A chair that looks right in a catalogue can feel wrong after an hour, and a cafe table that photographs well can wobble on a tiled floor. For anything people will use all day, I would rather a client sat in it, leaned on it and moved it before it went on a schedule.
This guide lists 14 Melbourne showrooms where workplace, hospitality and outdoor furniture can be seen at full size, grouped by area so you can plan a few visits in one trip.
FORJ wrote this guide. We specify furniture for clients but do not sell it. Showrooms marked † are suppliers whose products FORJ specifies on client projects. No showroom paid to be included. Addresses and hours come from each showroom's website in October 2026, and many prefer a booking, so call ahead.
What to test while you are there
- Task chairs. Sit for longer than feels polite. Check the seat depth, lumbar support and arm height against the desk you are using. Height-adjustable office chairs are tested to AS/NZS 4438, which AFRDI says suits people up to about 110 kg. For heavier users, AFRDI's Rated Load certification covers 135, 160 or 185 kg.
- Desks and workstations. Run a height-adjustable desk through its full range and listen to it. Desks are tested to AS/NZS 4442.
- Hospitality seating. Check the weight, how it stacks or moves, and how the upholstery and edges will clean.
- Certification. AFRDI's Blue Tick means a product is tested and the supplier has agreed to quality control and retesting; a test report alone is not the same. Green Tick and GECA cover sustainability.
- Lead time. Ask what is in stock in Australia and what ships from overseas. It often decides the selection more than price.
CBD and Southbank
Haworth
Level 1, 75–77 Flinders Lane, Melbourne. Includes a task-chair "Test Drive space" alongside collaborative seating, workstations and brands such as BuzziSpace and Cappellini.
Worth a visit for: comparing task chairs side by side.
Schiavello
35 Queensbridge Street, Southbank. Booths, workstations, tables, seating and storage that it says are designed, sourced, manufactured and assembled in Australia.
Worth a visit for: booths and workstations from an Australian manufacturer.
Stylecraft
379 Collins Street, Melbourne, Monday to Friday. A multi-level showroom with a commercial floor of workstations, lounges, desks and chairs from Australian and international designers.
Worth a visit for: Australian-designed workplace furniture in the CBD.
Zenith Interiors
Level 6, 555 Bourke Street, Melbourne, by appointment. Workstations, seating, lounge, tables, storage, outdoor and booths, including a locally made collection.
Worth a visit for: a full workplace range in one appointment.
Richmond and Cremorne
DeDeCe
2 Dale Street, Cremorne, weekdays and Saturdays by appointment. International brands including Knoll and Paola Lenti, with workspace and outdoor ranges.
Worth a visit for: high-end executive and outdoor pieces.
ICF †
78 Chestnut Street, Cremorne. Workstations, seating, meeting tables, booths, reception and storage, with custom local manufacturing.
Worth a visit for: booths, dividers and custom-sized workstations.
Living Edge †
650 Church Street, Richmond, open seven days. A workplace level with Herman Miller, Walter Knoll and Muuto, plus a hospitality collection.
Worth a visit for: trying Herman Miller task seating in Melbourne.
Space Furniture
629 Church Street, Richmond, open seven days. Italian brands including B&B Italia and Kartell, with a commercial team for workplace, hospitality and hotel projects.
Worth a visit for: lounge and hospitality pieces with a residential feel.
Collingwood, Abbotsford and Fitzroy
Cult
16–28 Duke Street, Abbotsford, open Monday to Saturday. Fritz Hansen, Carl Hansen & Son, HAY and Fredericia, with a contract team that provides specification and technical drawings.
Worth a visit for: Scandinavian design for client-facing areas.
Innerspace †
17 Bedford Street, Collingwood, weekdays by appointment. Seating, tables, lighting and rugs at full scale for workplace, hospitality, healthcare and aged care.
Worth a visit for: projects that mix hospitality or aged care with softer, residential pieces.
Tait
209–211 Smith Street, Fitzroy. Outdoor seating, tables and planters made to order in Melbourne, with a stated six to eight week hospitality lead time and custom powder-coat colours.
Worth a visit for: terraces, courtyards and outdoor dining.
West Melbourne
KROST †
617–643 Spencer Street, West Melbourne, bookable online. Workstations, seating, screens, reception counters, storage and joinery, with a team that prepares furniture layouts. It says many of its products carry AFRDI certification.
Worth a visit for: a whole office from one supplier.
South-east
GlobeWest †
20–22 Parsons Avenue, Springvale, by appointment. Indoor and outdoor furniture, lighting and rugs for residential and commercial projects.
Worth a visit for: reception, lounge and outdoor areas that should not feel corporate.
Grazia & Co
Unit 1, 10–14 Advantage Road, Highett. A Melbourne furniture designer and manufacturer making indoor and outdoor furniture for hospitality and commercial use.
Worth a visit for: locally made hospitality seating and tables.
Where FORJ fits
FORJ plans and specifies furniture for workplaces, venues and homes as part of the wider interior. See furniture and FF&E design.
Sources: each showroom's own website, checked October 2026; Furntech (AFRDI); GECA.