Profiling: Leonard Joel House | Studio Doherty | Mardi Doherty

“Leonard Joel exists between two worlds, the exceptional and the everyday.” That contrast became the starting point for Studio Doherty’s design of the auction house’s new Melbourne headquarters, a space that needed to honour the history of the brand while creating a more contemporary, spacious and flexible experience.

Led by Director Mardi Doherty, Studio Doherty is a Melbourne-based interior design practice working across residential, retail, hospitality and commercial interiors. Its projects are grounded in materiality, craftsmanship and storytelling, with each space designed to feel deeply connected to its purpose, its history and the people who use it.

For Leonard Joel, that meant understanding a business built around objects with stories of their own. Rare artworks, jewellery, furniture and collectables sit alongside the weekly Auction Salon, where unexpected treasures arrive and new discoveries can be found. The headquarters needed to feel refined enough to present significant collections, but never so formal that it lost the warmth, curiosity and energy that define the auction house.

The move itself presented a clear design challenge. Leonard Joel was leaving a significant Victorian Gothic Revival building for a large commercial warehouse constructed in the early 2000s. Rather than attempting to recreate the atmosphere of the former premises, Studio Doherty responded to the character of the new building.

“The existing warehouse character was one of the building’s best assets,” Mardi explains. “Rather than trying to hide the industrial qualities of the building, we embraced them and created contrast through refined materials, beautiful detailing and a softer interior palette.”

The scale of the warehouse allowed the headquarters to support auctions, exhibitions, client meetings and daily operations, but large volumes can easily feel cold or impersonal. Studio Doherty introduced warmth through layers of textiles, lighting, furniture, stone and joinery, creating a more comfortable experience without diminishing the building’s sense of openness.

Colour and materiality were central to that transformation. Jewel tones reference Leonard Joel’s connection to art, jewellery and collectible objects, with deep petrol blues balanced by quartzite in warm gold and caramel tones. Timber adds another layer of warmth, while carefully considered lighting creates intimacy and depth within the warehouse volume.

“The materials were chosen for their reference to the past and their robustness,” Mardi says. “Every material was selected to contribute to the feeling of craftsmanship and permanence.” This sense was important in a space dedicated to objects that have already lived many lives. While the design is contemporary, it avoids feeling fleeting or trend-led. Materials were selected to age well, withstand the demands of a busy auction house and provide an appropriate setting for pieces of extraordinary quality and history.

Window furnishings became a significant part of the architectural response. Leonard Joel was guided by Studio Doherty, while remaining closely involved in the fabric selection. Together, the client, designer and Lovelight worked through the practical requirements, budget considerations and track detailing needed to resolve the treatments.

“We see window furnishings as having a huge impact on the feeling of a space, influencing scale, softness, acoustics, light and atmosphere,” Mardi explains. That impact is most clearly seen in the top gallery, where a vast blue velvet curtain brings softness and presence to the space. Its scale responds to the warehouse architecture, but the weight and tactility of the fabric create a sense of comfort within it. The curtain also provides flexibility, allowing the gallery to adapt to different uses, while improving acoustics across the large volume.

“The thick blue curtain needed to have presence and softness while also providing acoustic strength,” Mardi says. “The craftsmanship and attention to detail from Lovelight were essential in achieving this.”

The result is both highly functional and visually commanding. The curtain does not simply sit at the edge of the room. It becomes part of the interior architecture, shaping the way the gallery feels and performs while reinforcing the deep blue palette that runs through the project.

At reception, the window furnishing response is lighter. A sheer curtain filters the northern sunlight while maintaining visibility to the trees beyond. It softens the incoming light without severing the connection to the exterior, creating a welcoming first impression for visitors while supporting comfort throughout the day.

These two treatments demonstrate the different roles curtains can play within the same project. One is dense, dramatic and acoustic. The other is light, translucent and responsive to the sun. Both are shaped by the architecture, the function of the space and the experience Mardi wanted to create. “When selecting curtains, we consider the architecture, ceiling heights, natural light, privacy requirements and how the space will be experienced,” she explains. “We look for fabrics with beautiful texture, movement and quality, and also that will fit with our client’s budget.”

Among the many carefully resolved elements, Mardi’s favourite feature is perhaps one of the most unexpected. The directional signage, designed by Mike Giesser, is made from individually 3D-printed letters. Clever, contemporary and quietly referential, it reflects the broader intention behind the project. It acknowledges the past without reproducing it.

The finished space feels entirely appropriate for Leonard Joel. It is robust but refined, gallery-like but warm, contemporary but grounded in history. It gives exceptional objects room to speak, while preserving the energy and sense of discovery that make the auction house so compelling.

Mardi sees this approach as part of a broader movement away from interiors that feel overly minimal or disposable. “We are seeing a renewed appreciation for craftsmanship, texture and longevity,” she says. “Interiors are moving towards environments that feel layered, personal and timeless.”

Curtains are increasingly part of that shift. Generous, tactile and beautifully made, they are no longer being treated as an afterthought. At Leonard Joel, they help shape scale, acoustics, atmosphere and light, proving that the most functional elements of a space can also become some of its most memorable