9 by design

Rue Magazine issue five hits virtual newsstands on Monday, May 23, and I am pleased to share an exclusive sneak peek with you! Featured in the upcoming issue is a budget-friendly project from design and developer duo Robert and Cortney Novogratz, of 9 by Design fame. Their firm Sixx Design was hired by a young couple just starting their lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and you'll see the evolution of this project on their upcoming HGTV show, Home by Novogratz, which premieres this Summer.

I love how they've given what seems like a cookie-cutter modern kitchen (with gorgeous zebrawood cabinets) a much more lived-in and historical look with vintage furnishings. The colorful, worn, industrial metal stools and bar cart juxtapose beautifully with the shiny new modern appliances, and the delicate, crystal chandelier lends a feminine style to the masculine interior.

The deity artwork above this white cabinet has an eccentric, thrifted look that's quintessential to the Novogratz style; I can just imagine them unearthing it in a Manhattan flea market. The only thing that puzzles me is this mauve appliance — is that a bread box? I guess we'll find out when the issue goes live on Monday! Can't wait to flip through the whole magazine!

Photos by Emily Anderson and Matthew Williams

All of the Novogratz kids have unique names, but their parents, Robert and Cortney, of Sixx Design, didn't pick them at random. In an interview for The Futon Critic, the dad of seven explained the stories behind his kiddos' creative names. He said:

We're Austrian so Wolfgang is from Wolfgang Amadeus but our joke is that in New York and LA they think we named him after Wolfgang Puck. Bellamy we just heard it when we were in France and I think the correct pronunciation is Bel Ami, which means "beautiful love." Tallulah is very Southern and there's a town in Georgia called Tallulah Falls. Breaker was named after the movie "Breaker Morant" and Harry Breaker Morant who is the man, a horseman, a poet, a soldier and that's one of my favorite movies ever so that's Breaker. Five is kind of random and, of course, he was our fifth child. My Mom pressured us even after he was born to change it and we almost switched to Felix but we didn't. The older generation likes it. With Holleder, my father was an All-American football player at West Point and the quarterback on the team was Don Holleder and he was killed at Vietnam. He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated for football and then the cover of Life for dying in Vietnam. My father thought he had two heroes in his life and that was one of them so it had a meaning to it. Going back to the army thing, my father was a Colonel but when I was aged 7-12 he was Major so that's where we came up with Major (the newborn's name). We thought that was a cool name and he was pretty touched by that. So each of them has a story and they're not just crazy names.

What inspired your child's name? Share your story!

Photo courtesy of Bravo

Robert and Cortney Novogratz of Sixx Design are known for their stunning remodels, but the husband and wife team also put some time into coming up with unique names for their children. Each of the couple's seven kids — Wolfgang (Wolfie), 12, Tallulah and Bellamy, 10, Breaker, 8, Five and Holleder (Holly), 4, and Major, 1, has a cool personality to complement their name. CasaSugar first told us about this fun family and now we can't get enough of their Bravo show — which gives viewers a peek inside how the parents creatively balance their business and party of nine. Which name is your favorite and why?

Photo courtesy of Bravo

Husband and wife team Robert and Cortney Novogratz of Manhattan design powerhouse Sixx Design, untrained designers, only accidentally learned that they had a knack for renovating derelict homes when they turned their own first home into a fantastically unique, high-style abode. They sold it, moved on to designing their next home, sold that one, and then just sort of . . . never stopped. Since the '90s, they've designed and developed a dozen or so properties mostly in Manhattan (including at least five they've lived in), rebuilt entire blocks, and even designed a hip boutique hotel at the Jersey Shore. To top that, they have seven children — seven! Last May, the couple met much applause with their first book, Downtown Chic, a memoir of sorts chronicling seven of their projects. Come April 13, they'll be making their television debut on Bravo's new show 9 By Design. The series follows the family over the course of six months, during which they worked on six large-scale design projects, including The Bungalow Hotel, a 10,000-square-foot glass house on the West Side Highway, and a converted gun shop in SoHo. I watched a screener of the first few episodes, and let me tell you, it's good! This family's life is so hectic and unusual that it's really interesting to watch how they juggle their kids and their career. And they do pull it off: they're a truly talented couple. Actually, take a tour of one of the homes they renovate during the show in this Coveted Crib and see for yourself. Can't wait to watch the full season!

Photo Courtesy of Bravo