A Designer Was Invited Back a Decade Later to Give This Modern Home a "French-Take-on-Minimalism" Makeover

It’s not often an interior designer gets the opportunity to go back and redesign an old project, so Greg Natale was thrilled when the new owner of this pretty Art Deco house in Sydney, formerly built in the 1930s as two apartments, asked him to work his magic a second time.

"Eleni fell in love with the proportions of the home and envisioned something more," he shares. "I was grateful that she trusted me to take it to where she wanted it to be. You have a close connection with any house you design, and it has been really interesting for me to learn about how I’ve evolved as a designer."

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Where once the style was Hollywood Regency — think red bamboo dining chairs and Greek key-patterned rugs — Eleni asked for something "calm and Zen-like, so we went for a French take on minimalism, with chevron floors, lots of marble and European furniture," says Greg.

"As a designer, I’m big on detail, which is key to creating really immersive interiors, which is what I wanted to do here — something minimal and clean, but warm and textural."

Thanks to its Art Deco DNA, the house has lots of softly curving corners inside and out, which Eleni asked Greg to lean into in his design.

"Eleni has Greek heritage and loves the Greek islands," he says. "I wanted to connect to that vernacular of architecture and interiors, without it being too literal."

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With a sculptors’ eye — and working closely with his go-to plaster expert — Greg created wavy coffered ceilings, softly undulating walls, sweeping arches, and a pièce de resistance ribbon-like staircase.

"We wanted this fluid vertical element that makes an incredible statement when you first enter the house," he explains.

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Upstairs they added numerous custom-made curving lightwells into the ceilings, to drench the house in natural light. All of these curves have been enveloped in a clay wash in a soft, creamy tone.

"The clay finish brings that beautiful texture to the rooms that minimalist interiors really need," he says. "Paint would be too cold."

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While the house is pale and interesting, Greg’s use of marble brings a hit of color to many of the rooms, from the ink-like swirls of the hall floor to the monolithic kitchen island, as well as giving each of the bathrooms a unique personality.

Blonde timber floors complete the simple material palette; "I chose American oak with a matte finish, and used a chevron, rather than herringbone pattern for a more contemporary look," says Greg.

The furniture may be contemporary and eclectic but there’s a definite 70s slant to the pieces. "I love the glamour of 70s design," he says.

Black elements — from chairs to hardware — are dotted through the rooms, acting as a visual punctuation mark. "If everything is light-colored, it can become a bit boring," Greg explains. "The black helps you to appreciate all the pale shades."

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Despite his many years at the top of his design game, Greg is always learning and evolving.

"It has been such a great experience to go back and create something just as special, but completely different in this space," he says. "Eleni has told me that it feels like a luxurious sanctuary for her now. I hope I’ll get to go back and redesign it for a third time, but not for a long while yet."

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