Queer Eye’s Jeremiah Brent talks taste

My personal style signifier is a stack of bracelets my husband has collected over the past 12 years. They’re all vintage and rooted in protection: an evil eye, a hand of Fatima… I like a messy thoughtfulness in the way that I dress. I’m not too serious. 

The last thing I bought and loved was a tattoo of one of my favourite Brâncuşi sculptures, Une Muse. Mr K does all of my tattoo work: he’s unbelievable. It’s dangerous because it’s very addictive, but not very painful, so it’s a slippery slope. I have, like, 14, which sounds like a lot when I say it out loud, but they’re soft and quiet – not aggressive – although my husband would say that’s a lot. I have “carpe diem” on my back, which is terrible: I was 18 and a surfer, and thought that I could take over the world. I don’t regret it – it was a chapter of my life – but it’s hard to justify when you take your shirt off and you’ve just got “carpe diem” on your back.

The place that means a lot to me is Portugal, my favourite place in the world; I’m Portuguese. We have a farm in Alentejo, about 20 minutes from the Spanish border. It’s in the middle of nowhere, really quiet and absolutely perfect. We visit three or four times a year, but have fantasies of going out there for a year and seeing what that would feel like. 

And the best souvenir I’ve brought home is a ceramic vase we found in the middle of nowhere in Peru. I’m pretty sure we weren’t supposed to travel with it, but my husband put it in my bag, making me the sacrificial lamb. We got it on the trip he proposed to me at Machu Picchu, in the church there. It was lovely: when he did it I said, “Our poor children don’t stand a chance!” 

The best book I’ve read in the past year is Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson, a really fascinating book. It talks through the American racial situation, comparing it to the caste system in India and other places in the world. 

My favourite room in my house is the kitchen, which holds so many memories. We actually owned this house 10 years ago but sold it and moved it to LA, before running back to New York because it wasn’t for us. I worked tirelessly to convince the people living here to sell it back to us: I cried in the kitchen saying, “If you go anywhere, you have to let us know!” Eventually they were ready to sell and we sprung into action. I call it a second chance at a first loss.  

My favourite building is the New York Public Library. My husband and I were married there, the first gay wedding after gay marriage was legalised. Now we take our children and talk about where we met and how we got married there. It’s beautiful – the smell! 

Besides Diane Keaton, my style icon is Marlon Brando in the ’40s and the ’50s. And I like Paul Newman in the ’60s. He was so elegant: effortlessly chic. I don’t like things that feel overly loud. Simplicity is always key for me. 

I like a messy thoughtfulness in the way that I dress

The best gift I’ve given recently is a house on the farm in Portugal to my mother – a dream come true. She’s always worked three jobs; now she doesn’t have to. I’m renovating it right now, so I can’t wait for that part to be over. I thought I was particular… Now I know where I get it from. It’s not outrageous because the sentiment is beautiful, but she wanted a window in a wall that shouldn’t have one because it’s from the 17th century. I asked her why, and it’s because she wants to look out at the countryside and put pies there. Now I have to make her a window, damn it! She’s a hopeless romantic.

The last music I downloaded was by Chappell Roan, who I’m obsessed with. I discovered her when I was shooting Queer Eye; I listened to her every morning to get me going. She makes me happy.  

And the best gift I’ve received is my wedding ring, which is Van Cleef & Arpels and really simple. I worked for stylist Rachel Zoe, so I’m very much a “more is more” person with jewellery. When my husband was thinking about proposing, we went to a ring shop and I was picking out the most garish, over-the-top stuff. He looked so shocked. Finally I was like, “You do this part; if I’m left to my own devices, I’m going to look like Kanye West.”

A way to make me laugh is not particularly sophisticated: seeing someone getting scared or falling over. It’s really awful, but a video of somebody falling (and being OK) just cracks me up. And I love to jump out at people in the office. 

In my fridge you’ll always find tons of fruit for the kids. I have a daughter who’s nine and a little boy who’s six. I never wanted to be a parent; I never thought I could be a parent. But it cracks life open in a completely different way. You’ll also find hot sauce. If I have sriracha, sparkling water and Bragg Liquid Aminos, I’m happy. I’m not the best cook, but I love to do it: my jalapeño- and pomegranate-glazed ham is a hit. 

I believe in life after death, because it would be an awful lot of energy to waste. I don’t know where it goes, but I believe it goes somewhere. There are a lot more surprises to come. 

An indulgence I would never forgo is seeing my trainer, Stephen Cheuk, every day. It sounds sad, but that’s the only way I can carve out an hour for myself: I go five days a week. He’s fantastic – he owns a gym called S10 Training – and he beats the living hell out of me. s10training.com

The last piece of furniture I bought was a ’70s French console by François Monnet. Our family room is all about comfort and collections – I love the way the modernity of this piece balances that out.

On my Instagram “For You” page you’ll find shark attacks and orca videos – whales breaching boats and stuff. And lots of interior images: I bounce around and look at everything – I love that you can travel across the world in 30 seconds if you want to. In my office there is a moodboard of everything I find beautiful at any moment; I’m always changing it because I’m so visual. I look like a design serial killer.

The grooming staple I’m never without is Biologique Recherche Crème Dermo-RL and Crème ADN Métamorphique; I live for a good moisturiser. And I get asked about my Parfum by Saint Rita Parlor almost daily. It smells of patchouli and is woodsy, dark and moody. I’ve used it forever; I’m a psycho about scent. Biologique Recherche Crème Dermo-RL, £190 for 50ml, and Crème ADN Métamorphique, £187 for 50ml. Saint Rita Parlor, $200 for 60ml EDP

My grooming guru is Chris McMillan, who does my hair. He’s a genius. The first time I had a cut with him it was like Edward Scissorhands – chop chop chop! I thought, “Oh god!” And then it was the best haircut I’ve ever had. I’d follow him to the ends of the earth.

Some of my best ideas have come from the people around me. My design firm is made up of 20 to 30 people who are all so different. When you start a company, it’s all your own ideas and your own brain, but then you get to bring in all these people – they push you, there can be contrast and conflict, but that’s where the beautiful stuff is born. When I’m hiring I look for someone who has a clear perspective, who has a lot of autonomy and can stand on their own. 

The works of art that changed everything for me were part of the Vienna Secession – the height of luxury, innovation and creativity. It slips into everything I do. I love everything Josef Hoffmann, and recently hosted the launch party for my book at Neue Galerie because of how special it is to be in a space surrounded by so much of his work. There’s a hint of something unexpected in every piece.

An object I would never part with is a graphic oval painting by a dear friend of ours, James Brown. He and his wife, Alexandra, died in a terrible car accident four years ago. The painting has been with us everywhere and there are so many memories tied to it. There’s something about it that I find so peaceful.

I’ve recently rediscovered making pottery and ceramics, which I used to do when we lived in California. I’ve been making bowls and plates, but I want to figure out how I can get into doing larger-scale installations. That’s the next uncomfortable step for me. 

The one artist whose work I would collect if I could is Brâncusi. I’ve never seen somethșng he’s done that I haven’t lost my mind over. His work is so beautiful, so out of its time and so relevant still. It’s fantastic. 

The best way to spend $20 is on a museum ticket. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is my favourite; I get so much inspiration there. Every time I go, I find something new. There’s a section of Late Medieval Secular Art where you can find the most effortless and stunning glass vessels from the 1400s. The scale, shapes and tones are so inspiring.

My interior style signature is personalisation. I lean into each client’s story and lifestyle through bespoke designs: recently I created a plaster fireplace with a client’s favourite ski run etched within it. The space evolves into one that reflects the client’s past, present and future.

The last item of clothing I added to my wardrobe was a beautiful Celine leather jacket that looks like my grandmother might have owned it. I love it.

My favourite apps are food delivery apps like Caviar and Postmates. I like the instant gratification of what it gets you. I’m either ordering from BonBon, a candy store I am uncomfortably obsessed with, or Locanut, a healthy restaurant in New York.

The best bit of advice I ever received was from James Brown, the artist behind the oval painting. He was one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met. The way he and his wife moved through the world was remarkable: it was life and they grabbed it. He was at dinner with us right before the car accident when he said he had some advice for me. I leaned in and was on the edge of my seat waiting to hear what he said, which was: “There are two things you need to do. Stretch – and save.” And guess what? I do! 

The Space That Keeps You: When Home Becomes a Love Story by Jeremiah Brent is published by HarperCollins at £30