
New York City may not be the typical place to raise a large and growing family, but for the Novogratz family, there's no place they'd rather be. With six kids (and the seventh due any day), a new renovation project on Manhattan's Westside Highway and a short window in which they must move out of their current home, the Novogratz clan has a full plate -- but the series showcases how the family that works together can make anything happen.
Bob and Cortney Novogratz started renovating run-down urban facilities in New York City in the early 1990s. With little funds, they renovated a space in the then up-and-coming Chelsea neighborhood. Musician Suzanne Vega offered to rent the property at three times the mortgage, and with their first son Wolfgang in tow, Cortney and Bob took the deal and moved on to bigger and better opportunities in the city.
While living in a two-bedroom apartment as they renovated their second property, the couple welcomed their first set of twins, Bellamy and Tallulah. Upon finishing their second renovation, Cortney and Bob realized that they had a true knack and eye for creating dream homes out of wreckage, and their family business was born. A couple renovated houses later, son Breaker was born, quickly followed by their second set of twins, Five and Holleder.
Renovating and selling houses is a challenging business, but as Cortney said: "We are risk takers, we look at places no one else would ever dream of looking at." Overall, the risks have paid off, but Cortney added, "It's the ugly times that are the most exciting and the most fun."
In the premiere episode, the series introduces the large family – two parents, six kids and one other due soon – who are residing in their downtown apartment while waiting for their latest renovation project to be finished. Space is cramped for the family at the moment, but the team comes together as they embark on yet a new chapter of their lives with a new baby on the way, a new home being renovated and new projects on the horizon.
The family's inspiring and intriguing style lingers in all of their renovation projects, in which they typically reside in for a period before moving on to another project. But they always leave a piece of their hearts with each home they create. Throughout the season, the enthralling aspects of the incredible family unit are illuminated through genuine moments of creative inspiration and love.