Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent Just Launched New Sofas—and They're Under $1,000
Most affordable sofas look the same. There are straight lines, boxy cushions, and either square or tapered ("midcentury") legs. But all that's changing due to some unlikely news. Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent, design world darlings and parents of two, have launched a new line of upholstery for the furniture brand, Living Spaces. What's not surprising is that the pieces are super chic: an enormous burnt orange velvet sectional, a bouclé-like loveseat in ivory with vertical tufting, and on and on. Coming from a pair whose new L.A. home clocks in at a casual 9,000 square feet, every inch of which is accentuated with cool, tasteful antiques, this is par for the course.
What's therefore so surprising about this glamorous new collection is how it's priced. Take the Gwen Sofa, which we zero-ed in on immediately upon spotting the collection.
It's both entirely contemporary and also accessible, with soft-looking cushions, chunky peg legs, and funky cylindrical arm rests that seem to clip to the sofa's sides. You can imagine it fitting right into the couple's gorgeous home—or your own living room—and actually being comfortable to cozy up in. "The Gwen Sofa and chair were inspired by the modern architectural works of Zaha Hadid—‘Queen of the Curve’—and Santiago Calatrava, whose structures are heavily influenced by sculpture and movement," Nate and Jeremiah exclusively shared with our team. "We intentionally chose a color palette and created a shape [for the Gwen sofa] that felt versatile… It could work in a New York apartment, or a beach home in Malibu." No surprise that the color is a warm off-white—Nate and Jeremiah are known for their love of layered neutrals. Before you write it off as entirely impractical, you should know that the fabric is 100% polypropylene (read: SO easy to clean!) even though it looks like a nubby linen.
But here's the real kicker: Despite how very distinct the piece feels, the Gwen Sofa is somehow just $995. What?? is how our whole team reacted to hearing that number. "I want to redecorate my whole apartment around that couch," one person said.
The designers attribute this pricing to the fact that all the new pieces were manufactured in California. The three other sofas in the line are also under $1,000: that shearling-inspired piece, the Liv Sofa; a black velvet number with midcentury lines, the Ames Sofa; and a cool tufted option with rounded corners, the Mateo Sofa. (The huge sectionals in the line are more, between $2k and $3k, but you're basically getting twice or three times the seating.) There are upholstered armchairs to match the sofa designs, plus ottomans and pillows... all lovely, all well-priced ($49 pillows for the win), but we're in too deep with the Gwen to get to them yet.
