Mosman II by Greg Natale

Rather than be boxed in by the original property’s limited scope, Mosman II, as reimagined by designer Greg Natale, is a colour- filled, material-driven modern family home.

After being approached by the client to redesign their family home, Greg Natale looked to the personality of Mosman II to help inform the transformation. “The house was a white box, and our client didn’t want white, but the spirit of the exterior was still there from the original form, so we worked to change all the materiality,” says interior designer and firm founder Greg Natale. After deciding on a striking concrete and black exterior for the property, the design team also added further details for depth – “the fluted, concrete precast panels and all the terrazzo walls, and turned the driveway and all the windows black”.

To encourage a connection between inside and out, Natale has brought the essence of the outdoors inwards.

Inside, design elements continue to embrace the client’s desire to change the home’s original all-white outlook. “The client likes colour, so while the base of the home is black and grey, the inside pops with colour,” says Natale. This intention is seen immediately upon entry, with the foyer walls finished in stucco, while the floor features signature Palladio marble tiles from the designer’s own collection for Teranova. And while the client desired tonal depth, the decision to be bolder with the home’s colour palette “happened late,” recalls Natale. “We started with this neutral palette and then the colour happened as the project evolved.”

To encourage a connection between inside and out, Natale has brought the essence of the outdoors inwards. “Because there’s so much blue water and blue sky, the choice we made was to encourage and bring all that colour in,” says the designer. The client’s existing Banto rug from Natale’s collection for Designer Rugs in the living room helped trigger the meaningful introduction of colour. “The rug became the starting point of that room and then we layered it with all the beautiful blue textures,” says Natale. “I think it’s very important, the introduction of colour here, because the exterior of the house is quite brutalist, so the interior needed to be softened. This layering helped to further anchor the home in its coastal location, with the colour palette directing attention to Sydney’s North Heads, the sky and the ocean.

“We wanted that element of concrete detailing that felt neutral, so it would then be easier to add in colour.”

For the upper level of the home – which includes the kitchen, lounge and main bedroom – Natale wanted to break up the white floors, grey walls and hints of black throughout with another hit of colour. Green marble was selected to complement the monochromatic colours while making a statement of its own. “The green marble kitchen island was done later in the process, but it broke up the whole house and became the wow factor while also tying everything together,” says Natale. Additionally, stone was employed throughout the house, while a tactile stucco finish was used for the walls. “We wanted that element of concrete detailing that felt neutral, so it would then be easier to add in colour.” For the main bedroom and bathroom, the team implemented more of a feminine feel with shades of purple and pink, while sleek furniture was selected to tie into the home’s overall architectural aesthetic.

Another key element of the interiors were the ceilings to create a spacious and refined atmosphere. “We have step ceilings to get as much height as we can and to also hide services such as air conditioning,” says Natale. The impact of this design tactic is especially clear in the lower level where the pool, children’s bedrooms and second living room are situated. “It was important for us to get these taller ceilings in and create a sense of space.”

The home’s structure is minimal so as not to take away from the surrounding landscape and decorative details.

With Mosman II being a spacious abode, the home’s structure is minimal so as not to take away from the surrounding landscape and decorative details. Through this rigorous redesign, Natale has harnessed the owners’ personality and brought it to life in the home’s colourful, textural and detailed interior. “They came to us because we focus on bringing a lot of colours, patterns and textures into a home,” he says. Evident in its richly layered design – both inside and out – Mosman II proves that meaningful, modern architecture isn’t tied to one particular construct.

Architecture by Molnar Architects and Greg Natale. Interior design by Greg Natale. Build by GCon. Landscape design by Myles Baldwin Design.