MASTER STROKES
Belle Magazine Australia|October 2023
While interior designer Greg Natale applied his masterly brushstrokes to this grand Georgian Revival home in Melbourne’s southeast a decade ago, the owners invited him back in 2019 to dab more lavish layers onto its vast canvas.
CHRIS PEARSON
MASTER STROKES

And this was not gilding the lily – by retouching his earlier efforts, he has made the home into, some would say, a work of art.

In such a huge home boasting seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms, not all the rooms were remodelled the first time around. And the rooms that were completed needed more warmth for a family now totalling six children and a little tweaking to even better serve their needs. “Evolution rather than a revolution,” says Greg, who embraced the chance to revisit the elegant 1930s mansion.

The owners bought it in early 2013, drawn to its palatial proportions. Two huge sitting areas and separate dining, study and media rooms offered break-out spaces for a boisterous family while also giving them room to mingle. Seven upstairs bedrooms gave the family room to grow. The owners were also seduced by the solid brick construction and the manicured garden, which boasted a pergola, pool and tennis court: a recipe for easy entertaining. But the recently renovated interiors were an avalanche of white, far too chilly for family living, and conspicuously short on glamour for such a gracious home. And the humungous entry, no doubt ideal for wedding receptions, was yawning and unwelcoming as indeed was most of the house.

“The house had amazing bones, but it was bland and the rooms disjointed,” says Greg. “We added intimacy by adding layers and textures.” Luckily, due to those bones, the only structural work needed was the removal of a wall between the main bedroom and the ensuite to create an open-plan parents’ retreat.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 2023 من Belle Magazine Australia.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 2023 من Belle Magazine Australia.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من BELLE MAGAZINE AUSTRALIA مشاهدة الكل
Double handling
Belle Magazine Australia

Double handling

Leading architectural hardware designer Bankston has collaborated with New York's Civilian on a new range of door handles and levers.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2024 - January 2025
Coastal COOL
Belle Magazine Australia

Coastal COOL

A Hamptons-inspired weekender on the Mornington Peninsula is remodelled for three generations of one family.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 2024 - January 2025
CLOUD STREET
Belle Magazine Australia

CLOUD STREET

A sophisticated design with exquisite detailing elevates a top-floor penthouse into a world-class home for a returning local family.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2024 - January 2025
Future proof
Belle Magazine Australia

Future proof

Crafting a beach house that could eventually become a permanent residence meant walking a fine line between relaxed and sophisticated.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 2024 - January 2025
Going with the ith flow
Belle Magazine Australia

Going with the ith flow

Two melds enticingly into one when an inner-city terrace tones up for contemporary living.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2024 - January 2025
CHEF'S kiss
Belle Magazine Australia

CHEF'S kiss

Entertaining by a smart renovation for a family of foodies on a grand scale was made possible

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2024 - January 2025
MAISON D'ART
Belle Magazine Australia

MAISON D'ART

Step into the captivating world of French gallerist Amélie du Chalard, for whom life, art and history are in perfect harmony.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2024 - January 2025
ERA DEFYING
Belle Magazine Australia

ERA DEFYING

An interwar bungalow moves boldly into the 21st century while also celebrating its fabulous past.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 2024 - January 2025
PALM CANDY
Belle Magazine Australia

PALM CANDY

Pink tones cap off a romantic mix of Spanish and Moroccan styles at a designer's weekend retreat.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 2024 - January 2025
HOUSE ROYAL
Belle Magazine Australia

HOUSE ROYAL

A pair of scented leather gloves sent to King George III marks the birth of one of the world's most enduring fragrance houses.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2024 - January 2025