New Life for a Greenwich Village Landmark

An iconic townhouse in New York’s Greenwich Village is transformed into a magical family mansion for celebrity interior designers Robert and Cortney Novogratz and their family.

In the bohemian neighbourhood of Greenwich Village in lower Manhattan is an iconic, Beau Art style, pink stucco townhouse that was built in 1826. Located on 114 Waverly Place in the West Village – a historic arts neighbourhood adjacent to Washington Square Park on the western section of larger Greenwich Village – the house is a neighbourhood landmark that once belongs to an eccentric actress name Celeste Martin who had lived there till her late ‘90s and who had rented out the rooms in the property.

When Martin passed away in 2018, husband and wife celebrity interior designers and lifestyle boutique owners Robert and Cortney Novogratz bought the five-floor, 7,200-square-foot property and worked their magic on it.

The couple, who have seven children between the ages of 14 to 25, had just moved back to New York from the West Coast during the pandemic and the wanted to honour the history of the house while making it a home that’s ideal for them and their children. “We still have three kids living at home and all the others are here frequently. It’s a family house made to be utilitarian as well as stunning from a design POV,” says Cortney.

“The home historically was a gathering place for artists and other creatives. It is in a landmarked area of the Village, which carries with it some rules about what you can do to the structure. It's an iconic house and we wanted to honour its history while bringing it forward into the modern era,” says Robert.

The property had been neglected over the years and its interiors were in bad shape. “Inside, it was filled with garbage and the belongings of the house’s last owner, Celeste Martin, whose father owned various properties in the Village. Martin was a Rockette at one time. We had to take the house practically down to the studs and rebuild, which of course affected our design decisions somewhat, but we were able to preserve the most amazing aspect of the house, a ballroom with 25-foot ceilings, a rarity among West Village brownstones,” says Cortney.

She and Robert spent two years rehauling the house’s tired interiors and turned the property into a stunning family mansion complete with Gucci wallpaper, modern art like Damien Hirst's whimsical Skateboards for Supreme, and European appliances like a sleek La Cornue range, along with an elevator, luxurious mantel from 1stDibs.

Acting as developers, designers, decorators, and architects, the Novogratz restructured the house’s interiors completely. With the help of their friends Jessica J Hutton and Rebecca Hewins, they even worked on the landscape design, adding outdoor spaces on the roof and in the garden, which they planted with beautiful botanicals.

The house has seven bedrooms, five bathrooms, and two half bathrooms spread across the five floors. On the first floor is a sitting room, a huge kitchen and dining area, and a media room that overlooks the spacious ballroom. The sitting room is furnished with a 2232 Passera chandelier by Paul Ferrante, a Nickey Kehoe curved sofa, fabrics designed by the Novogratz, purple MCM chairs from Finch Hudson and art by Misaki Kawai. In the dining are vintage chairs, pendants by Natalie Page Studio, and wall plaster by Kamp. The kitchen is equipped with a La Cornue range and hood, custom millwork, stools by Thomas Hayes Studio, and an Ann Carrington floral sculpture.

The ballroom has a huge window that brings in plenty of natural light, so here, the Novogratz introduced a bright yellow fireplace mantle with walls of contrasting dark blue windows to accentuate the grandeur of the space.

“Finding an original ballroom in a New York City brownstone is definitely unique. It is a stunning room with huge windows, and we have made it a wonderful place for people to gather. We managed to make this ballroom warm and livable even though it is so grand,” says Robert. This area was decorated with PLUMA CUBIC chandeliers by Heika Buchfelder, a pink vintage sectional reupholstered by THE FRAYED KNOT, a vintage rug purchased from ABC Carpet, and a blue Tokujin Yoshioka chair.

The Novogratz had all the floors and windows replaced and included custom-built millwork throughout the house. An elevator was installed to connect the five floors, and what was formerly a dirt pit was transformed into a gorgeous garden. The roof deck was turned into a green oasis that overlooks the Empire State Building. A luxe plaster treatment was used for the interior walls and the exterior walls of the building were painted Ochre.

Plenty of wood, marble, custom millwork, custom doors and windows, and very high-end finishes were used throughout. The result is a truly luxurious home that fits nicely into a historic neighbourhood. All of the design elements were designed by The Novogratz in their inimitable style, which includes mixing modern and vintage, high and low, neutral walls, and lots of pops of colour. The furnishings were sourced and collected from around the world by the couple and include vintage pieces from their favourite store, Cure Thrift in East Village, Gio Ponti Chairs, daring light fixtures, and plenty of affordable Novogratz products and designs.

“To bring an old, beautiful historic building back to life and give it a future while still retaining its old-world charm – that was our goal when renovating this home. The house has transformed the energy of the neighbourhood,” says Cortney.

Photo credit: William Waldron

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