This young, hip couple behind Sixx Design has renovated and rebuilt entire blocks in Manhattan, turning rundown buildings and empty lots into distinctive, well-designed spaces. The Novogratzes share their home design secrets in their new book, Downtown Chic, and their upcoming Bravo reality show, Design Sixx, will follow them in action. Oh, and did we mention that they're doing all of this while raising their seven children in New York City?
Q: What about your children makes you laugh?
A: Everything they do on a daily basis makes us laugh, even when they aren't trying. Watching the kids go through their daily lives provides our lives with lots of humor.
Q: What is your favorite family ritual?
A: Lighting a candle with the kids at church on Sunday. Also, dinner. It gives us a chance to all be together, catch up, and share our days with one another.
Q: What was your most frazzled mom moment?
A: It would have to be when we ran out of diapers in a Mexican airport, with an eight-hour delay, and the 1-year-old twins had bad stomach problems. It wasn't pretty.
Q: What parenting issue do you and your partner disagree most about?
A: We agree on most things. We realize that we are learning on the job and that we are partners.
Q: What is your parenting role: good cop or bad cop?
A: We are both capable of being the good cop and the bad cop; it all depends on the day!
Q: What do you wish you had done before you had children?
A: We don't look back, and we have no regrets. We do everything we want with children.
Q: What is a typical Saturday morning in your house like?
A: Saturday is the toughest day of the week for us. Everybody is going somewhere different at the same time: soccer, basketball, parties.
Q: What was your mom or dad most right about?
A: Work hard. What you put into your life, you get back.
WHAT'S YOUR...
...guiltiest pleasure?
Red wine.
...ideal getaway?
Brazil.
...favorite clothing item?
Vintage jacket.
...current reading material?
The Blue Sweater by Jacqueline Novogratz.
What's your preference:
...chocolate or cheese?
Both.
...cook at home or eat takeout?
Takeout.
...coddle your tot or let him cry it out?
It depends on which child you are asking about.
