Not many of our coffee table subjects can lay claim to designing their own but this week is a little different. This week we take you inside interior design virtuoso Greg Natale’s new Sydney office that features a one-off, bespoke coffee table designed by the man himself.
“The Chest Collection is a cool, vintage-inspired range that you can buy through Stylecraft in Australia and Asia or just contact my office and my team can help you out. This one is a little special as I was gifted a stunning piece of rosso levante marble by a supplier so I customised the table from the standard arabescato marble to this rich red. I love it! I’m thinking of releasing it as a special order for sale,” says Greg.
Sitting atop the coffee table, at any given time, can be found a diverse mix of objects and Kelly Wearstler’s wares usually feature rather prominently. “My coffee table is ever changing, I love to rearrange and reorganise my accessories from time to time and my office has no end of beautiful objects for me to experiment with and try out new configurations. At the moment the table has a pile of my books that I often like to gift to guests. I also have some beautiful gilt bowls from Aerin that I picked up from Becker Minty. It’s no secret that I love Kelly Wearstler so it would make sense for me to have some beautiful KW marble pieces on display too,” says Greg.
An authority on styling, Greg even devoted a whole chapter to the art in his book, The Tailored Interior. “In the objects and styling chapter you can read all about how to style your coffee table. We always need that flat surface for practical reasons but it’s also a perfect way to display your treasured personal items, beautiful books and objet d’art. Floral accents are also important in an interior and the coffee table is a convenient way to introduce blooms in a small vase.”
“Coffee tables become part of that group of surfaces and secondary spaces that allow you to add the final decorative layer to your home. I often liken it to a belt, cufflink or earrings – the last consideration for a complete look!” says Greg who has plenty of fabulous practical advice for styling yours at home too.
“One thing to consider is what your decorative objects hold in common. That is not to say everything has to look matchy-matchy, far from it; grouping like objects in threes or fives makes sense of arrangements. Look for similarities in colour or shape and play with combinations until it feels right. The pieces I pick always share some kind of theme – sometimes it’s colour, shape or material,” says Greg.
And with several coffee tables throughout his new offices, the designer has no shortage of spaces in which to weave his styling magic. “I’m spoiled here at work. We have coffee tables in the reception area, staff room, showroom and my own office so I’m never without an opportunity to have a play with the tables in each space. Sometimes I’ll pass through a room and double back to quickly rearrange or bring something through from another area. It’s a bit of fun!” says Greg.
