Some of Jeremiah Brent’s fondest childhood memories center around visiting his grandma, a woman the designer and television personality affectionately describes as a “tough cookie.” Her backyard atrium was particularly memorable. It was there, among her plants, hummingbird feeders, and craft projects, he says, that “I really understood for the first time how somebody’s space could reflect what they valued.”
“It’s always been a dream of mine to create a store.”
Photography by Brittany Ambridge
In that spirit, Brent has unveiled Atrio, a new retail concept, which today launches online and opens its doors at Platform Mall in Culver City, California. The shop is, at its core, a continuation of a traditional department store with segments devoted to the home, pantry, and wellness—all with a hand selected assortment of items specially made by Brent’s favorite artisans and makers. “It’s always been a dream of mine to create a store and a brand that’s really rooted in the idea of bringing together a community of designers,” he tells Elle Decor.
A shopper online and IRL at Atrio can find exclusive collabs with home companies like Serax and Tappan Collective, as well as special lines with Toronto interior studio Montana Labelle and Brooklyn ceramics artists D’Haene Studio. Visit the Culver City storefront, a chicly understated Brent-designed space that feels more like a stylish friend’s living room than an ordinary shop, and you can find everything from fresh-cut flowers to sheets to—coming soon at an adjacent Brent-designed restaurant—dinner.
Atrio's Shoppable Pantry
“This is my opportunity to bring all of them together and create a space where somebody can go in and curate a really beautiful life.”
“You can get a sofa or you can grab a candle, and it can be something that you feel is special because so much thought has gone into every single thing,” he says—right down to the packaging. “I want people to feel like they are getting what they deserve.” Atrio’s Culver City outpost is just one of several stores in the works, Brent says, including locations in Montecito, California, and New York. Ultimately, he wants to prove that even the quotidian items can be elevated to something special. “I want people to come in and have an emotional reaction to the things that we’re selling,” he reflects. “I want it to be worth it.”
