Meeting Of Minds

A designer and homeowners with the same acute sense of style collaborated to create this swish home with art deco-influenced nuances

- Leanne Mirandilla

Award-winning Australian designer Greg Natale is no stranger to sumptuous luxury, having earned plenty of accolades for his extravagant yet soothing interiors. This project, a home accommodating a family of five in Sydney, saw him working with clients with equally in-depth knowledge of opulence— Vince and Melissa Ciolino, the proprietors of Ciolino Constructions, a boutique firm that has built homes for some of Sydney’s best designers, including Natale himself.

“These clients are old friends of mine,” says Natale. “As well as being friends, they have a great understanding of design and construction. We have collaborated on bringing homes to life for many of my other clients. Having that easy, familiar and relaxed conversational level made it easier to cut through to the decision making—be it around structure, construction or aesthetics.”

In fact, it was one such collaboration that inspired the design concept for the clients’ home. “They had seen a house we had completed in Sydney’s Rose Bay that was in keeping with the style of the art deco period,” says Natale. “We decided to reference the house but accent this home with a blush pink palette rather than the blue that we had utilised previously.”

TIME FOR CHANGE

Designing the home required an intensive overhaul of the original structure. The house was initially a single-level brick bungalow typical of Sydney’s inner-west area, but Natale added a second storey, an extension at the back of the building, and a swimming pool. The structure was also remodelled into the desired art deco style with clean lines.