In the new Las Vegas-set season of Netflix’s Queer Eye, the Fab Five walk into the home of a former showgirl, Paula. The scene is sponsored by microplastics, jokes Jonathan Van Ness, a nod to the now-seamstress’s materials spilling around her living room, including plastic flowers on the walls.

Making over Paula’s home was the inaugural challenge for Jeremiah Brent, who stepped into the shoes of Bobby Berk following the design guru’s departure last season from the hit reality TV show, which seeks to improve the lives of its “hero” subjects.

Through their initial meeting, Brent noted how the light of the retired Vegas entertainer had “dulled down a bit,” which was reflected in her environment. To bring back her sparkle, he worked to find the things that brought her joy — “color and life and movements and birds and floral” — and physically manifest them as a “beautiful prism” of “who she was as a person.”

“I’m not somebody who reaches for large-scale floral wallpaper and lime green cabinets, but that’s exactly who she is,” he says. When Paula, upon seeing the transformation, turned to Brent and said he “did so good,” the validation showed on his face. “I think what every creative hopefully is looking for,” he says of Paula’s response. “I don’t want you to just tell me that a space is pretty. I want you to tell me that this space feels personal. That’s, for me, the mark of true success.”

Brent is no stranger to the world of reality TV — or design, for that matter. His breakout role was on The Rachel Zoe Project in 2011, when he worked as the designer’s styling associate. He later starred in Nate & Jeremiah by Design and The Nate & Jeremiah Home Project alongside his husband, fellow celebrity interior designer Nate Berkus. He has operated his own design firm, Jeremiah Brent Design, since 2012; some of those projects are featured here in this spread.

Transformations from Jeremiah Brent Design: before (L) and after (R).Nicole Franzen

As a married gay man with two children on reality TV, Brent has been a force for queer visibility before. But joining Queer Eye — a pioneering production that has sparked mainstream conversations about LGBTQ+ people since its first iteration on Bravo in 2003 — marked a milestone for Brent.

“It really felt like I had come home in a big way,” he says. “It’s kind of the blend of everything that I’ve been learning and doing, both professionally and personally over the last decade-plus. And to come on to such a queer-positive show that’s all about connection and community and outreach and understanding and warmth and kindness, it’s kind of the epitome of everything I want to be doing.”

Brent is “in love” with his Queer Eye castmates. As a fledgling Fab Five member, he often watched in awe at the work they did to transform lives — and the topics they were able to broach on TV with people of different backgrounds and political views in the process. “These four have really been…on the forefront of some of the most difficult conversations [about LGBTQ+ people]. It’s one of the most difficult times for us historically, and it’s only going to get more complicated. And they do so with such empathy and kindness.”

“When television is really powerful is when you can learn something in the safety of your own living room — where you can see people come together, where you can watch people fumble around pronouns and try to understand [people from other walks of life],” he says. “As long as there’s empathy and connection, which is what the show is about, I think it’s never been more important.”

And about that living room. As LGBTQ+ people face new challenges in acceptance and safety in the outside world, Brent knows the importance of creating a sanctuary. In providing expertise on interior design, “my answers are never going to be rooted in trends or what the color of the year is,” he says. He prioritizes the personal.

“Pick three moments of your day that are important, and create your space around those moments, because it intrinsically makes your home feel so much more personal…regardless of what pillows you have,” he advises. “All that stuff is fun, but if you don’t live in your home, like properly live in your home, then it’s never gonna give you the security you need.”

A home should reflect a person’s past, present, and future, Brent says. The past is embodied by objects tied to personal history that “spark joy.” The present should be a “direct reflection of wherever you’re at in your life.” And the future is embodied by holding space for what’s possible. “If you don’t leave space for the new, it’s a lot harder to bring the new in and actually feel it and see it,” he says.

Transformations from Jeremiah Brent Design: before (L) and after (R).Shade Degges

Winter presents its own opportunities for evolution. “I’m always changing my house, which is why my children want to kill me,” he laughs. “We change the ceremony of our day based on the seasons, which is something that’s important…. So I’ll pull a lamp in…thick cable…pillows, throws everywhere, like that real comfort moment. And I think art especially is something we’re always changing, especially seasonally. Like little changes. I don’t think you need to go out and spend a ton of money; that’s not the point. But it is nice to walk around and be delighted by something in a different way.”

Brent cites the Living Spaces furniture retail chain as a personal go-to resource, as well as e-commerce sites like Amazon, Chairish, and his “supernova,” Etsy. “I have found some of the most amazing artisans on Etsy…. You can kind of dream things up and they can make it for you,” he says.

But Brent also appreciates “the joys of in-person retail,” which were revived on Queer Eye when he brought Paula to Jewelry & Mineral of Las Vegas. “We literally cried our way through that crystal store for like three hours…. We had the best time,” he shares. He has a personal connection to the store. Forgoing floral displays for their wedding, he and his husband opted for crystals purchased there instead.

“That sense of discovery is my favorite — like going to old vintage shops and these old antique marts and finding things,” he says. “That hunt for me is still my favorite thing in the world.”

For Brent, getting out there — on Queer Eye, at the crystal store, in the homes of others — is the point. “Now more than ever, people need to talk to each other,” he says. “You need to talk to people who don’t agree with us. We need to get out there, we need to be seen, and we need to be heard, and I don’t plan on going anywhere.”

This article is part of the Out January/February issue, which hits newsstands February 4. Support queer media and subscribe— or download the issue through Apple News, Zinio, Nook, or PressReader starting January 23.

JULIET (BEFORE); SHADE DEGGES (AFTER); COURTESY JEREMY BRENT DESIGN

Jeremiah BrentAdrian Gaut