Designer-architect Greg Natale was thrilled when his clients asked him to decorate her apartment in the Astor construction in Sydney, Australia. Constructed in 1923, the Astor was Sydney’s first high-rise apartment construction and first residential co-op construction. “Many of Sydney’s famous have dwelt in this address. It used to be the tallest building in Sydney at one stage and still has an atmosphere of glamour that was sacred. I had to care for the area with respect and love,” says Natale.

Natale did just that and so much more: He restored and brought back every coved cornice and architrave with attachment. Natale also breathed new life to an apartment which reacts to the building’s classic without losing touch of the clients’ requirement to have a contemporary, fresh and lively home.

in a Glance
Who lives here: An expert bunch
Location: Sydney, Australia
Size: 1,200 square feet
That is interesting: The interior designer’s work in this unit earned him a commendation for residential decoration in the 2012 Australian Interior Designer’s celebrity.

Greg Natale

Natale’s attachment for strong geometric patterns and new regency design is evident throughout the area, specially from the master bedroom. Tufted upholstery and beddings in varying shades of gray coordinate with the draperies, developing a luxe yet elegant space.

Like most of his endeavors, the procedure has been a collaboration between Natale and his clientele. The chandelier and tufted headboard — an anchoring piece from the room — appeal the clients, for instance.

Rug: Pigeon Grey, Designer Cabinets; black lacquer and gold nightstands, Kindel; background, Hexagon, Cole & Son

Greg Natale

The decorative molding and trim from bright white heightens the contrasting effect of this wallpaper’s hexagonal pattern. Natale custom built floor-to-ceiling storage which retains to the style of the rest of the space.

Chandelier: clients’

Greg Natale

The female customer “had asked for more storage, internal laundry and his-and-her wardrobes [entry in previous picture]. We made the conscious decision to turn the third bedroom, the smallest among the three, to this new apparel glider,” states Natale.

Greg Natale

This bedroom corner is a piece of regency paradise: A bold background pattern, a neoclassical gilt headboard frame, a black lacquer nightstand along with whispers of Asian themes tie the space together with a boom.

Greg Natale

The mirror’s gilt frame draws out the gold trim and metal drawer pulls of this Dorothy Draper chest in the entryway.

Chandeliers and zebra hide: clients’

Greg Natale

Dining chairs reupholstered in Kelly Wearstler fabric echo the abstract artwork. A corner bar cabinet sings the maximum note in the dining room, with its eye-catching accessories.

Greg Natale

The fashion of the full area is right to a construction from the 1920s, but the green kitchen chimney feels very on trend. “I brought in small elements of modern details that help the space feel current despite its history and pedigree,” states Natale.

Greg Natale

The kitchen also adds to this unit’s drama. Black and white marble tiles placed in a diamond pattern line the floor, and brightly colored china and other porcelain pieces belonging to the clients peek out from in the cabinetry.

Greg Natale

A Laura Kincade hickory chair got a jazzed-up makeover with Kelly Wearstler cloth. Neoclassical decorative molding coexists harmoniously with the high-glam furnishings and metallic finishes.

“Any cornicing, skirting, doors and floorboards which were replaced in the Astor construction are given back to construction direction for future use,” states Natale.

Greg Natale

Here, brass ram’s head bases make a captivating coffee table base.

Greg Natale

This living room vignette reveals just how fearless Natale is in showcasing his love of new regency style. There is a lot to look at, yet no detail feels over the top: Gold cabinet trim, metallic pulls along with a gilded thing with reptilian details play crucial supporting roles to the star of this space, the sunburst mirror.

More:
Supersleek Contemporary Home in Australia

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