The Truth About Nate Berkus And Jeremiah Brent's Relationship

Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent are the ultimate designing duo. By day, they work as colleagues creating — and living in — the most beautiful spaces and by — well, every single other moment — they spend their lives as a married couple. "As a young gay man I didn't think a story like ours could exist," Brent admitted to Showbiz CheatSheet, and this designer duo has a love story like no other.

Berkus and Brent have been together ever since 2012, and their lives have not been the same since (via Us Weekly). Two kids and two television shows later, this designer duo has become more in-demand than ever — and they're loving every moment of their time together. "I knew that Jeremiah was somebody that I would be able to really build a beautiful life with," Berkus told People.

Through the hustle and bustle and all the ups and downs, this is the truth about Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent's relationship.

Long before these designers ever locked eyes, Nate Berkus was an admirer of his soon-to-be boyfriend. "I used to watch my husband, Jeremiah Brent, on The Rachel Zoe Project," he admitted to Us Weekly. "And I wish I had hair as perfect as his."

Brent began his career as an assistant to the famous fashion designer Rachel Zoe. Her reality series, The Rachel Zoe Project, drew attention to Brent and catapulted his career. "Rachel was one of the first people that truly believed in my ability as a designer and encouraged me to follow my true passion and see it through," Brent said on his website — and he doesn't mean his passion for fashion. 

After two years on her series, Brent realized he was meant to design something different — cue his career in interior design. "There was a moment when I thought, 'What's the point of this? Why did I start working here? Why am I in fashion?'" he told A Drink With. From haute couture to houses, Brent saw it was a blessing in disguise. "The truth is I met my husband because of that."

Even though Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent both have worked for the iconic Oprah Winfrey, that wasn't where the two first found each other. As fate would have it, fashion designer Rachel Zoe was the one who introduced Berkus and Brent. While Brent was still working for her, "She said, 'Oh, I have this friend. You guys would love each other,'" he explained on his YouTube page. "But, you know, he's in a relationship."

Even so, the two quickly became friends, and before you know it — well, nearly three years later — they both found themselves single once again. While Brent was on a brief trip to New York, he ran into Berkus at a birthday party (via Showbiz CheatSheet). It was then that they decided they should start spending more time together. "We had heard so much about each other," Berkus told People, so meeting up only seemed to make sense. "We made plans, and we've been together ever since," he said.

Out of all the things that a couple could do on a first date, antique shopping doesn't necessarily come to many people's minds. However, it definitely makes sense if your day-to-day regularly consists of designing homes — like the in-demand interior designer Nate Berkus. 

When he asked Jeremiah Brent to go shopping with him, the two definitely weren't on the same page. Brent wasn't so thrilled about it — at first. "I didn't even want to go on our first date," he admitted to A Drink With. He was in New York City for only one weekend, and wasting it on antique shopping wasn't the exciting something he had in mind. However, now he's certainly happy that he went. "We had this insanely beautiful afternoon that never ended," he said. "That was it. I literally never left." Brent realized that he belonged in New York City — right beside Berkus — so he packed up his bags and never looked back.

Before meeting Jeremiah Brent, Nate Berkus had trouble committing to any kind of relationship. Whenever things started to get serious, he found himself looking for the exit. Yet, when it came to Brent, there was something about him that made Berkus want to stay. "He walked in the door, and I was like, 'This is what I was waiting for,'" he admitted on Oprah: Where Are They Now?. Within only a few minutes of their first date, he knew that Brent would be the one he would spend his life with.

It turns out that Brent was on the exact same page when it came to his feelings. Though he wasn't so excited about antique shopping for their first date, it turned out to be pretty fun. "I knew the second I spent time with Nate that he was the love of my life," he admitted to Showbiz CheatSheet — and ever since, they've likely gone on many other antique shopping excursions.

Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent were on a work trip together in 2013 when things suddenly got exciting. As they were scaling the infamous Machu Picchu with some friends, Berkus bowed down on one knee — and Brent lost it. "I fell apart like full ugly-girl kind of cry," he admitted to E! News.

The place they were standing was one where wedding ceremonies used to be held generations ago, so it was something special. It was obviously something that Berkus had thought out, too. As Brent was bawling, his boyfriend held out a ring and asked him to marry him. "It was one of the most special moments of my life," Brent said on his YouTube channel, and it was one that he was not expecting at all to happen. 

The two had been together for nearly nine months before setting their sights on forever (via Us Weekly). The rest, as they say, is history.

In 2014, Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent tied the knot in a pretty historical place. In the city that's the most special to the two of them, the New York Public Library was the dream wedding location that they had in mind. In fact, they were the very first same-sex couple to get married at the venue (via People).

Officiated by the president of Oprah Winfrey's television network — just one interesting tidbit about the couple's relationship — Berkus and Brent said their "I do's" in front of many other famous people. Everyone from Rachael Ray to Busy Phillips were in attendance, and, of course, Winfrey, herself — who was moved to tears during their ceremony.

Brent found himself sobbing hysterically, too. He was finally marrying the love of his life. "Like I said in our wedding, I really feel like he's just kind of engraved in every part of me," Brent said on Oprah: Where Are They Now?.

Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent took their relationship to an entirely new level in 2015 when they became parents to a baby girl named Poppy. "We didn't think we were ever going to be able to have children," Brent admitted during an interview with Larry King.

Nine months beforehand, the two met with a surrogate to make their fantasy of having a family a reality. When it came to incorporating this woman in their lives, they were all in, too. They both wanted to be prepared for the day when Poppy came to them and asked where exactly she came from. That way, "we not only have an explanation, but we can make an introduction," Brent explained to She Knows.

Brent and Berkus were both present for the birth, welcoming their baby girl into the world during her very first breath. Having her was something they had always dreamed about — literally. Years prior, Brent had a dream about Poppy. "Four years later we find out we're having our daughter and I looked at [my husband] and he goes, 'It must be Poppy,'" Brent explained to Oprah.com.

Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent are two designers who are very much accustomed to appearing on television. When the opportunity came about to star in a new show in 2017, it seemed like a no-brainer. However, their decision to star together on Nate & Jeremiah By Design was due to something entirely different than simply showcasing their design skills. "It's a renovation show, but you're also getting to come into the lives of two gay dads and their family," Brent explained to People. "So that's a great thing in and of itself."

The series was the first time that fans were able to get an inside look at Berkus and Brent's life together. When they started shooting, their daughter, Poppy, was only 2 years old, and parents everywhere were able to relate. "We eat dinner the way you eat dinner. Everything about us is the same," Brent said. "And as cliche as the saying is, love is love. That's exactly what the show is about."

Some couples could never imagine working with their spouse all day long — after all, many believe that spending too much time with their significant other could cause a rift in their relationship; Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent, however, couldn't imagine having it any other way. "The funny thing is in our marriage, we fight about everything but design," Berkus admitted on Cityline. Instead of tearing them apart, interior design brings Berkus and Brent together.

Though the two have admitted to having very different styles when it comes to interior design, they never argue about them. Instead, they talk everything out (via MyDomaine). In the end, these designers always come up with something amazing. "We like the struggle," Brent told House Beautiful. "And we have a good time figuring out a place to meet in the middle." Collaborating seems to be this couple's secret to success.

When it came time to plan for baby number two in 2018, there was a specific name that Jeremiah Brent had in mind for his little boy with Nate Berkus — Oskar. There's a beautiful story behind the name, too.

Before meeting and falling in love with Brent, Berkus was with a man named Fernando Bengoechea. In 2004, while the two were on a trip, Bengoechea shockingly died in the Sri Lankan tsunami. "His middle name was Oskar," Berkus revealed to People.

To this day, Brent and Berkus keep photos of Berkus' previous partner in their home. "I oddly feel connected to him," Brent admitted on Oprah: Where Are They Now?. "And I honor that story." As a tribute to this emotional time in Berkus' life, Brent suggested they name their son after Berkus' previous partner. After all, being with Bengoechea is part of what makes Berkus who he is today. "We both believe that the good stuff and the bad stuff is what really defines us," Brent told People — and that's exactly why these two ended up together.

Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent's television shows have given us all an inside look at their lives, but there's something special happening behind-the-scenes — more specifically, every weekend. It's their favorite part of any day, too. After enjoying some morning television with their two kids, "we go downstairs, and I make pancakes every weekend," Brent explained on his YouTube channel. It's his way of spoiling his sweetie and their two small children.

While this weekend ritual is a special one for their family, surprisingly, Brent normally doesn't eat any breakfast, himself. He usually only turns to his morning cup of coffee. Even still, there's something special about the pancakes he makes for Poppy. They're "my special top secret sprinkle pancakes for our daughter," he told The Chalkboard Mag, and, many times, Berkus will help himself to them, too. "I eat like an 8-year-old," Berkus admitted.

When Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent first got together, they knew they eventually wanted to have a family of their own. "I want like a soccer team," Brent even told E! News shortly after announcing their engagement. Two kids later, that wish still rings true to this day.

In an interview with Us Weekly, Brent admitted that even with their busy schedules, he'd love to have more babies with Berkus. "I want 50 more," he said. Yet, while they seem to be on the same page about most things, having more children isn't one of them. "We're done," Berkus told OK! magazine. "You heard it here."

After having their two children through two separate surrogates, they've both decided that it's time for them to slow down (via She Knows). After all, their successful design business has taken off, and their two kids have filled their hearts with everything they could have ever imagined. "Your kids [want] to know that you can see them and that you care," Brent told Us Weekly. "And we're fortunate enough to be able to do that."

In addition to their two kids, Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent have a special fur baby, too. "My husband and I have a rescue dog named Tucker," Berkus told Us Weekly, and this interior designer has been a dog person long before he ever met his husband, too. In fact, in addition to designing homes, Berkus was previously involved in designing dog parks. Keeping dogs safe and off the streets has always been important to him, and he's gotten his husband, Brent, on board with this mission as well.

As proud pet — and people — parents, Brent and Berkus encourage everyone out there who wants to adopt to check out their local shelters. "We take any opportunity we can to support the cause," Berkus said. "PAWS, a no-kill shelter in Chicago, should be a model for the country."

There's a special place in their home for Tucker, too. "He sleeps in the bed every night," Berkus admitted to CBS News.

For two designers who are constantly traveling the globe and chasing their children, Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent say a date night is always essential. "Our kids are going to have a better life if we're happy and we're connected," Berkus explained to OK! magazine.

Whether it's an extended trip away or only one night out, they make sure to make time for one another in order to keep their relationship alive. Even when this busy duo isn't able to get away, they'll have a romantic staycation at their kitchen table. However, their takeout won't taste like any other night. They get out "the good dishes and glassware," Brent told Travel + Leisure, and they even dress up the table like the incredible interior designers that they are. "You set the table, light the candles, sit down, just talk," he said. "You don't just sit there and zone out at Netflix."

Constantly staying connected is how the two have been able to make their relationship work for so long. "When the parents are happier, the family's happier," Berkus told OK! Magazine — and they've since lived happily ever after.