{"id":643119,"date":"2026-05-01T16:51:17","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T16:51:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/643119\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T16:51:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T16:51:17","slug":"australias-best-office-designs-you-need-to-see","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/643119\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia\u2019s Best Office Designs You Need to See"},"content":{"rendered":"

The modern workplace looks markedly different to what it once was. With the rise of remote work, we adjusted to new routines at home<\/a>, prompting businesses and designers to reconsider what might entice people back into shared spaces. The answer, increasingly, has been offices that step away from convention in favour of conviviality and flexibility. <\/p>\n

The answer, increasingly, has been offices that step away from convention in favour of conviviality and flexibility. But this shift hasn\u2019t been confined tothe workplace alone. Across retail boutiques<\/a>, design-led hospitality venues<\/a> and even the rise of chic bathhouses<\/a>, there has been a clear move away from sterile, transactional environments towards interiors that feel atmospheric. So, here are a few of our favourite reinterpretations of the modern workplace across Australia.<\/p>\n

\"Modern<\/a>Photography: Sean Fennessy<\/p>\n

In Melbourne, Kennedy Nolan has reimagined the legal workplace with its design for the William Street Chambers, a suite accommodating 28 criminal barristers. Positioned on the 25th floor, the office pairs panoramic city views with an interiors removed from corporate convention. Cork-lined walls, bright orange carpet and a lowered red felt ceiling in reception are offset by a turmeric-toned linen curtain, creating an acoustically softened environment. Conceived as a \u201chome away from home,\u201d the layout and palette work to reduce anxiety and support the emotional demands of legal practice, offering a more humane counterpoint to the typically austere language of law offices.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Photography: Anson | Styling: Joseph Gardner<\/p>\n

Ellison Studios has consolidated its operations into a 680-square-metre headquarters in Waterloo, that functions as a working studio and immersive showroom. Conceived as the brand\u2019s inaugural major home since its founding in 2017, the space is organised across reception, open-plan work areas and an upper-level, appointment-only Designer Suite for trade clients. A minimalist, almost \u201990s-esque interiors<\/a> foreground material and object, with travertine, stainless steel and oak forming the base palette, complemented by key interventions, such as a glass-brick staircase, custom leather and steel seating, and a travertine ping pong table. Upon entry, a five-metre palm and timber screening introduce a counterpoint. Here, the curated mix of in-house furniture and pieces by designers including David Flack<\/a>, Volker Haug and Henry Wilson positions the studio as a workplace and a natural extension of the influential brand\u2019s evolving design language.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Photography: Anson Smart <\/p>\n

In Paddington, Tamsin Johnson<\/a> has brought her eponymous studio and antiques showroom under one roof, occupying a converted warehouse-style sandstone building. Completed in 2019, the two-level space separates function by floor: a ground-level showroom designed as a flexible, high-turnover display environment, and an upper-level studio configured for day-to-day design work. Below, the interior is largely stripped back to maximise floor area and natural light infiltration, with glazing and metalwork supporting a constantly shifting inventory of European antiques<\/a>, all available for purchase. Above, an open-plan workspace adopts Johnson\u2019s signature imprimatur, accommodating workstations, meeting areas and zones, with a curated mix of vintage furniture and mirrors used to improve light and scale\/<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Photography: Sean Fennessy<\/p>\n

Occupying the top floor of a 32-storey former corporate tower in Melbourne, Studio Kennon has reworked their workspace into a layered, light-filled studio that sidesteps the conventional office that pays homage to design ethos of the practice. The interior reorganises the former executive-suite layout into an open-plan studio, delineated by a series of zones including a library set within a former boardroom, a gallery-like entry sequence and a terrace used for gatherings and events. Existing feature such as curved fa\u00e7ade lines, exposed aggregate and polished granite have been retained and juxtaposed by custom carpeting and a neutral palette, with pops of colour introduced through books, artworks and furnishings. A curtain separates the library from the main workspace, while panoramic views across Fitzroy Gardens, the Yarra River and beyond provide a constantly shifting backdrop to daily work.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Designed inhouse by the IF Architecture team, this vibrant studio in Melbourne\u2019s CBD sidesteps the conventions typically associated with traditional office design. It leans into vivid hues to cultivate an atmosphere that feels buoyant and creatively charged. First impressions reveal \u201ca functional workplace and a lived demonstration of our design thinking\u201d, shares Iva Foschia, the firm\u2019s director. <\/p>\n

The open-plan layout is organised through a series of lightweight interventions rather than fixed walls, including a multicoloured striped velvet curtain that divides meeting and work zones, and perforated galvanised steel partitions that modulate light and visibility. A soft blue colour wash lacquers the interior, offset by cork, oak veneer and industrial metal finishes, while freestanding joinery accommodate kitchen, storage and pin-up functions. At its centre sits a teardrop-shaped conference table, surrounded by adaptable work areas designed for collaboration, critique and client engagement. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The modern workplace looks markedly different to what it once was. With the rise of remote work, we…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":643120,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[449,458,459,64,63,460,134],"class_list":["post-643119","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-design","tag-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/643119","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=643119"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/643119\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/643120"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=643119"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=643119"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=643119"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}