Breegan Jane, the interior designer, mom and entrepreneur, is busy — like busy busy. The vivacious Southern Californian, with her amazing fashion sense, runs an eponymous design firm, appears on HGTV’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, raises two young sons as a single mom, Kingsley and Kensington (that counts as five jobs right there), and is involved in a multitude of philanthropist and lifestyle projects: she’s tied to World Vision, No Kid Hungry and Union Rescue Mission. Kenya has a special place in her heart: “The people, the land, the community… they’re all so warm and inviting,” she says. “It’s why I fight diligently to protect young girls from the atrocities of female genital mutilation (FGM).” To raise money for anti-FGM charities, Breegan sells the bold, beaded jewellery made by the Kenyan Masai tribe through her online shop.
Also, did we mention Breegan DJs, blogs about motherhood (stop sweating screen time!) and last year wrote Carbie, a children’s book about a shy piece of coal who blossoms into a shining diamond? On the design side, she’s recently completed work on Unica, a jaw-dropping, multimillion-dollar estate in Bel Air.
Breegan’s schedule might be overloaded, but she’s handling it coolly and smartly, even with a pandemic: “I haven’t shifted my work schedule,” she says. “I’ve enlisted help… Give yourself a break.” She recommends teaching kids to be self-sufficient by showing them how to log on for school lessons — after all, this mama, who describes her interiors as “approachable, modern luxury” and “lived-in elegance,” needs downtime, too.
Check out where Breegan unwinds at home, and scroll through her design work on two client projects!
Here’s Breegan in the impeccable kitchen of her 3,000-square-foot home in Venice Beach, California. The gold vent hood is a piece of stainless steel dipped in brass. The gleaming La Cornue range recalls a steamer trunk, and is luxurious in all of its look-at-me grandeur. “If ever there was an appliance that could double as a piece of art, this is it!” says Breegan.
Photographer: Ryan Garvin
Breegan’s bedroom is filled with sumptuous materials. The showpiece is the canopy bed made of velvet and Lucite with gold detailing. A faceted brass pendant light perfectly coordinates with the side table, and the black Ralph Lauren wallpaper brilliantly camouflages a TV.
Photographer: Ryan Garvin
Angled windows pour light into Breegan’s ensuite, which has been cleverly designed to exude warmth — essential in a white bathroom. There’s the Moroccan lantern, the oversized wooden bowl for holding towels and the built-in niches for seamlessly storing essential products. All of it brings the tangled engineered-stone backdrop to life.
Photographer: Ryan Garvin
How’s that for one cool mom? Breegan’s DJ rig is tucked underneath the steps. The staircase was originally a spiral that Breegan modernized by swapping it out with a more angular design. It now sports clear panels, large knobs and a cream-colored runner.
Photographer: Ryan Garvin
The designer created this cheery gender-neutral nursery for one of her clients. The playful mash-up includes a color-blocked wall in canary yellow, aqua and deep blue, geometric-patterned curtains and a daybed with piles of pillows. All of the decor is from Pottery Barn Kids.
Photographer: Courtesy of Breegan Jane
Though it’s a nursery, there’s a certain grown-up gravitas to this set-up — which means the room can grow with the child. The Gemma campaign bedside table from Pottery Barn Kids has a matching lamp. The mini mouse tea party set below is a sweet idea.
Photographer: Courtesy of Breegan Jane
A custom rainbow-effect painted hallway outside the nursery ensures it’s not wasted space. It’s a nice bit of design foreshadowing, considering the colors are repeated inside the room itself.
Photographer: Courtesy of Breegan Jane
“The layout of a room should be determined by how your space is used,” says Breegan, who eschews the idea of the TV as a focal point. In this makeover for a client with a toddler, Breegan brought in baby-friendly tactile rugs (one hide, the other patterned). The coffee table also has soft edges. Rattan, velvet and gold (signature Breegan moves) round out the room.
Photographer: Courtesy of Breegan Jane
Breegan says she was after “approachable, modern luxury” for this kitchen. Pendant lights anchor the engineered-stone island that feels beautifully cohesive in the space and is uplifting without being too loud. The CB2 stools also give a textural boost.
Photographer: Courtesy of Breegan Jane
The princopal bedroom, on the house’s mezzanine level, “had to feel calm and serene,” says Breegan who achieved that by using “many neutrals and layers.” The tufted headboard is cozy-making, the suspended pendants are space-savers and lend a nice glow in the space, and the standing mirror opens up the room.
Photographer: Courtesy of Breegan Jane
Rich green paint (an on-trend hue), a collection of beautiful mirrors and a bold porcelain slab make an eye-catching design statement in the bathroom. Porcelain is excellent if you’re on a budget because it can look deceivingly expensive, notes Breegan.
Photographer: Courtesy of Breegan Jane
For the ultimate family hangout, there’s this peaked space cloaked in whitewashed wood. Breegan set up a play area by the windows, so the kids can keep busy, while the parents snuggle up on the L-shaped sofa.
Photographer: Courtesy of Breegan Jane
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