Last updated : Thursday, July 23, 2009

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How to Do Downtown Chic

Robert and Cortney Novogratz know how to play house. Well, if the lines between work and play can be blurred a little bit. Together, the couple owns SIXX Design, named after the number of children they had (they have since had a seventh). Unlike many designers, however, the Novogratz's build from the ground up, renovating condemned properties, overseeing everything from the plumbing to paint color -- all the while making sure the lunches are made, the diapers are changed and homework is done.

Their aesthetic is off the beaten path, to say the least. Using furniture, art and open layouts, they have an ability to create spaces that keep you in awe of color, shape and perspective, which mixes ingeniously with their appreciation for comfort and their understanding of how a home should make you feel. Recently, they co-authored their first book, Downtown Chic, which shares their story and gives tips on how to cultivate a unique look of your own. We sat down with the couple and got the inside scoop on SIXX Design.

In the intro to your book you said, "Talk to anyone whose home truly represents who they are and what they value and they will tell you about the joy it brings them." So how do you make a home truly represent you?
Cortney: I think it's about collections. I love when I know what to buy a girlfriend or a sister; I hope that someone who visits our home would know what to bring me. If people collect things it's great. Home is such a reflection of who you are; whether you live there for three months or you're there forever, it's important to have things that represent who you are.

What inspired you to buy the condemned home in Chelsea 15 years ago, instead of renting?
C: We obviously wanted a large family and we knew if we could own a small building we could survive, whether we used it to host parties or rented half of it out, we knew it was an investment. We had no idea of the business, but we knew that by buying, we'd be able to control everything within those four walls. When you rent, you really don't have control of what happens.

*Unsure of whether to rent or buy? Click here.

As you said, neither of you had a background in contracting or engineering, so how did you know where to begin?
Robert: Our friend Doug is a structural engineer and advised us for the first month. Having a structural engineer around is the most important -- more important than an architect. If you hate the color of building you can always change it, but the structural engineer can tell you about the bones of a building and how it's doing mechanically and electrically. So right off the bat we knew a lot about the building's strengths and weaknesses. Doug was like a guardian angel for us.

What sacrifices did you have to make in order to accommodate the investment?
C: We had rented the garden floor and we lived in the upper three floors. We could no longer grow without sacrificing. We had to downsize in order to grow as a business. To this day we have to downsize when we're working on a given project. But it's not really downsizing, because we are actually making our lives better.

How do you identify the right house to purchase?
C: We take calculated risk with every project. When we were looking for our first place 15 years ago, we had heard there was going to be this "Chelsea Piers Market". We didn't really know what it was going to be, but there was a lot of buzz about it. We had also heard there were a lot of artists moving there. Do research. When we bought our property in Brazil years ago, the town didn't have electricity and now it's this swanky place where Americans go to vacation. Also, I find that artists and the gay community are always ahead of the curve. Take note of where they are living and moving to, and it usually ends up being trendy!

*More on how to identify an "up and coming area".

What is your advice for people who are doing a complete renovation?
C: 1. Always over budget. 2. Ask yourself how much you want to be involved. If picking out every single light fixture and doorknob isn't your thing, then that's where someone like me would come in. 3. Be aware of the checks you are writing. It's a process and you have really overwhelming and stressful days. It's a tricky business and contractors have a tendency to tell you what you want to hear, so you have to double check everything and make sure you assemble a team that you really trust.
R: It's better to do a complete project, not just patches here and there. You should put your main money in plumbing, electric and mechanics and invest the most money in the common areas like the kitchen and the living space, as opposed to the bedrooms.

Because you advise putting a good portion of your resources in the kitchen, what is your advice in terms of appliances and layout?
R: Stainless steel products are great, but stainless steel is stainless steel, so you really can buy the cheapest model out there. We bought this really expensive fridge and the guy told me it keeps the lettuce crisper, I was like "Come on, give me a break," and the fridge broke a few times and it cost so much to fix. I think GE makes the best appliances for the money. Priciest doesn't mean best. That said, the biggest budget should be left for the kitchen. Every kitchen should have openness, clean lines and it should be inviting. The key is to mix and match: you can great cabinets from Ikea or Home Depot, and then put Italian hardware on them and it makes everything look really high end.

How do you balance your design taste with the fact that you have seven children?
R: You have to make a home kid-friendly. So you have to position art in the right ways and if you notice, we don't have a coffee table where little kids can run into a corner and hurt themselves. In general, there is a lack of clutter so there is more space to roam. And then of course, you just have to chill out about stuff.

How did you choose all the quotes in the book?
R: I've always loved hunting around for quotes. One thing I noticed is they could be 300 years old or said by a rock star from 20 years ago and common sense doesn't change. It's the same stuff that your mother told you as a kid.

 

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