Throwing light on law office design
Feature in: Law Society Journal
BY CAT WOODS - AUG 30, 2022
[excerpt]
Professional and stylish
Riddell says that law firms have been late adapters to trends in office design; if she were given the opportunity, she’d be incorporating aspects of residential and hotel interiors into a small law office. The alternative is a sterile space that alienates staff and visitors.
“I went into a suburban firm not long ago and the reception area was all white walls; everything was white and grey. It had those daggy waiting room chairs. I think you can be more creative with colour and have that level of seriousness and professionalism while still being stylish. They’re not mutually exclusive.”
Riddell isn’t suggesting anything radical.
“When you think of a traditional law firm, you think of those leather Chesterfield sofas. Maybe you could play on that idea but make it more contemporary. You could use more contemporary leather furnishings or introduce colour through blue walls for a calming effect. Instead of office furniture, perhaps you buy furnishings designed for hotels or residential. It’s about thinking outside the box.”
The idea of bringing hotel features into the law firm is based on finding a balance between professionalism and comfort.
You can have that level of seriousness and professionalism while still being stylish. They’re not mutually exclusive.
“That hotel influence makes it more sophisticated,” Riddell asserts. “You want to make sure that clients, who go to lawyers for so many different reasons, don’t feel that they’re entering a space that feels sterile and scary.”
After working as a lawyer for two decades, Katie Riddell has had an interior decorating business for the past six years. She attests that natural light, natural ventilation and plants within the office space make an enormous difference to how appealing and inviting a legal workplace is.
Riddell recalls, “In some of the contract roles I had, where it was hot-desking and open plan, you had to get into the office early to get near a window.”…
Accessible for all
….Riddell emphasise the role of contrasting colours and textures to enable those with vision impairment to delineate between doors, stairways, meeting rooms, kitchens and bathrooms.
“You need clear signage on every meeting room and toilet,” Riddell notes, “including braille, and you could use directional things like tactile tiles for when you’re nearing stairs. For those with hearing impairments, you’d want to ensure that spaces don’t reverberate acoustically.”
Riddell adds, “Obviously, having enough space and furniture that can be moved is important for those in wheelchairs, and allowing for customised, ergonomic seating. These days, you also want to have spaces that allow for guide dogs or companion dogs within the office space.”…