. They don’t have that kind of autonomy in the city.

As you know with kids, they grow every five minutes. I buy them a pair of jeans, and within three weeks they don’t fit. Zara has always been a go-to place for us. I have an 11-year-old daughter who’s very opinionated and clear about what she wants to wear, as she should be, and Zara always seems to be a place where she can find things she feels good in. And you don’t have to worry about breaking the bank, which is important, especially for multiple children. I had a really crazy experience where she seemed upset for some reason while getting dressed. I finally looked at her, and I was like, “What’s going on? What’s happening?” And she goes, “These clothes just don’t feel like me. None of my clothes feel like me.” And I was like,Oh my God, that is my worst nightmare. I go, “Then I’ll never pick out anything for you again if you want to do it. I wasn’t trying to tell you what to wear.” And let me tell you, oh, try as I might, influence only goes so far. I joke, but she has really cool style. She has a really interesting eye. She’s super-elegant with the way she pairs things together. It’s fun to watch her express herself that way.

I have a studio in Portugal that I work out of and paint and do pottery, and there’s a little area that we created for the kids. Poppy started painting there and she loves it. She sits there every day painting. It’s a really beautiful thing. It’s something that I didn’t anticipate, but I love having her in there. Oskar has the same easel across the same room.

We tried as hard as we could to resist. And I will tell you, I think the kids are finally coming out of it, but it’s a thing. They know which ones are fake. They know which ones are real. They’re telling me to count teeth, I’ve gotta look at this and that, but it’s cute. It reminds me of when I was growing up and had Pogs. Every generation has something. I’ll be damned if they’re not hanging from a bag or two every time we go somewhere. There was one point where someone was carrying around about four of them, and I was like, this feels a bit extensive. They are open to anything as long as they’re not fake ones. To be honest with you, they’ve gotten the majority of them as gifts, thank God. Santa Claus did bring them one each this year. I’ve not personally been subjected to sourcing and purchasing aLabubu.

The truth is, design, especially for children, is all about creating and investing in pieces that can grow with you and your family. This is a piece of furniture we’ve used everywhere. I’ve used it in adult spaces in our homes and I’ve used it in the kids’ spaces. It’s really fun. It’s flexible. It was inspired by Le Corbusier and a lot of the other designers and artists who have always had a huge impact on me creatively. I’m really proud of it. It’s one of the first things that I created for Crate & Barrel. I think it’s something that stands the test of time.

Thecollectionwas heavily inspired by my kids when they were younger and their childhood and everything I reached for I hoped I could find and need. Another crazy moment for me as a gay parent designing furniture for other people. It was a wild arc. Designing for kids, there’s a little more freedom, because it’s about color and audacity and fun and giving the eye a place to travel. Whereas with adults, it’s a bit more controlled. Adults have a tendency to be a little more prescriptive, and kids aren’t. There’s a lot of freedom to play.