National interdisciplinary design practice Hames Sharley warmly welcomes Principal of Interior Design Kate Hogan Gillies to its Sydney studio.

Kate is an exceptional interior designer with over 20 years of industry experience delivering projects locally and internationally across all scales, predominantly in workplace design, most recently with Woods Bagot.

In her new role, Kate will leverage her expertise in the workplace sector, elevating the strong pipeline of interiors work across the eastern seaboard with her special focus on inclusive and sensory design – and a healthy dose of curiosity and humour.

“I’m very excited to learn from and contribute to the extraordinary body of work developed by the interiors team. We’re only just cracking the surface of what a space can be and I am absolutely here for it!” she says.

Director and Interiors Portfolio Leader, Sonja Duric, says Kate’s experience, personality and design approach are a perfect fit.

“We are so beautifully in simpático with our methodologies around the senses and how the built environment can provide a positive, supportive working experience for everybody. We can’t wait to collaborate with Kate and share our knowledge and learnings.”

For Kate, the new role aligns with her personal values and design ethos. She believes in design for all, not just some, and a people-first approach where listening, curiosity and empathy inform everything, from the first client brief to the first project team lunch to the final handover.

Most of all, she’s excited to continue embracing the threads of generosity and human spirit that first began to appear in her work a few years ago, and that now fully inform each project she touches.

“I believe that spaces are the most satisfying when they feel authentic and there are moments of delight. I derive enormous satisfaction from seeing people love a space, feel connected to it and see themselves reflected in it,” she says.

As a young designer, she studied at UNSW where CAD was in its infancy and all-nighters in the computer lab were par for the course.

“It was an exciting time,” she laughs. “It’s always been a dynamic industry and that has translated into the work we are doing today. In Australia, workplaces continue to be progressive internationally and we are doing some strong market-leading work. The ability to bring a more human approach to these spaces is a really satisfying exchange.”

Her own body of work includes project delivery across scales from 60,000sqm workplace campuses to 800sqm boutique agencies with everything in between. She believes the future of the workplace has shifted significantly.

“I don’t think those big projects will exist much anymore. Instead, we’re looking at under 15,000sqm, which used to be medium-sized but is today eminently manageable as asset owners are trying to reconfigure their space as a service,” she says.

For Kate, it’s the energy, the people, the bouncing of ideas and the face-to-face interactions that inspire her to work at her best and inspire the team around her.

“My dream is collaborating with teams across the country to craft and deliver beautiful spaces that enhance the lived experience of our clients – and that’s already happening in my time here so far.”