Tour a Tropical Brutalist Waterfront Home in Sydney
The DNA of a Greg Natale project is always there—from an expressive use of rich materials and colors to an incredible execution of layering. For the artfully maximalist interior designer, the greatest result of any project isn’t merely having his signature touches highlighted throughout a space, but rather having his clients challenge him as he simultaneously pushes them into new directions. This dynamic was exactly the case when working with his old friend, her husband, and their three children on their house in Sydney.
For the three-story and five-bedroom new build—located on a cliff by the Georges River—Natale had the opportunity to work as both architect and interior designer, bringing his attention to detail to every aspect of the home. The project shows off the breadth and depth of Natale’s creativity, and is also one of great passion and emotion. The interior designer’s good friend and client passed away soon after the five-year project was completed, but it carries her vision in every touch and mix of materials and colors.
With the homeowner’s desire for a midcentury space and the already quite tropical setting, Natale looked to the Brazilian brutalist style of architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha for inspiration—especially his designs in raw concrete and rosewood, and interplay of outdoor and indoor areas. “I started piecing together those materials, and [the homeowner] pushed me with color,” Natale says. “She wanted things that were clashing, which is not something I normally do, but I’m so happy with the result.” Patterned tiles—one of Natale’s designs that his friend fell in love with early on—set the tone outside, which interacts with the off-form concrete slabs and the striking black bricks.
Stepping inside the home, rosewood ceilings meet concrete walls and create an attractive grid that is enhanced by the brass-filled tie holes visible in each block. “My passion for layering doesn’t detract from the fact that I am a modernist at heart,” Natale says. His love of clean lines and distaste for clutter allowed for the magic to emerge among the raw materials.
Beyond the rosewood ceilings and American walnut floorboards, a contrasting palette of soft pink, soothing green, and varying shades of teal weave throughout the house. The blush tones seen in sheer curtains, veins of marble, and children’s bathroom tile adds a contrast to the harder concrete surroundings. “[My client] was always challenging the norm,” Natale adds, “like with the marbles in the kitchen and powder room. I wouldn’t normally put these together, but it really is amazing.”
The very ’70s-style sunken lounge is a favorite room in the home, not just for the expansive views of the water and modular forest green Minotti sectional, but also because it shows off the expert color clashing, robust materials, and a signature design element of Natale: mirroring patterns in his rugs and the ceiling. “I designed the rug to mirror the ceiling’s diamond-patterned structure, and the two form an appealing shell that increases the room’s intimacy without losing any of its modernity.”
Moving through the house, from the top-floor primary bedroom and bath with its soothing teal French wash ceilings down through the children’s rooms and ensuite (which all feature a big or small dose of pink accents and teals), the cohesion is evident. Even at the bottom level, where an impressive entertainment room is full of geometric-patterned monochrome tiles and a bold marble bar, the consistent ceilings and walls anchor the layered elements. Vintage midcentury furniture takes the space up a notch, adding to the sense of liveliness.
No matter the cozy interior nook or vibrant outdoor space, the home embraces Brazilian brutalism and Natale’s modernist interpretation, and it also shines with the homeowner’s vision, spirit, and love of color.
