Meet Vanessa Bergmark
At LMB Interiors, we believe home is more than shelter. It is a sanctuary, a mirror, and a portal. The homes we design aren’t just about creating beauty; they’re containers for personal evolution. When a space is aligned with the soul of its inhabitants, it becomes a place of alignment, and the ripple moves outward.
This is the ethos that guides our work.
And it’s why we’re inspired to shine a light on Vanessa Bermark, our dear friend, client (you can see her home office here), and global visionary, in her work across East Africa.
Vanessa Bergmark with the Little Lions pre-K class (left), and on safari in the Masai Mara (right).
Over the years, I’ve had the honor of witnessing Vanessa build a life of astonishing scope. She acquired and expanded Red Oak Realty into one of the Bay Area’s most respected independent brokerages, fiercely preserving its current identity as a boutique, women-led firm. She also earned her law degree during the pandemic, and — together with her wonderful husband Brandon — adopted and raised two remarkable children. We’ve had the joy of designing both her Napa Valley ranch home and her home office, but our connection goes far beyond design. Vanessa also mentored my husband Scott during his time at Red Oak (you can see our work on the former Solano office here) and she’s become a trusted friend and source of inspiration in my life.
Vanessa’s journey with Africa began as a whisper — a childhood dream awakened by family stories, a projected slideshow of Maasai warriors flickering on a sheet in the backyard of her Brooklyn home after a favorite uncle returned from Africa. It became a calling. Over two decades and four transformative trips later, she’s not just traveling to Africa, she’s investing in it. Pouring her heart, her wisdom, and her entrepreneurial spirit into programs that uplift women, support impoverished children to be educated and nourished, and preserve the wild places still untouched by commercial exploitation.
When Vanessa sees something she knows she can create, she’ll stop at nothing to make it happen. She’s also an expert in rallying and empowering others to join her vision.
Vanessa with the real estate team she is creating in Nairobi, Kenya.
“It feels like coming home. Like my future self is calling me there. There’s a knowing in my bones — I’ll never not be there again.”
Vanessa’s most recent endeavor has been partnering with the grassroots primary school Little Lions in Nairobi. She recently joined the board and is supporting entrepreneur and co-founder who is a third-generation Kenyan, Julian Johnson, and school director, Tuju Otieno in expanding the program’s reach. Together, they’re creating a bridge between global mentors and Kenyan youth, offering education, mentorship, and a sense of being truly seen. For just $660 a year, one child receives a life-changing education and the energetic support of someone across the globe who believes in their potential. Click here to sponsor a Little Lion and to learn more about the impact.
“When someone truly sees you, and still says yes to you, that’s when you know you’re loved. That’s what we’re giving these kids in sponsoring them or donating to Little Lions. It’s not just support. It’s soul vitamins.”
This is the kind of legacy work we believe in.
An Invitation to Journey with Vanessa
In addition to Vanessa’s educational and conservational work, she is rallying behind the phenomenal husband and wife team, Peter and Corie Knights, who lead Wild Africa as they prepare for their winter gala in Los Angeles this fall. And in Spring of 2026, Vanessa will be leading a deeply curated trip to Kenya: a journey designed specifically for women ready to awaken into the next level of stewardship, leadership, and embodied joy. This is not an invitation for tourism — it’s about transformation. It will include:
- Immersive experiences in Nairobi, Laikipia, and the Swahili Coast
- Luxury accommodations run by women-led, eco-conscious collectives that include spirited engagements with Kenyan and American businesswomen
- Time with the Little Lions team and the children they serve
- Safari, sanctuary, ritual, and adventure
“Africa isn’t a place you visit. It’s a place that visits you, and never leaves. Be prepared to have your life changed.”
If this stirs your soul, email me here or send us a DM on social media. We’ll send you more details or connect you with Vanessa directly.
I share Vanessa’s story as a way to inspire others and to remind myself to stretch into what it means to be a global citizen. As she recently said to me, “The world has gotten far too small to think only about ourselves and our own friends and neighbors. We are one human family.”
Elephants during the rainy season of the Masai Mara.
Philanthropy Starts at Home
We believe that when a woman is grounded in beauty, supported by intention, and clear in her purpose, she becomes a force. That’s what our work at LMB Interiors is about. And that’s what Vanessa’s work in Kenya is about, too.
“This is my next chapter: where beauty and brutality live side by side, and we finally crack open to source what we’re truly here to do.”
It is my life’s purpose to support women who are expanding their care for humanity into larger playing fields. The homes we design at LMB Interiors are built to hold love, rest, and nourishment, but they’re also spaces that host dreams, birth new ideas, and further philanthropic missions.
Vanessa and I during her birthday celebration this past spring.
Vanessa’s story reminds us how impactful it is how we choose to connect with and steward this planet. Sometimes that means designing a home. Sometimes that means helping build a school. Both are acts of care.
If you are ready to open your heart and home in service to others, we are here to support your vision. Contact us by clicking here. We’ll help you build beauty that ripples outward.
Can’t travel but want to help? Click here to sponsor a Little Lion, get involved with the Red Oak Little Lion Library Project, and drop soul-vitamins straight into a child’s future.
Written by Laura Martin Bovard.
