Greg Natale of Greg Natale Design

Written

Lucy Feagins

Writer

Lucy Feagins

9th of December 2011

Ciolino interior by Greg Natale Design

Greg Natale / Designer Rugs Collaboration

Many of you may have met The Design Files' guest blog editor and right-hand woman Jenny Butler at TDF Open House last week! Jenny is the glue that holds this crazy caper together and generally keeps my brain from exploding (her role is especially important whilst we are all dying of exhaustion post TDF Open House!).

Ms Butler is a big fan of brave colour and pattern in interior design, and for this reason she's a self confessed Greg Natale groupie! (Scott Weston is also another big fave!). JB has been bugging me for some time to interview Mr Natale, and finally today we are thrilled to share this story with you! (Thanks for hounding me on this one Jenny...!)

Just last month Greg Natale celebrated his 10th year in business with Greg Natale Design. Over the last decade Greg has built his firm from the ground up, and gained a stellar reputation for bold, tightly styled interiors with a distinctly luxe edge! Greg describes his design approach as 'decoration layered over minimalism'. This layered approach is evident in the rich textiles, patterns, wall and floor coverings expertly combined in so many GND project... but I must admit I am not seeing the 'minimalism' part!

Greg Natale Design is a varied practice, tackling commercial, retail and residential projects. In 2009 Greg Natale also collaborated with Designer Rugs to release a new range of rugs for both commercial and domestic use, realising his objective of diversifying into other design disciplines.

Greg Natale has won many design awards and has featured extensively in local and international mags including Belle Magazine, Vogue Living, UK *Wallpaper and British Elle Decoration. OH and he's also been on TV! More recently, Greg was named Interior Designer of the Year at the Belle Coco Republic Interior Design Awards 2011. OMG so many awards. Impressive stuff.

Big thanks to Greg for his time with this interview and all the glorious images! You can never have too many chandeliers.

Greg Natale

Congratulations on 10 years of Greg Natale Design!! Tell us a little about your background – did you always want to be an interior designer?

Thankyou! I always wanted to be an interior since the age of ten! Before I started Greg Natale Design in 2001, I worked for private practices for 5 year honing on my work experience in retail, residential and commercial areas. While I was working pre 2001, I was doing private work which got published which generated phone calls and I was also at the point where I wanted creative freedom, so I just went with wave and have never looked back.

Iliffe interior by Greg Natale Design

Iliffe interior by Greg Natale Design, featuring Greg Natale Designer Rugs

What does a typical day at work involve for you?

Client meetings, site meeting, being in the office, seeing suppliers and designing when I can!

Your projects are very varied – from residential to retail, commercial and a range of gorgeous rugs. What have been some of your favourite projects in recent years?

Woollahra house because it was really a new look we created which has led to many versions of this house, it featured a black and white pallet with traditional details. Uscari, again because we created a new look which incorporated raw materials in a refined way.

Woollahra House by Greg Natale Design

Retail design for Uscari

How would you describe the Greg Natale Design aesthetic?

We fuse architecture, design and decoration, we basically layer decoration over minimalism. Is this a good reflection of your personal sense of style in my own home? Of course! But my own personal style is grey and grey and quite moody, I call it masculine glamour. I am moving into a new place in December, this place will black and white with pops of camel blue and pink.

Greg Natale's apartment - masculine glamour indeed!

Greg Natale's apartment

What are your top 5 creative resources across any media?

Belle Magazine US Elle Decor German Architectural Digest www.coolboom.com Amazon for design books

Which other designers, artists or creative people are you most inspired by at the moment?

I am inspired by so many things... here is a list of who I admire -

Harry Seidler David Katon Paul Rudolph David Chipperfield Kelly Wearstler Jonathan Adler Gio Ponti Frank Stella The late English David Hicks Mies Van der Rohe William Haines

Twomey residence - Greg Natale Design

What would be your dream project?

A hotel, where I cold bring everything together.

Dr Kohout Plastic Surgeon waiting room - interior design by Greg Natale Design

What are you looking forward to?

Renovating the office, we are taking the office space next door and doubling the size of the office! I haven't worked worked out the look yet but this will be my little project for next year.