Step Into An Immersive Upper East Side Townhouse

PROJECT New York Townhouse DESIGN Greg Natale STYLING Mariana Marcki-Matos PHOTOGRAPHY Anson Smart INTERVIEW Megan Rawson

Produced in partnership with Tongue & Groove.

Australian creative Greg Natale’s signature approach to bold, layered interiors defines this Upper East Side townhouse, where colour, texture, and materiality create a richly immersive home.

Inspired by the Big Apple’s eclectic energy and Art Deco influences, Natale blends classic elegance with a contemporary edge—pairing rich marble, intricate joinery, and sculptural furnishings with a candy-box assortment of soft pastel accents. Timber flooring is a defining design element throughout this home, with the Ada pattern from the Bosco Collection by Tongue & Groove and Greg Natale seamlessly unifying its three storeys.

Born from a vision to revolutionise the flooring industry and celebrate creativity and craftsmanship, Co.Lab by Tongue & Groove brings together esteemed designers to create flooring collections that challenge conventions and set new standards in design. As part of the Bosco Collection, Natale’s first timber flooring collection in collaboration with Co.Lab, Ada reinterprets parquetry with a contemporary lens, blending organic warmth with architectural precision to redefine how timber is used in modern interiors.

This townhouse showcases your signature approach to bold, layered interiors. What was the overall design vision for the project, and how did the Upper East Side location influence your direction?

Greg Natale: New York is eclectic, multicultural, and inherently fashionable—qualities that shaped our approach. We aimed to create a space as richly layered as the city itself, a townhouse that feels both deeply personal and cosmopolitan. The Upper East Side’s historic architecture and innate sophistication inspired us to honour its classic elegance while introducing bold patterns, luxurious textures, and a dynamic interplay of colour and materiality. Drawing from refined traditional New York interiors, we reinterpreted these influences through a contemporary lens. Richly veined marble, intricate custom joinery and decorative elements like cornices and mirrored walls add depth and drama, while soft furnishings and textiles bring warmth and liveability.

The palette feels rich and immersive. What inspired the colour choices, and how did you achieve harmony between deep, moody hues and soft pastel accents?

Greg Natale: The client envisioned a predominantly pink and green palette, which we built upon by layering moody hues with softer pastel accents to create depth and contrast. Having previously designed their Brisbane home, we were already familiar with their bold, theatrical sensibility—an openness to colour and texture that allowed us to push the boundaries.

To achieve a ‘jewel-box-like’ quality, we played with tonal variation, balancing saturated greens and pinks with softer, more muted tones. The deeper hues ground the spaces, while pastel accents introduce lightness and refinement. Lacquered, highgloss surfaces and marble finishes further enrich the palette, enhancing the luminous effect of the colours.

Art Deco influences are evident throughout, from geometric motifs to sculptural furniture and lighting. How did you reinterpret this era’s opulence while ensuring a contemporary edge?

Greg Natale: It’s a real balancing act that falls into place once you start layering rooms with furniture. Art Deco is all about geometric motifs, luxurious materials, and sculptural forms, and our goal was to reinterpret these elements in a way that felt fresh and contemporary. While the home features a real mix of styles, from vintage collectibles to modern European design, the overarching aesthetic remains contemporary and eclectic, which keeps the interior from feeling heavy and dated.

Your newly launched Bosco collection in collaboration with Tongue & Groove introduces a new perspective on timber flooring. How did the Ada floorboards influence the material palette and overall design language of the townhouse?

Greg Natale: We were developing the Bosco collection while working on New York House, and the Ada pattern was the perfect addition to the project. The collection’s ethos is to do the unexpected with timber flooring—redefining its use and perception—which aligned perfectly with our vision for the townhouse’s interiors. The subtle wave of Ada offers a fresh take on classic herringbone, and as soon as we introduced it into the design, we knew it was the ideal choice.

To balance the cool marble, we incorporated timber elements that add warmth and grounding. The richness of the timber enhances the home’s materiality, creating a tactile contrast that feels both sophisticated and inviting. The interplay of these textures was thoughtfully considered, with polished surfaces juxtaposed against more natural, organic grains to add depth and dimension. Ultimately, this layering of materials gives the home its distinctive character, celebrating both marble and the warmth of timber in a harmonious way.

The uniquely patterned timber flooring is carried throughout all three levels of the home. How did you approach selecting the finish and tone to complement the richness of the interiors while maintaining a cohesive flow between spaces?

Greg Natale: Floors are the foundation of a space, and having a consistent through-line linking each level of the home helps maintain cohesion. The Ada flooring acts like the home’s DNA—a unifying element that ties each space together. This allowed us to express individuality within each room. When selecting the finish and tone, we aimed for something that would enhance the richness of the interiors without overwhelming them. The timber is warm yet light, complementing the deep hues and soft pastel accents throughout the home. The result is a home that feels visually connected, where the flooring provides both structure and fluidity, reinforcing the overall design while allowing each space to maintain its personality.