European style inspires this Greg Natale designed Sydney home

In design circles, curves are often considered a gesture towards femininity. For designer Greg Natale, however, they are so much more. Moving beyond sharp angles and straight lines is an expression of movement and energy, while introducing a sculptural element to interior spaces.

Curves are an unexpected find in this penthouse apartment on one of the piers at Sydney’s Walsh Bay that features in Natale’s latest book, The Layered Interior. Once an industrial site characterised by practical, elongated ‘fingers’ jutting into the harbour, the piers were restored and repurposed in the 1990s, with a select few being converted into residences enjoying exclusive views of the waterways.

More than 25 years on from the conversion, Natale says the owners of this residence wanted a sophisticated, hotel-like experience that made best use of the space while being unapologetically warm and curvaceous.

“They wanted something that felt super light, really modern and very European,” he says. “She was looking at France (for inspiration), but modern French.”

The first obvious issue was the placement of the staircase, which was sitting in the middle of the two-storey void. Natale moved it to the side, to allow for better planning of the living area and to soften the edges of the solid white balustrade so that the staircase almost vanishes against the wall.

The penthouse needed to accommodate the owners and their two sons, who were living at home while completing university. The lower ground would provide accommodation for the young adults, along with a study and bathroom, while the open plan living area would be the centrepiece. While the curves are evident in their sons’ rooms, oak joinery and an integrated bedhead lends a slightly more masculine feel to the spaces.

Entry is via a formal reception area, with a deliberately lower ceiling to increase the sense of drama as guests step over the marble threshold and into the double height living space.

“The marble threshold is there to create a sense of arrival,” he says. “We have played with marble portals a lot – it’s a recurring theme.”

The dining room and kitchen continue the curved theme and are finished in the same refined palette of white walls, carrara marble and oak chevron floors along with the smallest touch of brass. While the house is furnished in tones of gold, grey and soft pink – including a spectacular circular rug from Natale’s range for Designer Rugs in the living room – he says it’s a surprisingly flexible space.

“The space is so neutral, someone could come in with their own furniture and put their stamp on it,” Natale says.

Upstairs, the drama continues with a master bedroom suite incorporating an open plan ensuite. Natale admits a bath and double vanity without walls is not everyone’s cup of tea.

“You have the master suite with an open bathroom for that hotel look,” he says. “I am not a fan of those kinds of hotels but the owner wanted that big open space and it’s amazing the sense of space you get with open bathrooms.

“You can create more interesting spaces.”

Natale also played with the ceiling shapes – another recurring theme in his work – to gently create zones and direct flow in the space.

“If a clean ceiling works, that’s fine, but having a white, boring, plain ceiling is not a considered space,” he says. “You should really look at the ceiling like a fifth wall.”

Indeed, every small aspect of this home has been considered to create the simplicity and sophistication the clients were seeking. But making everything look this clean takes enormous effort – and skill. The building was completely stripped back and replanned.

“It’s a highly detailed apartment, even though it looks very simple,” Natale says. “There are small details, like a brass strip along the shadowline between the skirting and the rest of the wall. We want everything to be considered – including the aircon.”

Pictures: Anson Smart

The Layered Interior, $110 published by Rizzoli. Order a copy here

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There are Corvette fans for whom the base US$68,300 car is plenty powerful enough. After all, it produces 495 horsepower and can reach 60 miles per hour in 2.9 seconds. But hold on, there’s also the approximately US$115,000 Z06—with 670 horsepower and able to reach 60 in 2.6 seconds. These split seconds are important for busy people—and for marketing claims. And if that’s not enough go power, there’s the even more formidable 900-horsepower ZR1 version of the Corvette, starting around US$150,000. The hybrid E-Ray, at US$104,900, is pretty potent, too.

But if they’re still too slow, fans of American-engineered muscle can consider the exclusive Texas-built Hennessey Venom F5, a limited-edition carbon-fibre hypercar. Ten years ago, the Hennessey became the world’s fastest production car, defeating the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, with a top speed of 270.49 miles per hour.

That world title is much sought after, and is currently held by the Sweden-built 1,600-horsepower Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut, with a two-way average top speed of 277.8 mph. But Hennessey is still very much a contender. The company is hoping the 1,817-horsepower F5 (with 1,192 pound-feet of torque) can exceed 300 mph on the track this year.

The Hennessey Venom F5 coupe is sold out, despite a more than $2 million price tag.
Hennessey photo

Hennessey’s previous Venom GT model (introduced in 2010) was based on the Lotus Exige, with a GM LS-based engine, and was built by partner Delta Motorsport. Spokesman Jon Visscher tells Penta , “The new Venom F5, revealed in 2020, is a 100%bespoke creation—unique to Hennessey and featuring a Hennessey-designed 6.6-litre twin-turbo V8 engine boasting 1,817 horsepower, making it the world’s most powerful combustion-engine production car.” Leaps in performance like this tend to be pricey.

This is a very exclusive automobile, priced around US$2.5 million for the coupe, and US$3 million for the F5 Roadster announced in 2023. Only 30 Roadsters will be built, with a removable carbon-fiber roof. The 24 F5 coupes were spoken for in 2021, but if you really want one you could find a used example—or go topless. In a statement to Penta , company founder and CEO John Hennessey said that while the coupe “is now sold out, a handful of build slots remain for our Roadster and [track-focused] Revolution models.”

Only 24 Revolutions will be built in coupe form, priced at US$2.7 million. There’s also a rarefied roadster version of the Revolution, with just 12 to be built.

The Venom F5 Roadster has a removable carbon-fibre roof.
Hennessey photo

The Venom F5 coupe weighs only 3,000 pounds, and it’s not surprising that insane speeds are possible when combined with a hand-built motor (nicknamed “Fury”) created with power uppermost. The V8 in the F5, installed in a rear mid-engine configuration, has a custom engine block and lightweight forged aluminium pistons, billet-steel crankshaft, and forged-steel connecting rods. Twin turbochargers are featured. The F5 can reach 62 mph in less than three seconds, but top speed seems to be its claim to fame.

The driver shifts the rear-wheel-drive car via a seven-speed, single-clutch transmission with paddle shifters. The interior is not as spartan or as tight as in many other supercars, and is able to handle very tall people. The butterfly doors lift up for access.

“With 22 customer Venom F5 hypercars already delivered to customers around the world, and a newly expanded engineering team, we’re focusing the Venom F5 on delivering on its potential,” Hennessey says. “Breaking 300 mph in two directions is the goal we aim to achieve toward the end of this year to claim the ‘world’s fastest production car’ title.”

Hennessey says the car and team are ready. “Now the search is on for a runway or public road with a sufficiently long straight to allow our 1,817-horsepower, twin-turbo V8 monster to accelerate beyond 300 mph and return to zero safely.” The very competitive Hennessey said the track-focused Revolution version of the F5 set a fastest production car lap around Texas’ 3.41-mile Circuit of the Americas track in March, going almost seven seconds faster than a McLaren P1.

The Revolution features a roof-mounted central air scoop (to deliver cool air to the engine bay), a full-width rear carbon wing, larger front splitter and rear diffuser, tweaked suspension, and engine cooling. It’s got the same powertrain as the standard cars, but is enhanced to stay planted at otherworldly speeds.

European style inspires this Greg Natale designed Sydney home

French flair and a little femininity inform this harbourside home by award winning designer Greg Natale