{"id":682424,"date":"2026-05-20T06:31:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T06:31:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/682424\/"},"modified":"2026-05-20T06:31:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T06:31:15","slug":"jillian-dinkel-designs-a-moody-seidler-chambers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/682424\/","title":{"rendered":"Jillian Dinkel Designs a Moody Seidler Chambers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Designer Jillian Dinkel was asked to create the interiors of this chambers in an iconic CBD building by Harry Seidler. Here, she outlines the process. <\/p>\n

How would you describe the look? Sophisticated, warm, masculine. This barrister\u2019s chambers<\/a> sits within the landmark MLC Centre (now 25 Martin Place) and has a grounded and composed atmosphere that defies the small footprint. We leaned into richness of tone and material to give it presence, with warm timbers and layered textiles and lighting. The result is intimate but assured, a space that feels confident without being imposing. <\/p>\n

How big is it?\u00a0The office<\/a> is 26 square metres. Its modest scale became part of the creative challenge, so every millimetre needed to work hard! In a tower celebrated for its expansive corporate floors, I wanted this chambers to feel almost jewel box-like. The constraint encouraged precision in planning and a curated approach to the furniture and art. <\/p>\n

\"AArmchairs, day bed and desk by Jillian Dinkel. \u2018Jetson Classic\u2019 chair and \u2018T Model\u2019 lamp from Fred International. Accessories from Composition and Curatorial+Co. \u2018Stingray\u2019 light by 101 Copenhagen. Photo-media artwork by Tamara Dean from Michael Reid. (Photography: Dave Wheeler)<\/p>\n

What appealed to you about this project? The client was the starting point. He\u2019d previously lived in one of our residential projects, so there was already a shared design language and trust. I was also drawn to the architectural context; the building is a landmark of late modernism, so the project came with a sense of gravitas and responsibility. <\/p>\n

What did your alterations entail? The previous office fit-out was stripped back, leaving us with a clean shell. From there, we introduced new finishes, custom joinery and tailored furnishings that felt intimate and intentional rather than corporate. Textural wallpaper softened the office perimeter, while curated artworks added narrative and scale. This project was our studio\u2019s first interior decoration-only commission, so the discipline lay in transformation without structural intervention. I wanted to both reinterpret the clich\u00e9s of a traditional barrister\u2019s office as well as acknowledge the building\u2019s 1970s heritage. I was inspired by the cinematic mood of the interiors in The Spy Who Loved Me and Don Draper\u2019s office in Mad Men. Warm walnut timber, tomato red and cream tones are punctuated by brass and blackened steel. It\u2019s playful in reference yet respectful of the serious work conducted in the room. <\/p>\n

\"AJoinery by EPK. \u2018Sam\u2019 chair from Fred International. (Photography: Dave Wheeler)<\/p>\n

What are your favourite features? The completed space feels layered and intentional, with every element contributing to the atmosphere. A favourite feature is the suspended chain art installation. We collaborated with two framers and a metalworker to achieve the final result. It introduces a more decorative element that still feels quite masculine and solid. In a small footprint, that vertical gesture adds drama.<\/p>\n

What is unique about the space? What makes the space unique is its sense of intimacy within a major commercial tower. Rather than adopting a typical corporate aesthetic, it feels almost residential in its materiality and scale. This creates an environment where clients feel considered and at ease, which we feel is essential in advisory or legal contexts. <\/p>\n

Did the brief have any workspace essentials? Of course, functionality was critical. The client works alongside two support staff, so we needed to accommodate three daily workstations without visual congestion. There also had to be space for client meetings that felt private, and integrated video conferencing technology. Storage was carefully concealed in joinery to maintain clarity and order. <\/p>\n

\"AArteluce \u2018Piccolo\u2019 lamp from 506070. Glass orb supplied by Jillian Dinkel. Brutalist bowl from Composition Studio. Artwork by Eva Stockdale from Michael Reid (Photography: Dave Wheeler)<\/p>\n

if you could, which dream object would you buy for the space right now? A vintage \u2018Executive\u2019 chair by Charles Pollack for Knoll in brown leather and a Studio Henry Wilson bronze stationery holder. <\/p>\n

Anything to add? The chambers\u2019 colour palette and mood alludes to 1970s New York. It feels confident, patinaed and tailored \u2013 and aligned with the spirit of Seidler\u2019s modernism. <\/p>\n

The Design Team <\/p>\n

Jillian Dinkel: jilliandinkel.com<\/a><\/p>\n

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

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWriter
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tDeborah Grant\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

Deborah Grant\u2019s interest in homes began early. She spent primary-school lunch times trying to make houses in playground trees and, years later, talked her dad into touring a large new home development on her 13th birthday. From there, Deborah has never strayed far from the world of residential design, even though she developed a second love: words. After dabbling in an architecture degree, she transferred to Communications at Macquarie University and also completed a Diploma of Book Editing & Publishing at Macleay College, which led to print media. She worked in Australia and the UK as a sub-editor on fashion and lifestyle titles before completing a Diploma of Design & Decoration at Sydney Design School and finding her true home as chief sub-editor of Australian House & Garden magazine in 2017. In recent years, Deborah has worked across Inside Out and Belle while planning her side hustle: contemporary dolls houses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Designer Jillian Dinkel was asked to create the interiors of this chambers in an iconic CBD building by…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":682425,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[449,458,459,64,63,460,134],"class_list":["post-682424","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\/682424","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=682424"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/682424\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/682425"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=682424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=682424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=682424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}