If you’ve ever stared at a paint swatch until it went blurry and thought, maybe I’m just not a 'design person', this conversation is for you. In this episode of The Edit, alongside Editor Elle Lovelock, we sit down with design editor, author Greg Natale, interior designer and TV regular on Home Made and The Renovators, known for bold, glamorous, pattern‑heavy interiors that somehow still feel totally livable.

Greg Natale has built a career using pattern on pattern, marble on marble, late ’70s glam and yet he’ll be the first to tell you your home doesn’t need to look like a showroom to feel beautiful. He talks about growing up obsessively collecting Home Beautiful, sneaking his first project into the magazine via his sister’s townhouse, and why your kitchen and sofa should work harder and age better than your latest trend purchase.

In this conversation, Greg and Elle step inside the real questions you bring to your group chats and Pinterest boards: how to make colour feel grown‑up, how to design for three generations under one roof without losing your mind (or your resale value), and what to do when your 'neutral for now' turns into 'neutral forever because I’m too scared to change anything.' Greg breaks down the late‑’70s references behind his own apartment, how he layers burgundy, midnight blue and mixed metals without it looking like a costume, and shares the one rule he’s more than happy to break: that maximalism can’t be livable. 

You’ll also hear him walk through a listener’s very real dilemma, building a home that works for ageing parents, kids, and future buyers, right down to where the grab rails go and why you probably need three different living rooms if you want everyone to stay sane. And yes, we end with his “mystery drawer” moment: the chaotic corner that proves even the king of maximalism has a place where real life piles up.

Moments You'll Hear: 

• How Greg went from a Home Beautiful-obsessed 10-year-old to one of Australia’s most recognisable interior designers and why that first tiny townhouse still holds up 30 years on
• Why kitchens, bathrooms and sofas need to be timeless workhorses, and where you can safely go wild with paint, fabric and pattern
• A simple way to build a colour story (hello, moodboards and one strong starting point) so your home feels intentional, not chaotic
• Real‑world advice for multi-generational living: step‑free ground floors, “disguised” kitchenettes, beautiful grab rails, and how to design a house that your parents can age in and you can still sell

If you’ve been waiting to paint the wall, buy the stripe, or finally pick a rug that isn’t beige, this is your sign.

Thank you for listening ❤️

before you leave...

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👀 See more

Greg Natale Website 

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🙏 Our special thanks for making 'The Edit' our new home:

Luxaflex - our beautiful 'studio home' curtains

Oz Design - furniture Australians love 

Our friend Greg Natale

Credits:

Edited by Propod 

Production by Thomas Crnkovic 

Our wonderful Home Beautiful team 

Learn More: HOME BEAUTIFUL