With their gleaming smiles and ‘can-do’ attitude, Cortney and Robert Novogratz are the benchmark for the modern, aspirational couple. Dedicated founders of a multi-million dollar property business they still find the time to write a best-selling coffee table book, star in their own TV show, do their bit for charity, and raise their expansive brood of children which currently stands at seven. How, in the midst of all of this, they remain perky enough to have earned modelling contracts with the prestigious Storm agency is anyone’s guess. Laughingly, Cortney Novogratz admits that her favourite recipe includes “a takeaway menu, a couch and a cocktail,” indicative of the scant free time she has left over for such frivolities as baking. But cooking skills aside, they are well and truly adept at spinning plates.
“I grew up in a small town, I wanted the things I wanted and I’m going to go fight for them. Life’s just out there for the taking.” Even for a resident New Yorker, a city synonymous with ‘ambition’, ‘attitude’ or, dare we say it, ‘ruthless self-promotion’, Cortney Novogratz, 37, is strikingly honest about where she is heading. Despite the air of relaxed bohemia that she and husband Robert, 46, have lovingly re-created throughout the numerous homes that they have renovated, decorated, demolished and reinstated, it is a steely determination and a firm grip on reality that has seen their company go stellar in the 16 years since its inception.
A shrewd knack for restoring dilapidated buildings in New York City is The Novogratz’s USP. Formerly Sixx Design - until, one presumes, baby Major came along forcing them to reconsider their tagline – the company is largely responsible for the current wave of luxe-grunge that has the New York glitterati firmly in raptures. With their distinct ability to create luxury surroundings out of rundown spaces, The Novogratz have rapidly become the interior specialists of choice for many a high profile, high-net worth resident.
It was through its work in the city that The Novogratz came to the attention of jewellery connoisseur and socialite Tracy Smesith, who commissioned the couple with the creation of her beachside cabana in Florida’s exclusive Palm Beach. Already the owner of a number of properties in the area, Tracy’s own magpie tendencies were of great influence in the outcome of the project. The uniquely-sourced ‘objets d’art’ that pepper the home are reflective of Tracy’s House of Lavande collection, which encompasses rare pieces by Elsa Schiaparelli, Yves Saint Laurent, Kenneth Jay Lane as well as vintage costume jewellery sourced from numerous flea markets worldwide. Together with The Novogratz, Tracy’s vision for a waterfront haven was realised. A stylish blend of glamour, sophistication and tranquillity, it is easy to see why we had t feature it in our Exotic Issue.
Nestled between the palm fronds lining Palm Beach’s highly sought-after seafront, the property is in sharp contrast to its flashy neighbours. Understated comfort is a defining quality, with deep, battered leather armchairs, shaded sun beds and cushion-laden banquettes forming an integral part of the design. The interior is rather more Spartan than might be expected of the Novogratzes, but this deliberately so. Built primarily of reclaimed wood finished in clean shades of white and cream, it beautifully offsets the azure waters of the Pacific Ocean and reinstates it as the rightful focal point of the property. Zingy additions such as the candy-striped carpet and Moroccan tiles keep the set-up from falling into a clichéd ‘nautical’ theme, all the while acting as a reminder of its owner’s and creators’ exotic flair. The lighting feature, an artful assemblage of driftwood interspersed with upturned jam jars, offers a curious talking point, while on the walls hang numerous trinkets redolent of the properties surroundings.
Reflective of the fact that Palm Beach has an average of 234 days of sunshine a year, the majority of the cabana is located outside. A vague sense of a ‘living space’ has been recreated through the strategic placement of various items of furniture, with billowing white day beds located at the furthest point from the property and what could be described as a lounge at the forefront. The deliberate uncertainty all adds to the calming effect of the property, no doubt inspired by the Novogratzes own home in Trancoso, Brazil. Described by Cortney as her most prized possession, the secluded villa offers much-needed respite from the thronging city that The Novogratz so dominate with their eclectic style.
Key to the success of each of the projects they undertake is the Novogratzes’ passionate consumption of flea markets. Cornerstones of their aesthetic are random items that they collect in each of the towns and cities they pass through, items that they will gladly trail behind them for years, until they finally find them the perfect home in some new project of theirs. Travel is therefore essential to their trade, and the Novogratzes are often to be found navigating their way around the world with their seven children in tow. Having spent the past 12 years doing so, the family is now familiar with the inevitable drill that comes with mobilizing such a large unit, although they will readily admit that they do have ‘help’ to get them through long haul flights with three children under the age of five.
Once a stockbroker, Robert traded in his former career for this life of creativity, merry chaos and, one imagines, of late, sleepless nights. The challenges of recent times must have made them question their decision to build their fortune on the U.S. property market. While their ability to sell on properties at a staggering 200 per cent profit has, undeniably, added to the attraction of The Novogratz, one can’t imagine that such margins are being made these days. Such is the rollercoaster ride of their métier that one year they will be turning a 500,000 USD condemned property into an 11 million USD nugget, the next they’ll be flogging their own possessions to meet their mortgage repayments. Little wonder then that when the television network Bravo came calling in 2009 offering them their very own slot,‘9 by Design’, they responded enthusiastically.
Having conquered the notoriously fickle New York glitterati, they are now set to take on the world, with a second mini-series set for launch this Summer with HGTV. The Novogratzes, with their beautiful family and enviable lives, make for compelling viewing; the breathtaking homes and hotels they have created are also bound to get ratings up. Much like their book, ‘Downtown Chic: Designing Your Dream Home, From Wreck to Ravishing’ the formula for the program will encompass an element of DIY, again pertinent for the current times. Whether or not viewers have the stamina required to create something as spectacular as the Novogratzes is to be seen. Their ability to turn ‘Nothing’ into ‘Something’ is intrinsically linked to what the duo describes as a ‘multi-hatted’ approach. Multi-tasking as architects, strategists, consultants and interior designers on each project undertaken, The Novogratz have full control over the end result, a format which saves both time and resources and avoids the all-too-familiar misunderstandings so often encountered between second and third parties.
Such is the success of their turnkey formula that The Novogratz has recently widened its portfolio to include retail and commercial spaces. In 2009, Bungalow, its first boutique hotel, opened in the upmarket beach resort of Jersey Shore while shortly before Christmas 2010 the fashion world was introduced to California concept store Babakul. Part owned by the founder of True Religion denim, the 370 square-metre store houses a womenswear line that epitomizes L.A.’s free-spirited charm – when it came to the conception of its flagship, The Novogratz was an obvious design partner.
Perhaps the most staggering achievement from this multi-talented pair is the fact that neither Robert nor Cortney has had any formal training in either architecture or interior design. They both cite their parents as being ‘decorating enthusiasts’, but beyond that, the inspiration for their chosen career is seemingly instinctive. The lessons they have learnt have been at the benches of each of their projects, which they usually find themselves living in while work is in progress. Remarkably unfazed by their lack of qualifications or training, they have approached each property as though it were a case study, teaching themselves how to rewire and restructure in the process, certain somehow that they would ‘get’ it in the end.
For the time being, the Novogratz family lives in a 25million USD, 930 square-metre house made entirely of glass, offering stunning views of the Hudson River and nearby West Side Highway. When the right buyer comes along, the family will simply up and leave, barely taking any of their belongings with them – clients tend to want to buy the whole package, furniture and furnishings included. The cycle will then recommence when they find the next plot in need of an expertly wielded power drill and some Novogratz charm. On closer inspection, perhaps we could all do with some of that.
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