Commercial Interior Designers & Fitout Companies in Melbourne: 20 Firms to Know in 2026

Searching for a commercial interior designer or fitout company in Melbourne can become confusing fairly quickly, because businesses that appear beside one another in search results can be offering quite different services.

One may be an independent Interior Design practice. Another might combine workplace strategy, Design and construction under one contract. A third may primarily deliver the construction of a Design developed by someone else.

All three can be the right model for a project.

They are not the same model.

For a client, understanding that difference is usually more useful than trying to decide which business has the nicest portfolio.

This directory brings together 20 commercial Interior Design, workplace and fitout firms with a current Melbourne presence, based on publicly available information reviewed in September 2026.

FORJ publishes this directory and is included in it. The businesses below are not ranked. Information has been compiled from each firm's publicly available website and project material and was last checked in September 2026. Services, locations and team structures can change, so confirm current capability directly with the business before appointing them.

Not every commercial interiors firm offers the same thing

Commercial interior design and commercial fitout are related services, but they are not the same service.

Before comparing businesses, I would first understand how you want the project structured.

At a broad level, there are three common approaches.

Independent Interior Design

The designer is appointed separately from the builder.

The Design practice may work across:

• briefing
• test fits
• space planning
• concept Design
• Design development
• finishes
• furniture
• joinery
• Design intent documentation
• Design clarification during delivery

The client then appoints a builder separately, either one they already know or one introduced through the project team.

This is broadly how FORJ approaches commercial Interior Design.

Integrated Design & Construct

One provider combines some or all of:

• workplace strategy
• Design
• cost planning
• project management
• approvals
• construction
• handover

This can give the client a more consolidated delivery structure and is common in workplace fitout.

The exact contractual model still varies considerably between businesses, so the words "Design & Construct" on their own do not tell you everything.

Construction / fitout delivery

A commercial builder or fitout contractor may be appointed to deliver a Design prepared by an independent designer or architect.

Some also become involved earlier through ECI, preconstruction or Design & Construct procurement.

This can be particularly relevant on larger or more technically complex commercial projects.

What should you compare besides the portfolio?

Project imagery matters, but I would look beyond it.

A commercial client should compare firms on service model, sector experience, project scale, senior involvement and delivery responsibilities rather than portfolio imagery alone.

Useful questions include:

• Who actually leads the project?
• Is the firm being appointed for Design, construction or both?
• Does the team regularly work in my sector?
• What size projects do they normally handle?
• Who prepares the Design documentation?
• Can they work with my existing builder?
• How are specialist consultants engaged?
• Does the person who wins the project remain involved?
• What happens once construction starts?
• Which projects on the website were actually designed by the firm, and which were constructed by them?

That last question is worth checking carefully.

A strong fitout portfolio does not automatically tell you who developed the Design, so project credits are worth reading when comparing firms.

Melbourne commercial Interior Design practices

The following practices publicly show commercial Interior Design, interior architecture or workplace work in Melbourne.

They are listed alphabetically, with FORJ identified clearly as the publisher of this guide.

Carr

Model: Architecture and Interior Design practice

Public focus: Workplace, hospitality, commercial, residential

Carr is a long-established Melbourne design practice with a substantial portfolio across workplace, hospitality and residential interiors.

Its Melbourne workplace portfolio includes projects for organisations such as Treasury Wine Estates, Norton Rose Fulbright, Riverlee and Kokoda House in Richmond.

Carr is relevant to clients looking for a design-led practice with experience across larger corporate and property-led projects, particularly where architecture and interiors intersect.

DesignOffice

Model: Architecture + Interior Design

Public focus: Hospitality, retail, commercial, residential, institutional

DesignOffice was established in 2008 and works across architecture and interiors.

Its portfolio regularly moves between hospitality, retail and commercial environments, with Melbourne projects including Higher Ground and a wide range of customer-facing venues.

For a client, DesignOffice is an example of a multidisciplinary design studio rather than a construction-led fitout business.

FORJ

Model: Independent Interior Design

Public focus: Commercial interiors, selected Residential Interior Design

Publisher disclosure: FORJ publishes this directory

FORJ is a Melbourne studio whose Interior Design work is led by Sam Fossati.

Commercial work can cover:

• early project definition
• test fits
• space planning
• workplace
• retail
• hospitality
• concept Design
• Design development
• finishes
• furniture and FF&E
• joinery
• Design intent documentation
• Design clarification during delivery where scoped

FORJ does not need to act as the builder.

A client can bring an existing builder, or FORJ can introduce builders from its network where appropriate.

This makes the practice relevant to clients who want the Interior Design appointment to remain separate from the construction contract.

For selected commercial businesses, FORJ also has a Digital team working across ecommerce, websites, paid media, SEO and content. That capability is available where genuinely useful rather than being built into every Interior Design engagement.

Explore FORJ's commercial Interior Design service.

Gray Puksand

Model: Architecture + Design practice

Public focus: Workplace, commercial, education and broader architecture

Gray Puksand was founded in Melbourne and now operates nationally.

Workplace is a significant part of its public portfolio, including the Law Institute of Victoria in Melbourne, Beca, AFCA and a range of commercial property clients.

The practice is particularly visible in larger workplace, commercial and institutional projects and combines architecture and Interior Design capability.

Hecker Guthrie

Model: Interior Design practice

Public focus: Residential, hospitality and selected commercial interiors

Hecker Guthrie is a Melbourne Interior Design practice based in Richmond.

Its portfolio spans residential, hospitality and commercial work, including workplace and commercial precinct projects such as Evolution 7 and 130 Little Collins Street.

For clients comparing firms, Hecker Guthrie sits firmly at the design-led end of the market rather than the integrated fitout-contractor end.

Hot Black

Model: Interdisciplinary Design practice

Public focus: Workplace, commercial, architecture, residential, hospitality and lifestyle

Hot Black has studios in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane and describes its work across places, spaces, architecture and interiors.

Its Melbourne workplace portfolio includes projects such as Canaccord Genuity at 101 Collins Street, alongside broader commercial and lifestyle work.

Hot Black is particularly visible in contemporary workplace Design and larger professional-services environments.

Mim Design

Model: Interior Design + architecture

Public focus: Residential, multi-residential, hospitality, retail and workplace

Mim Design is a Melbourne multidisciplinary practice with a broad interiors portfolio.

Its public work spans residential, hospitality, retail and workplace projects, including offices for Pask, Biggin & Scott and other commercial clients.

The studio is useful to include in the market map because it crosses several categories rather than operating only in workplace or only in Residential Design.

Studio Tate

Model: Interior architecture / Interior Design

Public focus: Workplace, hospitality, base building and residential

Studio Tate is a Melbourne practice with a strong publicly visible workplace portfolio.

Recent and established projects include MECCA's support centre, Gordon Legal, PDG, MaxCap and Riverlee, as well as hospitality and commercial-building work.

Studio Tate is particularly relevant to clients looking for a highly design-led workplace practice with strong furniture, material and front-of-house capability.

Studio Y

Model: Interior Design

Public focus: Hospitality, retail, brand experience, workplace and selected residential

Studio Y is a Melbourne interior design studio with a particularly visible hospitality and retail portfolio.

Projects include Stomping Ground, Starward, Brick Lane Market, Rodd & Gunn and the Notting Hill Hotel, alongside retail and workplace projects.

For hospitality and customer-facing commercial interiors, it is one of the more directly sector-focused businesses in this directory.

Technē

Model: Architecture + Interior Design

Public focus: Hospitality, retail, commercial, workplace and residential

Technē is a Melbourne-based architecture and Interior Design practice with extensive hospitality experience.

Its public portfolio includes projects across restaurants, pubs, retail, commercial environments and workplace, including well-known Melbourne hospitality venues.

Technē is relevant where a commercial project sits across both architectural and interior scopes, particularly hospitality-led work.

Melbourne fitout, workplace delivery and Design & Construct businesses

The following businesses publicly offer commercial fitout, construction, workplace delivery or integrated Design & Construct services in Melbourne.

Some also employ in-house Interior Designers and workplace strategists.

Amicus

Model: Integrated workplace strategy, Design and fitout

Public focus: Workplace

Amicus operates a Melbourne office on Flinders Lane and publicly combines workplace strategy, commercial Interior Design, technology, fitout and related services.

Its service model is significantly more integrated than an independent Interior Design appointment.

For clients planning a workplace and looking for one business to carry several project functions, Amicus is one of the established national operators with a Melbourne team.

Axiom Workplaces

Model: Workplace strategy + Design + construction

Public focus: Office and workplace

Axiom Workplaces works across workplace strategy, Interior Design, technical planning and construction.

Its public Melbourne portfolio includes workplaces for businesses such as PUMA Oceania, Slater & Gordon, Qualitas and Jacobs.

The company positions itself specifically around workplace rather than the broader retail and hospitality fitout market.

Cachet Group

Model: Commercial Interior Design + fitout

Public focus: Workplace and commercial interiors

Cachet Group operates from Southbank in Melbourne and works across commercial Interior Design and office fitouts.

The business operates in several Australian markets and presents an integrated commercial-interiors offer rather than a Design-only model.

It is primarily relevant to businesses comparing workplace design and delivery options.

Canopy Fitouts

Model: Interior Design + commercial fitout

Public focus: Office, retail, hospitality, medical and broader commercial fitouts

Canopy Fitouts is a Melbourne commercial fitout business with an in-house design offer.

Its public services include space planning, Interior Design, documentation, furniture selection and fitout delivery across offices and other commercial sectors.

For clients, it represents another integrated option where Design and build capability sit within the same business.

MPA

Model: Commercial fitout and refurbishment contractor

Public focus: Workplace, commercial buildings, refurbishment and related amenity

MPA specialises in workplace construction, fitouts and refurbishment.

Its Melbourne project portfolio includes L.E.K. Consulting, DLA Piper, Afterpay, Rider Levett Bucknall and speculative suites for commercial property clients.

MPA regularly works with external designers, architects and project managers, which makes it a useful example of a construction partner that can sit alongside an independently appointed Design team.

Progressive Corporate

Model: Office fitout Design + construction

Public focus: Workplace

Progressive Corporate is a Melbourne office-fitout business with a long operating history and a Design-to-delivery model.

Its public service focuses strongly on office environments rather than the broader hospitality and retail market.

For businesses specifically comparing office fitout providers, it is part of the established workplace-fitout category.

SHAPE

Model: Commercial construction + fitout + refurbishment

Public focus: Commercial office, government, education, health and larger construction projects

SHAPE is a national construction and fitout business with a substantial Melbourne operation.

Its Victorian capability includes fitout, refurbishment, preconstruction, Design & Construct and wider construction services.

SHAPE is generally operating in a different scale and procurement environment from a small independent Interior Design studio, which is exactly why comparing the service model matters before comparing portfolios.

Spaceful

Model: Workplace strategy + Design + construction

Public focus: Workplace

Spaceful operates nationally with a Melbourne studio at 101 Collins Street.

Its integrated model connects workplace strategy, Design, project management and construction from early property decisions through to delivery.

The company is particularly relevant to businesses that want workplace strategy and the eventual construction contract to sit within one connected project structure.

Total Fitouts

Model: Commercial Design + fitout network

Public focus: Office, retail, hospitality, medical, wellness and other commercial sectors

Total Fitouts operates through a network of local commercial fitout teams, including several across Melbourne and Victoria.

Its Melbourne teams offer Interior Design, construction and fitout services across a broad mix of sectors.

The local-team structure means clients should check the experience and portfolio of the specific Total Fitouts team they would be engaging, rather than treating the national portfolio as one interchangeable delivery team.

Unita

Model: Fitout + construction

Public focus: Retail, hospitality, office, wellness, healthcare, hotels and events

Unita is a national fitout and construction company with a Melbourne delivery team.

Its Victorian portfolio spans retail and hospitality through to workplaces, wellness and larger brand rollouts.

Unita is particularly visible in customer-facing commercial fitouts and projects where specialist construction and joinery delivery are central to the brief.

So which model should you choose?

There is no single answer, and I would be cautious of anyone suggesting there is.

If a business is comparing commercial interior designers and fitout companies, the right model depends on the project itself.

An early tenancy decision may need strong planning and test-fit capability before the builder is even appointed.

A complex corporate workplace may benefit from a large integrated workplace team.

A hospitality venue might need a designer with deep operational and customer-experience knowledge, followed by a specialist hospitality fitout contractor.

A client who already has a trusted builder may simply want an independent Interior Design practice to lead the planning and Design.

A landlord delivering several speculative suites may prioritise programme, construction capability and repeatability.

The market is broad because the projects are broad.

Questions I would ask before appointing anyone

Rather than asking only for a fee and a portfolio, I would ask each shortlisted business:

1. What exactly are you being appointed to do?
2. Who will lead my project after the proposal is signed?
3. Which recent projects are closest to mine in type and scale?
4. Who produced the Design on those projects?
5. Who prepares the documentation?
6. How are consultants engaged and coordinated?
7. Can you work with my existing builder?
8. If you are building the project as well, how is Design quality reviewed during value management?
9. What happens when site questions come back during construction?
10. What is excluded from your appointment?

Those answers will usually tell you more about the likely project experience than a collection of finished photographs.

Where FORJ fits into the Melbourne market

FORJ sits on the independent Design side of this market.

We work primarily across commercial Interior Design, including workplace, retail, hospitality, professional services and selected customer-facing environments.

Depending on the project, our scope can begin with test fits and early planning and continue through concept Design, Design development, finishes, furniture, joinery and Design intent documentation.

We can work with a builder you already have, or introduce suitable builders from our network where required.

The builder and specialist consultants are engaged separately and remain responsible for their respective construction, technical and statutory requirements.

That structure suits clients who want a senior Interior Design lead while retaining flexibility around how the project is ultimately built.

For the right commercial business, the wider FORJ relationship can also continue through our Digital work, but the Design appointment does not depend on using Digital services.

A note on keeping this directory current

This guide was last reviewed in September 2026.

Commercial Interior Design and fitout businesses change over time. Studios merge, teams move, services expand and local offices open or close.

We intend to keep this directory current rather than publishing it once and leaving it untouched.

If you operate a Melbourne commercial Interior Design or fitout business and believe the information here is materially incorrect, contact FORJ with the relevant public source and we can review it.

FORJ works across commercial Interior Design in Melbourne and Victoria, including workplace, retail, hospitality, test fits, planning, furniture and Design intent documentation.

If you are currently comparing firms and want to understand whether FORJ's delivery model suits your project, send through your plans or early brief and we can start from there.