Greg Natale

A relaxed conversation. A bold style. An interior designer who thinks bigger, in search of the unexpected. Introducing Greg Natale, the Australian designer who defies the norms of the luxury code. Known for his mastery in combining colours and patterns, Greg’s career has been filled with rewarding experiences, having created the Greg Natale Design studio in 2001. He loves to make the most of what culture has to offer, admitting that he tends towards maximalist design combined with a "strong modernist sensibility”. He assures us that his style is constantly evolving, but that, whatever happens, aesthetics and functionality will always coexist in a perfect and sophisticated way. Now, and with Trends, as you’ll read in the next lines.

Have colours and patterns always been two great passions of yours?
Colour and pattern are essential elements within all of my projects. It’s these expressive, dynamic and luxurious details that really bring a space to life and create an emotional impact. Pattern has always been part of my DNA – in fact, my second book was titled The Patterned Interior as a tribute to my enduring love of pattern! My latest book, The Layered Interior, also reflects this passion, celebrating the ways in which a considered composition of finishes, furnishings, art and accessories with striking contrasts and rich variations in colour and pattern can imbue an interior with warmth, personality, drama and flair. As with my passion for interior design, my love of pattern began when I was very young, growing up in the 1970s in my family home in Sydney. The house featured patterned floor tiles – a bold element that reflected both the fashion of the era and our Italian heritage. When I started working in the 1990s and set up my practice in the early 2000s, the prevailing look at the time was very clean and minimal. In some ways I rebelled against that by introducing more layers to my interiors and playing up my passion for colour and pattern. My first project, designed for my sister, revived an archival pattern by Florence Broadhurst and layered it throughout the space to maximalist effect. It was a bold, pattern-on-pattern look that garnered a lot of attention and really launched my practice on the design landscape.

When it comes to creativity, where do you find your inspiration? 
I love to draw on a wide array of cultural references, from film and television to art, fashion and music – and I distil all of those influences within my interiors and product designs. This goes back to when I was very young and was so inspired by the interiors I would see on screen, particularly Alexis Carrington’s office on Dynasty! I also love to draw on particular eras and moments in fashion and music, including Studio 54 in the late 1970s and the new wave superstars from the early 80s. The architecture from that era has been another influence – I’ve always been inspired by Halston’s Manhattan townhouse by modernist architect Paul Rudolph, and a lot of the 1970s and 80s postmodernist Italian architects have informed my aesthetic as well. But I also love brutalism, art deco and Italian rationalism, and Gio Ponti’s design for the Parco dei Principi hotel in Sorrento features patterns that I often refer back to. While my style leans towards the maximalist, with lots of layers of pattern, colour and mixed materials, underpinning those elements there is always a strong modernist sensibility. Travel is also a major influence on my work, and I love to look at fashion retail spaces for inspiration whenever I’m travelling. 

Is there anyone you look up to in the industry?
Paul Rudolph, Oscar Niemeyer, Gio Ponti, Harry Seidler, Mario Botta, David Hicks, Martyn Lawrence Bullard, Jonathan Adler, Verner Panton and Kelly Wearstler.

Who is Greg Natale the person?
I’m so passionate about my work and it encapsulates so many of the creative influences that have shaped me as a person, so I think you can tell quite a bit about Greg Natale the person from my designs. I have always loved music, fashion and art, and I love the excitement and frantic energy of nightclubs where all of those worlds come together. That’s why I often reference Studio 54 – I love the low, sleek lines of the late 1970s and I enjoy mixing metals such as stainless steel and brass. I was born in 1974, so the disco era forms some of my earliest memories. 

Tell us something nobody knows about you.
I studied art history and architecture before setting up my interior design practice. And while I didn’t become an architect or an art historian, I’m still so passionate about those disciplines and they have obviously been very important influences for my interior design work.

What was the greatest injustice you’ve ever heard about your work?
Pattern can sometimes be provocative. I love to be bold and mix expressive, dramatic gestures within a space, but this can also generate strong reactions and it might not always be for everyone. However, I think that’s also what makes each project so unique and exciting, as well as perfectly tailored for the client. There might have been a time when the word ‘decorative’ was sometimes used dismissively, but today I think people can see that a beautiful, sophisticated balance of decorative elements is what makes an environment liveable, luxurious and interesting to be in. It excites the eye, expresses personality and tells a story.

 "I love to be bold and mix expressive, dramatic gestures within a space”

Is boldness the stamp you leave on all your projects?
I love to create bold moments with striking contrasts, expressive patterns, rich tones, nuanced textures and dramatic sculptural elements. But these theatrical gestures are always considered and balanced – there is a modernist structural logic that grounds all of these maximalist layers. 

Have you stuck to the same style throughout your career?
My style is always evolving as I am constantly pushing the boundaries with my aesthetic while also being attuned to the needs and desires of my clients. But there is definitely a signature that can be traced from my early work to now – particularly my use of pattern and colour in creating interiors that are tailored, curated and sophisticated while exhibiting a certain boldness. You need to have a point of view as a designer. And lately I would use the term ‘maximalist’ to describe my signature style, as it reflects the layered sensibility that is so essential to my work.  

What piece would it be impossible to live without in your home.
Art is a major inspiration for my work as well as an essential layer within all of my interiors projects. At home my collection includes pieces by Frank Stella, Andy Warhol and Keith Haring – and all of those artists have inspired me in some way, and they’re also evocative of a certain artistic moment in 1970s and 80s New York that I love to refer back to in my own work. 

How would you say you have contributed to the evolution of the world of design?
I hope that my work has brought some passion, energy, personality and dynamism to interior design. As I mentioned, when I’m creating an interior I like to draw on influences from outside the design sphere and incorporate other cultural references. I’m not necessarily thinking about design in a silo; it’s about being open to a wider library of visual, cultural or historical inspirations. So in that sense, I hope I have expanded the possibilities of interior design and embedded it within the broader culture while also showing how beautiful spaces can be created by layering and mixing interesting materials such as stone and metal with painterly or graphic patterns and sumptuous tonal contrasts.

How would you define a good interior designer and tell us the greatest challenges they face.
I think it's really important to have a signature style so that you stand out as a designer with a defined point of view. It’s about looking around and forging a path that is distinct from what other people are doing. You need to be true to yourself and reflect your own personal style, while also meeting the requirements of the client.

Describe your dream project, if budget were not an issue? 
There are so many dream projects! I would love to unleash my vision across a luxury hotel. In terms of products, I’ve always wanted to design lighting, which is something I’m working on at the moment.

 "My style is always evolving as I am constantly pushing the boundaries with my aesthetic”

Will functionality prevail over aesthetics in the future?
Functionality is crucial to all of my projects – a space needs to work in order to be liveable. But this always needs to be balanced with moments of beauty and drama that create visual interest, excitement and verve. Those details are ultimately what makes a space warm, inviting and visually compelling, and life would be pretty boring without them. So no, I don’t think functionality with entirely prevail over aesthetics – they need to coexist in a seamless and sophisticated fashion.

What’s your favourite collection?
It’s impossible to choose because I love them all, but I’m naturally most excited about the next collection on the horizon. We have just unveiled our 2023 collections with our first exhibition at Maison&Objet in Paris. Many of the new ceramics in the show were inspired by the intersection of art, fashion and music that emerged from the underground club scenes of the 1970s and 80s, and the Debbie collection of studded vessels pays tribute to legendary Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry. Layering punk iconography over elegant forms, these vases, bowls and planters are spiked with glittering gold or silver stud details and glazed in black, white or sage – mixing rock-and-roll energy with rebellious downtown style.

What projects do you have planned for the near future?
I’m excited to release the Debbie collection, along with the other pieces launched at Maison&Objet. I’ve wanted to design a lighting collection for a long time, so I’m excited to be working on that at the moment. We’re also working on several international interiors projects at the moment – including a house in Oklahoma and a townhouse in New York – and we’re doing our first project in Tasmania, Australia. 

Do you consider yourself a ‘rebel without a pause’?
In the sense that I never stop pushing boundaries with my work and I have a lot of energy, yes!