What spaces do you visualise when you think of “the law”? Immediately the mind rushes to corporate blues, stark white lights, an intimidating reception that doesn’t welcome, but instead signals expense, formality and anxiety.
Kennedy Nolan’s design and fitout for William Street Chambers, the winner of the 2026 Australian Interior Design Awards Best of State - Commercial Design project, is nothing like this.
Design has and always will have the power to tell stories, just as barristers do in court. This comes with a great sense of responsibility and pressure. Moya O’Brien, a criminal defence barrister and member of William Street Chambers, describes her job. “I tell my non-legal friends that I am constantly in the trenches.” Somewhere between exhilarating and isolating, criminal law is known to be a high-stress environment with notoriously long hours. Creating a spatial experience that counteracted this energy was outlined as an absolute priority within the design brief.
Beyond the experience of the barristers themselves was the client experience. Their clients are walking in, about to face often the most sensitive and vulnerable points within their lives. It was imperative that the design be sensitive to that.
The core idea of the space is that Kennedy Nolan sought to design an emotional response that was supportive to the overall client experience. The aesthetic is a natural result of this intention being integrated and not manufactured for mere aesthetic’s sake. This is what separates visually pleasing design from genuinely impactful and palpable spaces.
Entering the reception, you are immediately greeted by two large Nancy Yukuwal McDinny artworks, a view of the city and the introduction to the warm palette of rust, ochre, rich greens expressed through timber, cork, felt and linen materials that extends throughout the floorplate. A lowered, baffled felt ceiling in red creates a sense of immediate safety as clients walk in.
The power of art and connection to Country was never underestimated. “We wanted to find a piece of art for the entrance that evoked the power and beauty of nature, something more expansive than ourselves, an image in which, however briefly, you may find yourself lost,” O’Brien explained in relation to McDinny’s art.
We see this theme extended throughout the floorplate with each room anchored by a new artwork and selection of unique furniture and object curation, many of which are sourced from local Australian makers. Colour and art are not shied away from, completely challenging the conventions of legal practice.
Acoustically, each chamber is designed for separation and complete privacy, as each barrister operates as a sole trader. The 26 different chambers are distinct in identity, customisable and have a domestic feel - responding to the long, stressful hours barristers often work and continuing to provide that warm and calming ambience throughout.
The shared spaces including the staff lounge, kitchen and dining area, play deeper into the colour palette and counter professional isolation. These spaces provide pivotal opportunities for meaningful connection and moments of refuge from a high-energy workday.
All in all, it is sometimes easy to become infatuated by Pinterest boards and aesthetics when designing interiors. When designers like Kennedy Nolan design to evoke a feeling first, the aesthetic naturally emerges as a symptom of that intention, storytelling and understanding how powerful environments can impact our human psyche. The warmth evoked through even the images of this project alone (captured beautifully by Sean Fennessy), before even walking in, is a testament to this core idea being executed masterfully.
Credits
Designer
Builder
Photographer
Awards
2026 Australian Interior Design Awards - Best of State – Commercial Design and Commendation – Workplace Design.