Co.Lab is the bold new platform from Tongue & Groove, designed to push the boundaries of timber flooring through creative collaboration with industry visionaries. We talk with Australian design icon Greg Natale about his collaboration with Tongue & Groove and the Bosco collection – an exploration of pattern, materiality, and the future of timber flooring.
What makes the Bosco collection such an exciting project for you?
I’ve worked with Tongue & Groove for years – I love the quality of their products and have always admired their technical expertise. When Richard Karsay (CEO of Tongue & Groove) and I started discussing Co.Lab, it felt like the perfect opportunity to create something truly unique. I’ve wanted to design timber flooring for years, but I didn’t just want to release another collection of floorboards. My goal was to challenge expectations of parquetry – exploring new forms, introducing movement, and pushing the material in a fresh direction. Bosco is the result of that process. It’s about taking something classic and giving it a bold, modern twist.
What inspired this collection?
Much of my work is influenced by Mid-Century European interiors, especially Milanese and Parisian entryways from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. These spaces often feature extraordinary tilework – geometric, architectural, and bold, yet deeply refined. I wanted to bring that same sense of rhythm and movement to timber flooring.
At the same time, Bosco is deeply personal. My parents are Italian, and I grew up surrounded by intricate ceramic tiles, which shaped my aesthetic from the very beginning. Traveling to Italy as a child, I was drawn to marble-filled palazzi and geometric mosaics. With Bosco, I wanted to channel those influences into timber, creating something unexpected yet timeless.
How did you want to reinvent parquetry?
Parquetry has been around for centuries, and it’s always been about repetition and structure. I wanted to disrupt that by introducing curves, undulations, and sculptural elements. Rather than rigid geometry, the designs in Bosco embrace fluidity and playfulness.
I also thought a lot about how parquetry relates to tile design, which I’ve worked with for years. Tiles allow for intricate tessellations, and I wanted to bring that same versatility to timber flooring.
You’re known for bold patterns – how did that influence your approach to the collection?
Pattern is part of my DNA. Whether it’s wallpaper, tiles, or fabric, I’m always thinking about how pattern defines a space. With Bosco, I saw an opportunity to make timber flooring just as expressive as other materials like carpet, stone, or tile.
Can you tell us about the design process?
We started with 20 patterns and worked closely with the Tongue & Groove team to refine them. The goal was to strike a balance between classic and contemporary aesthetics, so we tested different iterations, thinking about how each pattern could adapt to different interiors. After testing different iterations, we landed on three core designs, each offering a distinct perspective on parquetry.
Can you walk us through the three final patterns in the Bosco collection? What inspired each design?
The first design can be set out in three distinctive configurations – Ada, Asti, and Albini. It’s a wave-like reinvention of Chevron and Herringbone, with curves that introduce movement and softness, giving the pattern a more organic, fluid quality. Piero is a geometric signature Greg Natale pattern that originally started as a custom tile in my own studio. It has strong architectural lines and a bold graphic quality. Andreani is where we really pushed the boundaries of parquetry, with a design that takes a woven, textural approach, creating a sense of layering and depth.
How does the Bosco collection bring something new to timber flooring?
We’re redefining what timber flooring can be. Traditionally, timber is either simple floorboards or classic parquetry, but Bosco introduces something entirely new – unexpected shapes, sculptural forms, and dynamic movement. We also designed the collection to be highly adaptable. Depending on the colour and finish, it can be a subtle, textural backdrop or a bold statement. It’s about giving designers and architects greater creative freedom with flooring.
What made Tongue & Groove the perfect partner for this project?
For me, the best collaborations blend the DNA of both partners—it’s not just about a designer lending their name to a product. This was a true partnership where Tongue & Groove’s technical expertise and my design vision came together to create something neither of us could have achieved alone. It’s not often you get to work with a brand that’s as invested in the creative vision as you are. And I think that’s what makes Bosco special.
What was the collaborative process like?
This wasn’t just a case of me designing something and handing it over – there was a constant back-and-forth with Tongue & Groove to ensure the designs weren’t just beautiful but also functional.
One of the biggest challenges was translating these intricate patterns into timber. Unlike tile or wallpaper, where a design is applied to a surface, timber is a living material—it moves, it reacts to temperature, and it has to be cut and laid with absolute precision. That’s where Tongue & Groove’s engineering expertise was invaluable. There was extensive testing to ensure seamless transitions, precise alignment, and structural integrity. We refined details like the depth of the grooves and how the boards lock together, making sure the geometry remained crisp and the fluidity of the design wasn’t lost in execution.
How do you envision the Bosco collection being used?
It’s already being used in some incredible spaces, including a townhouse in New York and a boutique in Sydney’s QVB. What excites me most is seeing how architects and interior designers take these patterns and make them their own. Some of the designs are bold and high-contrast, perfect for a dramatic statement, while others are more tonal and textural, allowing for a more subtle effect. It’s all about how you use the colour, finish, and scale of the pattern. Bosco can be as minimalist or as maximalist as you want it to be.
What excites you most about this collection?
I’ve always believed that flooring should be just as expressive as tile, marble, or carpet – and Bosco proves that timber can be just as bold and transformative. It gives designers a new way to think about timber flooring.
Looking back on this collaboration, what does the Bosco collection mean to you, and what do you hope people take away from it?
It’s been a dream of mine for years to create a timber flooring collection, and seeing it come to life is incredibly rewarding. Bosco represents everything I love about design – heritage, craftsmanship, and pushing boundaries. I can’t wait to see it in the world.
Featuring curved herringbone designs, a bold cubist pattern, and a striking geometric tessellation, the collection is a seamless dialogue between the organic and the architectural.