Jesse Tyler Ferguson Takes AD Inside His Son Beckett’s Bold, Bright Nursery

As it has been for everyone, 2020 has been a year of uncertainty for Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson. But when the COVID-19 pandemic plunged the world into unknown territory, the actor still knew one thing for sure: “In mid-July, a baby was coming,” he tells AD. “It was nice to have that reassurance that there was something concrete to look forward to.”

Of course, even with a global pandemic and protests happening, the child would need a place to sleep in the Los Angeles home Ferguson shares with his husband, Justin Mikita. They had turned to Breegan Jane, an interior designer who stars alongside Ferguson on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, for help before the lockdown orders in California. Though the actual installation of the nursery had to take place later than they had hoped, she was able to work her magic before the birth of the couple’s new son.

Beckett Mercer Ferguson-Mikita arrived home to a room Jane decked out in furniture from Pottery Barn Kids, with a blue-and-yellow color-blocked paint job as the focal point. “The nursery is fresh, inviting, approachable, and bright, with modern touches,” Jane tells AD, noting that Ferguson and Mikita’s openness allowed for a lot of freedom with the design.

Below, Ferguson tells AD more about the nursery and being a first-time dad. 

Architectural Digest: What were some of the initial ideas you and Justin presented to Breegan?

Jesse Tyler Ferguson: We weren’t sure the sex of the child, so we wanted to go really gender neutral and we wanted it to be fun. We wanted it to be a space that we were all comfortable in. We loved the idea of a joyful rainbow type thing, but we didn't want to be so literal, so we sort of picked our favorite colors of the rainbow which were greens and golds and yellow.

AD: As first-time dads, how did you figure out what your must-have items were?

JTF: That is one of the reasons we asked Breegan to do this room. We have had our homes in Los Angeles and New York City featured in AD, and the fantastic designer Peter Gurski worked on both places. He doesn’t have kids, so we felt we needed someone who was a parent to do this room. Breegan is someone whose designs we know well because we have gotten close to her on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. I was drawn to her designs. I felt like we were on the same page. The other designer on the show lives in New Jersey, so she wasn’t an option. Breegan was close and local, and it was nice working with a friend. It was an easy ask. But as far as must-haves, I sort of looked to her and was like, You tell me what we need because I am totally new. I know we need a crib and a place for us to lie down.

AD: Was she able to give you good advice ?

JTF: Absolutely. She brought in some things that we didn’t even know we might need, like humidifiers and sound machines. Just little touches that she knew would be helpful for us as new parents. She wanted a glider chair instead of rocker. Things she felt were more helpful for her when she was a new parent. She wanted to pass on those pieces of advice to us. We are really grateful that she did that. She is also good at organization. We opened the drawers to the dresser, and everything was itemized. She had all these clothes and baby accessories we didn’t even know existed, so it was quite a reveal day.

AD: Was there anything that was a surprise to you?

JTF: It was all in the little touches. There is this pom-pom mobile above the bed that picks up the colors of the room and pops. The stuffed animals and throw pillows. These aren’t things that we were talking about. They were just nice surprises that made the room above-and-beyond.

AD: How has the whole experience of lockdown impacted your journey of becoming a father?

JTF: You know, I am always an optimist. I certainly am not one who wants to find joy in what we are experiencing right now, because I’d rather be working, the world be open, people have their jobs. But there was a blessing for us in that Justin and I got to spend those first months before the baby came together. We had this really nice quiet time at home before Beckett arrived and then once Beckett was here. I was meant to be doing a play and I wasn’t going to be here for the first two weeks of Beckett’s time on this planet. I got to have that with him instead of a job pulling me away. So there were blessings in disguise because of the lockdown. You know, you can’t take a baby, really, anywhere the first months anyway. As someone who suffers from FOMO, there is really nothing to have FOMO about now.

AD: You have the best thing going on at home right now! Do you have a favorite element of the nursery if you had to pick one?

JTF: I guess the centerpiece of the nursery for me is the crib. I spend a lot of time looking at it because I spend a lot of time looking at Beckett while he is sleeping.

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest