Natalie Walton
Byron Bay-based interior designer, stylist and author Natalie Walton creates genuine interiors and meaningful products, helping people to connect to ideas on how to live their best lives.
Photography: Lynden Foss
‘Moving out of the city allowed me to clear my thoughts and process in quite a profound way,’ says Natalie Walton. Photo: Lynden Foss
‘I have a strong sense of what a space will look like, and try to avoid looking at what everyone else is doing,’ says Natalie Walton. Photo: Lynden Foss
H&F: Hi Natalie, what have you been working on most recently?
Natalie: So many things! I am currently designing a HQ for my shop Imprint House and my design team in the Byron Arts & Industrial Estate, and also consulting on several interior projects. Also, I’m going through the editing process of my fourth book (my third book Style: The Art of Creating a Beautiful Home will be out in June!). And I’m just about to start teaching my course the Design + Decoration Masterclass. Plus, I’m designing some new products, including a lighting range, which I’m very excited about.
What does a ‘normal’ day at work look like for you?
I schedule different tasks for different days. Mondays tends to be for planning and administration, as well as meetings. However, I keep Tuesdays and Thursdays for anything that requires creative focus so that I’m just using that part of my brain. Wednesdays are for client meetings and technical work.
Tell us about your design and styling process?
Visualisation is an important part of the process, focussing on the needs of the space and how I can bring it to life with natural materials and textures. I have a strong sense of what a space will look like, and try to avoid looking at what everyone else is doing.
Do you think your environment in Byron Bay shapes your work?
Yes, but not how you might expect. Moving out of the city allowed me to clear my thoughts and process in quite a profound way. Instead of constantly being surrounded by other people’s work and designs (in everything from cafes to retail spaces), I became more in tune with what I instinctively love, and have become led more by materials and textures than previously.
Simplicity and natural textures feature in Natalie Walton’s studio space in her home in Byron Bay. Photo: Lynden Foss
‘I love nothing more than looking at (and being in) homes and interiors that have withstood fads and fashions,’ says Natalie Walton. Photo: Lynden Foss
“Visualisation is an important part of the process, focusing on the needs of the space and how I can bring it to life with natural materials and textures.”
What inspires you?
Timeless design. I love nothing more than looking at (and being in) homes and interiors that have withstood fads and fashions. This is what drives me when creating interiors — to create a space that is grounded in our current needs, but will withstand fickle ‘looks’.
You’ve worked in the styling world for over 12 years, what’s kept you interested all this time?
Holding the advance copy of my first book This is Home: The Art of Simple Living will forever remain etched on my mind. Books have always held a special place in my heart. I can still remember vividly walking down the book stacks at Fisher Library at Sydney University in awe of all the books that had stood the test of time, and lived on beyond their author’s years. This has always been my greatest hope — that I could create books that would take on a life of their own. There have been smaller moments, too, such as stepping inside the LA home of Kelly Wearstler for Harper’s Bazaar, styling the photos and interviewing her for the feature. I’ve also interviewed other luminaries, such as Grace Coddington and Deborah Needleman, women who I admire greatly. There are so many pinch-me moments. Creating books that have been bestsellers, courses that have reached a global audience and a podcast audience that continues to provide me with beautiful heartfelt feedback.
What’s the most important piece of advice you’d give when looking to style an interior?
A good question to ask yourself is ‘How can I take this space to the next level?’ Often, it’s removing an object, or adding a piece that adds friction or an unexpected element.
What’s coming up for you this year?
I’m looking forward to launching two books into the world, and resuming my podcast Imprint, which had to take a hiatus while I worked on the books that faced numerous delays due to the global pandemic. And I can’t wait to open the doors to a concept store for Imprint House in Byron Bay. It’s going to be a big dream come true!
