A Refined Sydney Office That Blurs the Line Between Workspace and Retreat.

Designed by Coffeyhallett, this private family office on O’Connell Street in Sydney CBD refuses to announce itself, trading corporate posturing for something more considered.

Located within a heritage 1940s Art Deco building originally designed by Bruce Dellit for the Bank of NSW, the project called for a complete refit. Working in collaboration with Think Projects, Coffeyhallett was tasked with transforming what was a generic commercial tenancy into a space that could support both focused work and meaningful connections.

The original interior offered nothing in the way of character. “The key challenge lay in erasing the existing clinical, stock-standard office character while working within the constraints of a fixed budget and a heritage building shell,” share Madeleine Coffey & Taylor Hallett. “We addressed this by stripping the tenancy back entirely, allowing the architecture to reset, and then rebuilding the space through planning, colour, and material decisions that delivered depth without excess.”

The new fitout walks right up to the residential and hospitality aesthetics without ever not looking like an office—offering the best of worlds. Soft daylight filters through sheer curtains, diffusing across a palette of dark timber, chrome and warm neutrals. It’s the interplay of light and shadow that quietly drives the design, revealing texture and grounding form as the day shifts.

“This private office is imagined as a quiet world within the city, a study in restraint, light, and material warmth,” explain the designers. “Designed as both a retreat and a workspace, it challenges the notion of what an office should feel like: intimate yet purposeful, layered but unpretentious.”

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The furniture selection reinforces this philosophy. Vintage pieces—including B&B Italia armchairs, Pierre Paulin lounges and Fritz Hansen dining chairs—sit alongside contemporary elements like the Agent 86 Sofa from Grazia & Co and USM Haller storage systems. Dimore Milano’s Putrellino Tables add golden accents, while pieces from 6AM Glassworks contribute subtle sculptural moments. Artworks sourced from Coma Gallery punctuate the scheme, and Henry Wilson accessories bring tactile warmth to surfaces.

“Material selection was guided largely by budget, prompting us to work creatively with what already existed,” the duo says. “The original timber flooring was sanded and re-stained, transforming it into a grounding and cohesive element throughout the space.” Fluted glass partitions balance openness with discretion, creating zones for unhurried conversation alongside more focused work areas cocooned in deeper tones. “Colour played a key role in shaping atmosphere: deep burgundy tones bring richness and intimacy to the offices, while calmer, softer hues define the breakout areas.”

Coffeyhallett has delivered an environment that blurs the boundaries between home and work, public and private. It’s a space designed not merely for productivity, but for presence—inviting pause, connection and considered thought.

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[Images courtesy of Coffeyhallett. Photography by Tom Ross.]