Create node template only for default view-mode
Try adding the following code to your theme's template.php file:

function THEMENAME_preprocess_page(&amp;$vars, $hook) {
  if (isset($vars['node']-&gt;type) &amp;&amp; isset($vars['view_mode']) &amp;&amp; $vars['view_mode'] == 'default') {
    $vars['theme_hook_suggestions'][] = 'page__' . $vars['node']-&gt;type . '__default';
  }
}


Replace "THEMENAME" with the machine name of your theme.

This should allow you to use a template file called node--customnode--default.tpl.php (assuming your content type is called "customnode") which will apply only on the default view mode.

n.b. You will need to flush your caches after adding both this functino and the template file.