Creating luxurious home interiors – with Greg Natale

Pattern, layers and bold colour are just some of the design tools Greg Natale uses in his extraordinary interiors. Modern yet classic, opulent yet sophisticated – Natale has championed a unique Australian aesthetic and, yes, the adjective ‘sexy’ does come to mind.

The winner of numerous awards, including Belle Coco Republic Interior Designer of the Year in 2014 and 2011, and a design collaborator with Porter’s Paints, Designer Rugs and Teranova tiles, Natale took time out of his busy schedule to share some sage interior design advice with Domain.

From practical tips on adding sophistication to your home and making a small room look larger, to styling ornaments and his personal design tricks – we were all ears!

Q. You are renowned for creating luxurious interiors that manage to be expressive, striking, functional and refined all in one. Who or what inspires your style?

Greg Natale: I’ve always been inspired by the work of the late English designer David Hicks – the way he worked with bold colours, patterns and layering, mixing modern and classic lines, was mesmerising. Danish designer Verner Panton has been another influence for me, particularly his style of layering with repeated patterns.

In terms of contemporary inspirations, I’m constantly looking to the worlds of art, design and fashion – I’m a big fan of fashion designer Tom Ford’s sexy, sophisticated style.

Q. How do you approach designing a home interior?

Greg Natale: The first and most important step for me is to establish the starting point of the project. This could be the architecture of the house, which may inspire the interior design by its lines, tones or era. Or it could be a favourite piece of furniture that, when reupholstered, may dictate the setting for a new look. Or it could be a treasured artwork, whose design or palette may be the basis for a theme. I will always identify this first, then build up a concept from there.

Q. What advice do you have for homeowners looking to revamp their home who feel confused about choosing a style?

Greg Natale: Just as I have mentioned above, I would advise first finding your starting point. I think it can be misleading to start your design by thinking ‘I like this style or that style’ or ‘My favourite colours are green and blue’ because you don’t know how these will work in the given space. It’s more useful and realistic to work from a particular starting point, then introduce different textures, colours and elements to bring balance, contrast and build up your design. And remember to edit as you go – pull back and keep things tightly composed.

Q. How can a homeowner add a touch of luxury to their living or entertaining area?

Greg Natale: Investing in a key piece that has been made to last, such as a quality sofa, beautiful rug or étagère [a display piece featuring open shelving and closed cabinetry], is one way to introduce a touch of luxury. A well-made piece will continue to reward you long after the purchase.

You can use accessories to add small touches of luxury throughout – often their materials deliver the luxe factor in themselves. An example might be a pair of elegant marble candleholders, a metallic sculpture or a cluster of ceramic vases. And, to me, an artwork is the ultimate luxury accessory, as well as a treasured personal choice.

Q. What are some of your favourite design tricks when styling?

Greg Natale: I’ll always champion the importance of layering in an interior: from walls and ceilings to window treatments, furniture, rugs and soft furnishings, and the finishing touches of accessories and art. These are the key elements that make for a warm, inviting and liveable space.

I like to treat kitchen benches as a piece of furniture in themselves, and pay attention to their form, not just their function. A bench on legs can look elegant, while [wood] panelling can add detail and interest, especially if it highlights or contrasts with lines elsewhere. Choosing a luxe slab of black or white marble for the benchtop and contrasting it below with the opposite monochrome can make a striking statement.

When it comes to displaying your ornaments and accessories, a group of three is a good number for creating an attractive vignette.

Q. Any tips on making a small room feel larger?

Greg Natale: Go for smaller pieces, but not fewer of them – you still need all the key pieces that make up a warm, layered interior. However, choose furniture with slimmer silhouettes and less height, try one-drawer bedside tables and opt for round rather than square side tables.

Get your main furniture up off the ground – a sofa on legs, for example, immediately gives a sense of more space in a room.

Don’t be afraid of using wallpaper – it can create depth and energy, visually enhancing a room’s dimensions.

Q. What fresh design trends are emerging? Would you say Australia has its own interior design language?

Greg Natale: There’s definitely a reawakened interest in the postmodernist Italian design group Memphis, with its vivid colours, graphics and quirky geometrics. The Memphis influence was very much in evidence at the recent Life Instyle trade show – good news for me, as this is one of my favourite design movements.

Metallics has also been emerging as a strong trend for a while, in all its forms, from rose gold to chrome to aged brass.

Yes, I’d say Australia has its own interior design language – it’s fairly pared back and reveals a Swedish influence. There’s not a big emphasis on layering, but hopefully this will evolve.

Q. Any must-have homeware or furniture items you are currently excited about?

Greg Natale: I’m loving sofa tables at the moment, and we’re using them quite a lot right now at Greg Natale Design. Sitting neatly behind a sofa, they’re a stylish way to introduce more display and storage space.

Q. Your book The Tailored Interior offers a key insight into your design approach. Could you pick one interior (hard, we know) that you feel particularly passionate about and talk us through the design?

Greg Natale: It’s like being asked to pick a favourite child! Impossible. But I’ll talk you through a three-storey, four-bedroom modern Queenslander in Brisbane, which illustrates principles of layering, balance and contrast in a large space.

The brief was for a house that was ‘full, layered and contemporary’. Considering its generous proportions – as you can see particularly in the living and dining areas – it was essential that we filled the space with sufficient and sizeable pieces to ensure it was welcoming and liveable.

We took the house’s angled roofs as our starting point, echoing them in the interior through the use of lines and geometrics – for example, diagonal timber treatments on the windows at the entry to connect outside and inside. Square panels on the white ceiling reflect the black and white marble floor squares below. The echoing pattern in ceiling and floor also draws the two together – a visual way of reducing the space to more liveable proportions.

Here, too, a play on angles and curves takes place, with two round coffee tables offsetting the angles of the living room, a space generous enough to hold their proportions. Further curves are introduced through the armchairs and the loose graphics of a striking artwork behind the dining table.

A black and white palette and love of pattern are central to this house, with marble offering its own swirls and angles across different rooms, a three-level metal screen providing a visual statement beside the staircase, and striped wallpaper appearing in various colourways throughout. What keeps the look tightly edited is that the furniture adheres to a neutral palette of taupe and navy, with the occasional pop of orange. The overall effect is a bright, bold and striking place with a contemporary deco feel.

For more home inspiration, Greg Natale’s book The Tailored Interior is packed full of bold interiors and design advice.

Photography by Anson Smart