Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Historical High-Rise in Sydney Goes Glam
New regency style finds full expression in an Australian couple's restored apartment in a famous 1920s building
Designer-architect Greg Natale was thrilled when his clients asked him to decorate her apartment in the Astor building in Sydney, Australia. Built in 1923, the Astor was Sydney's first high-rise apartment building and first residential co-op building. "Many of Sydney's famous have lived in this address. It used to be the tallest building in Sydney at one point and definitely still has an air of old-school glamour. I needed to treat the space with love and respect," says Natale.
Natale did just that and so much more: He restored and brought back every coved cornice and architrave with affection. Natale also breathed new life to an apartment that responds to the building's vintage without losing touch of the clients' need to have a modern, fresh and vibrant home.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple
Location: Sydney, Australia
Size: 1,200 square feet
That's interesting: The interior designer's work in this unit earned him a commendation for residential decoration in the 2012 Australian Interior Designer's Award.
Natale did just that and so much more: He restored and brought back every coved cornice and architrave with affection. Natale also breathed new life to an apartment that responds to the building's vintage without losing touch of the clients' need to have a modern, fresh and vibrant home.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple
Location: Sydney, Australia
Size: 1,200 square feet
That's interesting: The interior designer's work in this unit earned him a commendation for residential decoration in the 2012 Australian Interior Designer's Award.
The decorative molding and trim in bright white heightens the contrasting effect of the wallpaper's hexagonal pattern. Natale custom built floor-to-ceiling storage that keeps to the style of the rest of the space.
Chandelier: clients'
Chandelier: clients'
The female client "had asked for more storage, internal laundry and his-and-her wardrobes [entry in previous image]. We made the conscious decision to turn the third bedroom, the smallest among the three, into this new wardrobe pod," says Natale.
This bedroom corner is a slice of regency heaven: A bold wallpaper pattern, a neoclassical gilt headboard frame, a black lacquer nightstand and whispers of Asian motifs tie the room together with a flourish.
The mirror's gilt frame draws out the gold trim and metal drawer pulls of the Dorothy Draper chest in the entryway.
Chandeliers and zebra hide: clients'
Chandeliers and zebra hide: clients'
Dining chairs reupholstered in Kelly Wearstler fabric echo the abstract art. A corner bar cabinet sings the highest note in the dining area, with its eye-catching accessories.
The style of the entire space is appropriate to a building from the 1920s, but the green kitchen cabinetry feels very on trend. "I brought in small elements of contemporary details that help the space feel current despite its history and pedigree," says Natale.
The kitchen also adds to the high drama of the unit. Black and white marble tiles laid in a diamond pattern line the floor, and retro china and other porcelain pieces belonging to the clients peek out from inside the cabinetry.
A Laura Kincade hickory chair got a jazzed-up makeover with Kelly Wearstler fabric. Neoclassical ornamental molding coexists harmoniously with the high-glam furnishings and metallic finishes.
"Any cornicing, skirting, doors and floorboards that have been replaced at the Astor building are given back to building management for future use," says Natale.
"Any cornicing, skirting, doors and floorboards that have been replaced at the Astor building are given back to building management for future use," says Natale.
Here, brass ram's head bases make a captivating coffee table base.
This living room vignette shows just how fearless Natale is in showcasing his love of new regency style. There's a lot to look at, yet no detail feels over the top: Gold cabinet trim, metallic pulls and a gilded object with reptilian details play essential supporting roles to the star of the room, the sunburst mirror.
More:
Houzz Tour: Supersleek Contemporary Home in Australia
More:
Houzz Tour: Supersleek Contemporary Home in Australia
Like with most of his projects, the process was a collaboration between Natale and his clients. The chandelier and tufted headboard — an anchoring piece in the room — belong the clients, for example.
Rug: Pigeon Grey, Designer Rugs; black lacquer and gold nightstands, Kindel; wallpaper, Hexagon, Cole & Son