CREATIVE HOME
Greg Natale rolled out the red carpet for his home’s glamorous redesign, with striking works of art and emblems of the disco era – from YSL’s ‘Opium’ to Halston – reflected in its enigmatic mirrored walls.
The disco era informed new horizons at the home of Greg Natale.
WHAT INITIALLY APPEALED TO YOU ABOUT THE SPACE? I am a big Harry Seidler fan and I have admired the Horizon building since I was an architecture student in the early 90s while it was being built. This is my second apartment in this building – not too long ago my partner and I moved into this one. It has the north-west aspect, which is what we were looking for. WHAT WAS THE STARTING POINT FOR THE ALTERATIONS? We were travelling abroad and while at Hôtel Costes in Paris we fell in love with this maroon colour. Ever since I was a teen I have been infatuated by the maroon YSL ‘Opium’ bottle. In perfecting the wall finish I collaborated with the amazing John Volante of Volantes Decorating Service who spent months perfecting the custom glazed maroon so that we really captured the mood of that signature YSL parfum bottle. WHAT INFORMED THE SELECTION OF FURNITURE, ART AND FINISHES? I love mixing styles! In this apartment I relished mixing contemporary, vintage and custom to create a layered environment with personality, with all of the pieces telling their own story. As for the art, I have collected from the periods I personally love which include minimal, hard-edged, pop art, street art and bit of op art in there, too.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE COMPLETED INTERIOR? Warm, cocooning and comfortable. I was really exploring and extending the themes and ideas of my first apartment in Republic 1, which was dark, masculine and 70s-inspired, not far from where we live now. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE DESIGN ELEMENTS? I love that the art pops against the maroon walls. The mirrored walls really open up the space and are inspired by 1990s interiors (which were my
This page Artworks by US artist Al Held hang above an Arcahorn side table and Minotti sofa with cushions by Greg Natale. On the marble coffee table is a ‘Trident’ brass bowl and ‘Diane’ shell and stone box, both by Greg Natale. Opposite page, clockwise from top Marble Fleur sculpture and brass ‘Ziggurat’ bowl, both by Greg Natale, on a Minotti ‘Van Dyck’ dining table. Bathroom walls covered in ‘Ponti’ tiles by Greg Natale with custom joinery and a green terrazzo slab on the floor. Hand soap from Hôtel Costes. In the kitchen, ceiling lights by Kelly Wearstler, custom joinery with brass-wrapped doors, floors in custom Palladiana terrazzo tiles, and a ‘Coito’ sculptural table by Pedro Paulø-Venzon.
formative design student years) as well as the mirrored panels in Halston’s legendary Olympic Tower office in New York. Halston knew how to use mirrors!
HOW DOES THE SPACE REFLECT YOUR DESIGN SENSIBILITIES? I can’t help but have an Italian sensibility – it’s in my blood! I really love collecting Italian vintage furniture; I never get sick of the vintage pieces I find. I enjoy when you can’t immediately tell the difference between contemporary and vintage and I relish the opportunity to blur those lines in my interiors. When it comes to vintage, I like it to look current. My trips to Italy both as a child and an adult is where my love of stone and terrazzo began and was then strengthened, so the kitchen and bathrooms in my house now have different sizes of terrazzo. For me, stone is timeless – it exudes robustness and quality. IS YOUR HOME A SANCTUARY OR DOES IT DOUBLE AS A WORK SPACE? It’s a total sanctuary. I do catch up on work at night, but I wanted our home to feel calming and restful.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT LIVING HERE? I really enjoy living in a high-rise. We live on the 10th floor. I love being elevated and having views of the city, which is why we love using the balcony. It’s the perfect size for entertaining. Being elevated makes me feel safe. I think a home should make you feel safe and secure.
IS THERE A PARTICULAR PERIOD OR STYLE THAT APPEALS TO YOU? A theme I continue exploring in my work is nightclub Studio 54. I love the low, sleek lines of the late 1970s. I’m interested in the mixing of metals, including the stainless steel and brass of that time. I love this era because it forms some of my earliest memories – I was born in 1974. Nightclubs have so much energy, which is exciting. I work better on frantic energy – it’s relatable to me!
IF YOU DIDN’T LIVE IN DARLINGHURST, WHERE WOULD YOU LIVE? Where do I start? I think I could be quite happy in Paris, New York or Milan! WHO ELSE IS INSPIRING YOU AT THE MOMENT? Fashion designer Halston, hotelier Ian Schrager, architect Paul Rudolph, artist Frank Stella, interior designer Marion Hall Best, lighting designer Gaetano Sciolari, furniture designer Paul Evans, and musicians Giorgio Moroda and Donna Summer.
WHAT OTHER PROJECTS ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON? I am working on diversifying my own product lines. I am super excited to be working with new materials such as Perspex, ceramics, porcelain, textiles in jacquards, embroidery and natural alpaca fibres. I’m also focusing on my interiors projects; at the moment we have the full spectrum of homes in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, and a superyacht that is based in Hamilton Island. gregnatale.com