Looking back, Award-winning interior designer Greg Natale says a love of design ran in his family.
“My eldest sister is a lot older and she is a fashion designer. From a very young age, I had design all around me so I just thought design was normal. From the age of five, I remember fashion magazines around the house all the time,” he explains.
“But it was film and television that inspired me to be an interior designer from a really young age."
After studying art at school, Greg went on to learn interior design at the Design Centre Enmore, visual arts at Sydney College of the Arts and architecture at the University of Technology Sydney.
But it was a decision to start his own business in 2001 that really changed his fortune.
“I did start small and I grew the business organically. Within a few months I hired my first assistant. If you have hyper-growth, then the come down can be very tough,” he says.
Greg Natale reviewing plans with his staff at his headquarters. Source: SBS
Greg’s first project through his own business was designing the interior of his sister’s one bedroom apartment. His design featuring Florence Broadhurst wallpaper won his first major award. Its bold colours and layered linens and curated artworks also helped establish a new Australian interior style.
“I am definitely a risk taker, but they are always well thought out risks. Design is a calculated risk.”
“You also have to stay current on trends. You have to know what’s going on. I travel a lot. You really have to know what is happening in the world,” Greg explains.
“I have always had a strong drive and always knew where I wanted to go in the world,” he says.
As the business grew, Greg’s designs have featured in publications including Architectural Digest, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, The Wall Street Journal and Vanity Fair.
He's recently won International Luxury Designer of the Year at High Point Market, in North Carolina.
“What I do is really my hobby. I am really lucky I get to do what I love and I get to make money on what is really my hobby. It is just who I am,” Greg says.
One of Greg Natale's interior projects completed. He is particularly known in the industry for his use of prints. Source: SBS
While his creative work drew global praise, Greg struggled to manage the financial side of his thriving business.
“I am a designer, and designers aren’t traditionally very structured people. You probably need to be a structured person to be able to run a business, so I hired a business coach," Greg says.
"That really set the DNA for what the business is today. He taught me that businesses are about formulas and process. I didn’t know how to read a profit and loss sheet before that. He taught me all that which was great because I didn’t have a business degree."
Another challenge was getting the message out there to potential clients worldwide.
“Building a website was one of the big challenges. Like an actor, you are only as good as your last movie. So without a portfolio of work, how can someone see what you have done?”
Books are another dimension in his visual kaleidoscope.
His first, titled ‘The Tailored Interior’ was named one of the world’s best by Designers and Architects in 2015. It showcases some of the stunning interiors that make Greg one of Australia’s most sought-after interior designers.
The second title ‘The Patterened Interior’ released this year, includes interiors of residences in multiple countries in a myriad of styles.
Most recently Greg has ventured into a new range of designer homewares. His passion for pattern, line and colour now also extends to rugs, tiles, furniture and furniture.
Greg Natale's first book 'The Tailored Interior' Source: SBS
“Last year we launched a tile collection with Bisazza, a huge powerhouse Italian tile company,” he explains.
“I am also launching an accessories line soon so I am manufacturing and distributing that myself.”
“The manufacturing and distribution is very new, so it is almost like starting again."
“But, at the end of the day I’ve got more control. When you are working for someone else it is fine, but I want to have more creative control.”
Watch the full story on Small Business Secrets Sunday 7am & 5pm on SBS.
