{"id":33160,"date":"2025-07-30T10:11:22","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T10:11:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/33160\/"},"modified":"2025-07-30T10:11:22","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T10:11:22","slug":"you-can-walk-into-a-lot-of-beautiful-spaces-but-theyre-not-fun-thats-not-the-world-i-want-to-run-in-give-me-more-fun-inside-the-eclectic-world-of-robert-novogratz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/33160\/","title":{"rendered":"‘You can walk into a lot of beautiful spaces, but they\u2019re not fun. That\u2019s not the world I want to run in. Give me more fun’ \u2013 inside the eclectic world of Robert Novogratz"},"content":{"rendered":"

Robert Novogratz is, at this point, an American design institution. Along with his wife Cortney, he\u2019s been creating spaces for over 30 years, filling them with art, charm, and plenty of personality. In fact, the homes they piece together are works of art in themselves, jewel boxes of unexpected colors, beloved finds, a mix of antique heirlooms and family keepsakes, with furniture and decor sourced from brands as varied as Paul Ferrante and Pooky.<\/p>\n

A hallmark of the Novogratz way of life is to buy a run-down home in an up-and-coming area, do it up, and flip it \u2013 the couple tends to move every two to three years. They are currently living in a loft just off Union Square, New York City, ‘newly finished, which took about a year,\u2019 Robert tells me, \u2018and won\u2019t be our forever home.\u2019<\/p>\n

In the first in our new series Layered Lives, I sat down with Robert and got to know the designer behind the iconic spaces. I say sat down, Robert talks to Homes & Gardens on the streets of New York, rushing between meetings, having got back from France the day before and off to the UK the day after (he had a Manhattan dentist appointment he couldn\u2019t miss). Let\u2019s step into Robert\u2019s world to explore his fresh take on home and interior design<\/a>. It\u2019s a world where sculptural pieces meet secondhand treasures, and the golden rule is simple: design should make you feel something, and that thing should be fun.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Costas Picadas)<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve had such an eclectic and inspiring career \u2013 what first drew you to the world of design?<\/p>\n

I always had an art background, and my mom was in the antiques business. You know, she\u2019s now 84 years old, and we were just antiquing together in France. She had a passion that has never left her. And that was instilled in me from a young age.<\/p>\n

I was the one kid who would go to garage sales with her, and I was a collector of a lot of things: baseball cards, comic books, stamps. I guess you could say I have an addictive personality, and when I\u2019m into something, I’m really into it. I then fell in love with art, and once I\u2019d made a bit of money, I started collecting it.<\/p>\n

My theory is that the more you know about something, the more you enjoy it, and so I immersed myself in the art world. People say buy what you love, but to me, it\u2019s more than that, it\u2019s about buying what you appreciate, what you know about.<\/p>\n

What sort of art are you collecting at the moment?<\/p>\n

I love modern art. I go back and forth between photography and painting, but it\u2019s always contemporary stuff. I used to like Damien Hirst, but my tastes have changed now. I like to support young artists and Black artists, people like Glenn Ligon and Kehinde Wiley, both of whom I bought into very early in their careers.<\/p>\n

I’m currently obsessed with the British painter Danny Fox. He is everything I love about art, he has humor, culture, a story. I will own a Fox soon! I also really like Jimmy Lee Sudduth, who is very affordable.<\/p>\n

\"Split<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Matthew Williams)<\/p>\n

‘I guess you could say I have an addictive personality, and when I\u2019m into something, I’m really into it.’<\/p>\n

Robert NovogratzWas there a moment or project that made you realize this was what you were meant to do?<\/p>\n

I started in finance, and I was pretty good at it, I was a good storyteller. I didn\u2019t hate it, but I also didn\u2019t love it. When I got to New York in the early ’90s, there were so many interesting people doing different things that I saw there was another way to live. So I cashed my bonus check and bought a run-down townhouse in Chelsea on 19th Street. I made a lot of mistakes when doing it up, but I loved it.<\/p>\n

Looking back, is there anything you did in the design of that home that you still do now? Can you see the early inception of the Novogratz look in it?<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a great question! We had a really tight budget for that place, so every cent mattered, every decision we made had to count. But it was a classic townhouse and had great bones, and that style of building has become something we gravitate towards.<\/p>\n

I guess our love of decorating with color<\/a> was evident then, too. We took that classic brown building and painted the exterior a pale yellow, which half the neighbors loved and half of them hated. We also bought a lot of vintage tiles<\/a> and door knobs, and doors for it, which is something we\u2019ve kind of gotten away from since then, but you know I\u2019d like to get back to it.<\/p>\n

Our approach has been about how contemporary fittings are more calm, but those vintage things have a charm of their own.<\/p>\n

\"Split<\/p>\n

(Image credit: William Waldron)<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve tackled some pretty ambitious renovations over the years \u2013 what\u2019s been one of the most rewarding transformations you\u2019ve worked on?<\/p>\n

You want everything you do to be amazing, but sometimes the stars don\u2019t align that way. It might be a budget issue, or something to do with the building itself. But with our Nolita house<\/a>, every choice we made turned out to be the right choice. Its width was 25 feet which is big for that sort of townhouse, and made it easier to work with. We put a basketball court on the roof! I just loved it.<\/p>\n

Have you ever taken on a space that felt too far gone to save, only to fall in love with it during the process?<\/p>\n

The last one, the Waverly Place<\/a> house in New York\u2019s West Village, was by far the most expensive, and it took the longest, about three years.<\/p>\n

We were doing it during Covid, and there were issues with the fact that it was landmarked, plus there was a really difficult neighbor. But I loved how it turned out, and it looked so good that the people who bought it ended up taking almost all of our furniture too, which is an endorsement that we got it right.<\/p>\n

\"Pale<\/p>\n

(Image credit: William Waldron)<\/p>\n

And why do you think that was? What makes a house right?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s about a vibe. An energy. A space that is so fun you don\u2019t want to leave it, but that works if you\u2019re with your girlfriend or your grandma, your wife, or six friends who want to party.<\/p>\n

I reference the restaurant Balthazar a lot in my work \u2013 it has a great vibe. That buttery yellow ceiling and the pillars in the same color that support it? I love to use that color, or colors that create the same warmth and energy, whenever I can.<\/p>\n

You and Cortney have been called ‘design disruptors’. Is that a term that resonates with you?<\/p>\n

I never went into this world wanting to be called that, but we felt like there was always going to be someone who was smarter or better than us, so to stand out, we just had to be different. We found our own aesthetic, and people seemed to respond to it, clients seem to want it.<\/p>\n

How would you sum up that aesthetic?<\/p>\n

Eclectic, with a mix of vintage and modern. Always happy, comfortable. And fun is a big word! You can walk into a lot of beautiful spaces, but they\u2019re not fun, everything is white. That\u2019s not the world I want to run in. Give me more fun.<\/p>\n

\"Split<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Matthew Williams)<\/p>\n

“It’s about a vibe. A space that is so fun you don\u2019t want to leave it, but that works if you\u2019re with your girlfriend or your grandma, your wife, or six friends who want to party.”<\/p>\n

Robert NovogratzYou\u2019ve just finished your most recent home, the loft in Union Square. Are you pleased with how it came together?<\/p>\n

We did it in about a month! We\u2019d sold most of our good furniture with the Waverly House, and this was just a project we could tackle quickly. It\u2019s not my dream home \u2013 the kitchen<\/a> and bathrooms<\/a> are a bit dated \u2013 but I\u2019m an optimist, and I like its energy.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m seeing it as a vacation, to be near Gramercy, which is cool for a little bit of time. It\u2019s next door to what was Andy Warhol\u2019s nightclub, The Factory, so we thought we should go heavy on decorating with art<\/a>, making it a cool transitional space. It\u2019s great at night, to sit on the terrace and look at all the lights twinkling.<\/p>\n

Even though it\u2019s not your dream home, are there any rituals you\u2019ve instilled there that have helped you feel grounded?<\/p>\n

I love vinyl, and I love jazz \u2013 I love to put on a jazz record and have a cup of coffee in the morning looking out on a view. Well, actually, at the moment I\u2019m cutting down my coffee from three cups a day to one and a half, so with my morning jazz I\u2019ll have a hot water and lemon. It\u2019s really helping with my energy.<\/p>\n

\"Open<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Matthew Williams)<\/p>\n

Speaking of energy, you also found time to help your son decorate his New York apartment. What was that experience like?<\/p>\n

I guided him a little bit \u2013 it wasn\u2019t a full project for us. He\u2019s a musician, not a designer himself, and New York is so expensive that he didn\u2019t have the appetite to want to do too much. But his place had great light, and I just helped enhance that by getting him some things like some lights from Pooky<\/a> \u2013 you don\u2019t always have to spend a lot to create a fun, homely space.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Tallulah<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Pooky Lighting US<\/p>\n

Tallulah Jute Basket Rechargeable Pendant in Moss by Novogratz<\/p>\n

Woven from jute and seagrass, this pendant gives real European beach club vibes. There are some bolder color options which still feel relaxed, but more statement, and all can be used with Pooky’s rechargeable bulb so you can hang this anywhere.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Brandy<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Pooky Lighting US<\/p>\n

Brandy Mirror in Moss by the Novogratz<\/p>\n

Mirrors feature in the collection at Pooky, and you can see this design used in the Novogratz’s most recent project. Available in green, pink, yellow, and blue, it’s the ideal piece for adding a touch of color to a bathroom or powder room.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Holleder<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Pooky Lighting US<\/p>\n

Holleder Cordless Table Lamp in Sand by the Novogratz<\/p>\n

A cordless lamp with a dimmable, rechargeable bulb makes this the most flexible lighting you can buy. Pair with a patterned shade<\/a> for a statement look on a small scale.<\/p>\n

“You can walk into a lot of beautiful spaces, but they\u2019re not fun, everything is white. That\u2019s not the world I want to run in. Give me more fun.”<\/p>\n

Robert NovogratzWe talked earlier about your baseball card collections as a kid \u2013 what are you collecting at the moment?<\/p>\n

We just finished our office, and did a great wall with a mix of our old clippings. I started making a huge mural out of them, which was fun. I\u2019m addicted to eBay<\/a> and 1stDibs<\/a>, and I love to find vintage prints for under $500. Put them in a frame, and no one knows they\u2019re not the real thing!<\/p>\n

\"Split<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Matthew Williams)<\/p>\n

And lastly, what\u2019s next for you and Cortney?<\/p>\n

We\u2019re designing a house that\u2019s going to be a private club but for families in Brooklyn, kind of like a Soho House vibe, but for kids, too. I\u2019m trying to source the art for that at the moment, and was looking out for pieces in France. It just has to feel like fun, you know?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

The Novogratz Chronicles: Lessons Learned From Twenty-Five Years of Buying and Renovating Houses<\/p>\n

In their most recent book, Robert and Cortney share their design secrets, and personal stories that come with buying, renovating and selling old homes. <\/p>\n

Whether he\u2019s renovating a brownstone, curating art in a loft, or helping his son furnish a first apartment, Robert Novogratz approaches every space with the same infectious mix of optimism, creativity, and curiosity.<\/p>\n

His is a world where homes evolve and life changes as he moves from one space to the next. With decades of experience and fresh projects always on the horizon, Robert continues to prove that great design isn\u2019t about perfection \u2013 it\u2019s about personality, soul, and a little bit of fun.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Robert Novogratz is, at this point, an American design institution. Along with his wife Cortney, he\u2019s been creating…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":33161,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[6225,6485,6486,1120,96,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-33160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33160"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33160\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}