Millar McCall Wylie Office Fit-Out

The creative minds at Seeing Things developed the interior design concept for this office fit-out. They aimed to produce a functional work environment for the client with a fun and exciting edge. The Somerville joinery design team worked closely with Seeing Things at every process stage. With regular site visits and progress reviews at our joinery factory, the designer had visibility throughout, enabling adjustments to be made along the way.

The new office at Printworks is predominantly open plan, with ideally suited rustic sit-stand desks for the 45-60 strong (growing) team. The colour palette consists of bold but muted greens, blues and cherry red in the kitchen, creating a fun and unexpected colour choice for a law firm. Visitors can enjoy expansive original wooden floors and exposed bricked walls throughout.

Desk areas are zoned with bespoke powder-coated planters, bringing a beautiful biophilia element to the office. For private or informal catch-ups, a range of open booths and closed-door silent rooms are available, using the same materials and colours throughout the office.

The team at Seeing Things proposed a confident, striking kitchen/dining space for the team to enjoy and socialise in. With state-of-the-art appliances, the modern cherry red cupboards pop against the polished concrete floors and exposed Victorian bricks. A raised counter bar, again in cherry red, divides the kitchen preparation area from the beautiful reclaimed oak dining table on the other side. With oversized windows and easy access to a private terrace area, this calm little space allows the MMW team to enjoy fresh air.

The main boardroom - is anything but boring. Rustic red bricks and original floorboards are the perfect backdrop for their handcrafted oak boardroom table created by the joinery team at Somerville. The table measures almost 6M with its powder-coated steel frame, comfortably seating 14 people. Fabric wall panels complement the vibrant blue ceiling, giving the boardroom a warm but formal presence. The Crittall-style clear and fluted glass provides adequate privacy while allowing plenty of natural light to flood. Two smaller meeting rooms emulate the larger boardroom with brickwork, wooden flooring, colour block walls and matching credenza furniture. The client waiting area is the ultimate in New York loft office style. With its beautiful furniture, curated artwork and atmospheric lighting, it is the picture-perfect spot to relax.

This was a collaborative project involving the creative team at Seeing Things and our client, MMW. Conducting weekly meetings to review design requirements, target finishes, and timescales allowed the project to advance progressively and positively. Seeing Things produced design intents and colour palettes, and the design team at Somerville developed these schemes into workable factory drawings that met their creative needs and legal and H&S compliance.

Somerville delivered a variety of bespoke joinery items for this office fit-out transformation.

The reception area, a standout feature of the office, boasts a counter that seamlessly blends exposed steel with soft-tone timbers and LED branding. The muted, green-painted brick walls, artwork, and lighting create a perfect harmony with live greenery and reclaimed wooden floors. This unique design offers a welcoming entrance for MMW's clients and visitors, setting a tone of professionalism and being approachable.

Oversized planters are not just decorative, they are a multi-functional element of this scheme. They provide lush greenery throughout the office, soften the office area, and create an agile workspace for the team. Our challenge was to manufacture planters that were easily transported around the office if needed. Therefore, they were designed and produced with interlocking mechanisms to allow for flexible mobility, ensuring the project's practicality and functionality.

The cherry red kitchen is a bold and welcome choice for these offices. Space and functionality for the large team were the goals while staying true to the original design concept envisaged by Seeing Things. Consistent design reviews between the design and manufacturing teams ensured the kitchen units offered vertical and horizontal symmetry while meeting all compliances. The outcome is a beautiful, striking kitchen that can only be admired while waiting for your coffee to brew.

The boardroom contains an impressive 6M table manufactured from butcher's block with a central channel to allow cable access via the steel frame beneath. The floor-to-ceiling glass panes follow the acoustic panels on the back wall, giving symmetry and the illusion of a more expansive room. These simple yet considered design and manufacturing elements create a welcoming and functional boardroom. Acoustic values were further improved by adding an oversized rug and greenery to soften any external noise.

The client required a collection of bespoke credenza units, one for each meeting room, the main reception area and a large waiting area. To ensure the design and quality were achieved, we manufactured a selection of samples for the client before the furniture went into production. Butcher's block was used again to provide consistency with the remaining joinery items and maintain stability for the finished product. Handless doors gave the credenza units a minimalist feel and were colour-matched with their respective zonal palettes.

This new office creation at the Printworks is a remarkable transformation. Bold colour choices, rich materials, and contrasting textures have completely redefined this office space for the team at MMW. The result is a vibrant and exciting office space with visitors talking about it long after departing and leaving a lasting impression.