THE SUPERB AND UNEXPECTED ON EVERY PAGE
STAY CONNECTED
COLOR POP
SOCIAL REGISTER
Celebrity design duo The Novogratz have transformed their holiday home in the Berkshires from a traditional country manor into a colorful, eclectic retreat for their family of nine.
MANDI KEIGHRAN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: WILLIAM WALDRON
The Novogratz with their seven children at their Berkshires holiday home. The traditional country manor has been given a colorful makeover—including bright pink shutters.
Husband and wife design duo Cortney and Robert Novogratz need little introduction. For more than 25 years, the couple have been designing and developing fabulous properties across the US for boutique hotel developers, A-list celebrities, Fortune 500 companies, and many discerning private clients. They have even starred in two reality television shows with their seven children, 9 by Design and Home by Novogratz. While their primary residence is in New York, they also own a country retreat in The Berkshires—and they recently transformed their holiday home from traditional country manor into a whimsical retreat that celebrates their idiosyncratic style.
“The house is an escape from NYC and city life,” reveals Robert. “Therefore, we wanted the design to be fun and not necessarily predictable—something uniquely ours. Throughout the years, we’ve often redesigned this property as our family has evolved. This house is like a design lab for us where we can test out different ideas.”
The couple is known for their colorful, vibrant interiors that mix vintage finds with contemporary design and high-end furniture with more affordable pieces to create relaxed spaces with a strong personality. It’s this approach that shines through in their Berkshires home.
It’s not the first time the couple have redesigned the home. When they bought it in the early 2000s, it was a warren of small, dark rooms, including a commercial space. Over the years, they have brightened it up to create a home where they can enjoy nature and entertain friends and family
The home now features a large living room and openplan ground floor with white floors and abundant windows that allow natural light to flood the interior. For the latest redesign, the Novogratz used window treatments from their recent collaboration with The Shade Store, which boasts patterns the couple describes as “Old New York meets Parisian Flair” or “Wes Anderson meets Gucci.”
“We love to mix high and low design,” says Cortney. “The Shade Store window treatments add a level of luxury. We’ll then mix in furniture and rugs from our super affordable mass line. We’re always on the lookout for new pieces and source furniture from our travels, estate sales, flea markets, and antique stores from the Berkshires and Hudson Valley. Even our art is a mix of the collectible and flea market finds.”
The ground floor is flooded with natural light and features white floors and walls that create a bright, neutral setting for the couple’s eclectic collection of furniture and artwork.
The Novogratz have been collaborating with The Shade Store for nearly 20 years and this is the couple’s third major collection with the brand. “It’s based on a home we’re designing in the West Village—the iconic Pink House. It’s bold and bright, but we always include a neutral option in each pattern. The collection is meant to be fun and imaginative like all our designs.”
The walls of the stairwell leading to the second floor are covered in black and white family portraits.
Designing a home for a family of nine was always going to pose some challenges—particularly when it comes to space. There are five bedrooms located upstairs, with a master bedroom and four smaller bedrooms for the seven children to share. Each of the bedrooms is painted in vibrant hues and filled with art and other treasures.
“The use of color in the house is uplifting and cheerful,” says Cortney. “It can turn an ordinary room into something more. Even in a white room, accents and pops of color offer depth, fun, and always something unexpected.”
The kitchen features a large popsicle artwork by Adelaide Cioni above vintage stools.
Subtly iridescent details include mother-of-pearl marquetry on the skirting, and Venetian mirror on the headboard.
Although the bedrooms are relatively small, the attic is also livable, offering a second large living space, and the open kitchen has been designed for the family of nine to be able to enjoy meals together. A large portrait wall on the stairway to the second floor features black-and-white photographs that celebrate the family’s history.
“This house is never finished—it’s an ongoing, everdeveloping project for us, and we’re always testing out new ideas,” says Robert. “We’ve celebrated many events here, and the design has been the backdrop for the memories we’ve created. This latest upgrade feels like a major chapter in the home.”
thenovogratz.com, shopthenovogratz.com