Designers, TV presenters, and raconteurs Robert and Cortney Novogratz are known for their eclectic style. Their homes and projects feature art, collections of curated objets, historical artefacts, and modern furniture pieces. It's always a characterful mix and one that, in the wrong hands, could look disparate. But in theirs, it all comes together as one personality-filled and uplifting whole.
Nowhere is this more true than the couple's beloved home in the Berkshires, Massachusetts, just over the state line from New York. 'We are more chilled here, it’s not a fancy place, but a getaway from our busier lives in New York City,' Robert says. 'We love the area's antiques, its art, its interesting people, and its relaxed way of life.'
All of which are distilled into this home's transitional decor, which has had a recent refresh. 'We bought the house back in 2001, and have decorated it a few times since then. It had gotten to the point it needed another paint job,' Robert says. 'It's now a little more traditional on the outside and cool on the inside.'
Old, new, antiqued, contemporary, here's how the Novogratz have made a masterclass in melding them together.
The living room sums up the Novogratz approach to design perfectly: if you love something, you can find a way to make it work. Placing mid-century storage with a gigantic antique mirror, and a graphic area rug might seem unlikely, but they all work together for a few reasons.
Firstly, they were all handpicked by the couple. 'The mirror we bought in St Tropez after too much to drink – it was such a huge piece, but it had to stay there,' Robert says.
Secondly, the neutral backdrop calms the space down. 'The walls can handle this sort of mix,' Robert says. 'The Simply White paint by Benjamin Moore is a warm and light shade that adds a little airiness.'
And thirdly, it's the scale. 'The mirror is obviously massive, but that's why it works. There is nothing apologetic about it,' Robert says. 'It commands your attention.' It creates a focal point against which everything else becomes a supporting character.
Another space, yet another show-stopping antique mirror, this time in the dining room.
'The mirror is one of those objects we’ll never sell,' Robert says. 'We bought that over 20 years ago, and just love it.' Of the overhaul of this dining room and reading corner, he says the aim was to pare it back.
'We kind of wanted to make it a bit cleaner, with less stuff,' he explains. 'This house has great light, so we needed to bring some color in, which comes from the chairs and the dotted rug. It's hard to mix and match this sort of thing, but again, white is a good backdrop as it gives you freedom to play around with bolder pieces in front of it.'
'I'll admit, the kitchen is a little dated – we did it 20 years ago,' Robert says. 'But it works well, and we keep it fresh with the art on the walls.'
Decorating with art is an unexpectedly easy way to make a kitchen feel more relaxed, less functional, more curated, and more like a place you want to spend time in. 'This is a very relaxed room, and art helps with that lack of formality,' Robert says. 'And while these pieces may not seem related, they're both by British artists, which is a sort of theme between the two.'
If you're planning to use art in your kitchen, Robert has some words of advice. 'Make sure you get it framed – you don't want a canvas in a kitchen,' he says. 'The opportunity for splashes and damage is too great.'
It's not just a white backdrop that allows you to play with pattern and different decor styles within a room. 'I love color, and I love this particular shade of blue paint from Benjamin Moore,' Robert says (he couldn't remember exactly what it's called, but our guess was probably Blue Diamond).
'Matching the tones of the sky, it puts people in a relaxed and happy mood as soon as they see it, meaning they're more accepting of everything else going on in the bedroom,' Robert says.
In the guest bedroom, there are more choices made that it's hard to imagine working on paper, but they do, here. A mid-century style bedframe, a Victoriana-style ceiling light (part of the new Novogratz collection for Pooky), and modern art on the walls.
'But it works because of the tight color scheme,' Robert says. 'Pink and green, and not straying too far from them, helps to bring everything together. This is a favorite of all the guest rooms for people to stay in.'
The Novogratz children are all grown now, but there is still a place for them in the family getaway home. 'We've always used sophisticated art in a kids' room – never kiddie stuff,' Robert says. 'I think people are never too young to develop a taste for art.'
He admits that this approach isn't for everyone. 'We once rented one of our homes to Julia Roberts and the art in the kids' rooms was too intense for her – she took it down,' he says.
Running between all the bedrooms on the upper floor is this photo-filled entryway, bursting with treasured memories.
'That’s all the family on the wall, and for years we kept adding to it,' Robert says. 'Recently, I took them all down and repainted the wall and rehung the frames.'
'A lack of uniformity is what makes this gallery wall work so well,' Robert says. 'This house needs non-matching frames, as it's such a relaxed space. If you free yourself from those rules you think you need to stick to, you have a lot more room to make a house feel like a place your shoulders can drop.'
Get the look
Robert and Cortney Novogratz's style is anything but safe. It pairs different eras, different vibes, different cultural references. But it works because it's almost always against a neutral backdrop, there is space between each piece, and they're not afraid to play with scale and have eye-catching centerpieces. Here's what to buy to allow that same sense of confidence and playfulness.
Similar to the lampshades seen in the guest bedroom, the white base of this fabric print – designed by the Novogratzes themselves – allows you to layer color without overwhelming.
Floral pillows are a key part of the Novogratz bedroom decor approach here, adding a sense of prettiness and whimsy you can't wait to sink into.
White seating is sheathed with loose-fitting covers in the Novogratz living room, the form being as relaxed and welcoming as the home is meant to feel. Plus, it can easily be removed and washed.
Robert Novogratz is confident buying and collecting, and displaying art, but if you feel less so, you can easily find prints you like using Artfully Walls' easy repository. This French art by Edith Kurc is similar to that in his kitchen.
Graphically printed area rugs appear in a couple of rooms in this home, but they always have a neutral base to ground them.
Creating a family photo wall that envelopes an entire hallway doesn't need to be too expensive when chic walnut frames can be bought this affordably at Amazon.
