Ainslie Bullion, one of Australia’s leading precious metals dealers, engaged Urban Group to design and deliver a new office space on the Gold Coast. The goal was clear: create a highly secure environment that still felt open, professional and approachable for clients buying and selling gold and silver.

Having visited Ainslie’s Brisbane office and seen firsthand how their operations blend customer service,, administration and vault-level security, our team knew the design challenge was a unique one. We needed to balance the strictest physical security standards with an interior that reflected the company’s reputation for trust, transparency and customer care.

Design & Colour Choices

To maintain brand consistency across all Ainslie locations, we mirrored their established aesthetic; a clean, refined palette of neutral tones paired with metallic finishes and subtle timber accents. This approach provided a professional backdrop for their bold marketing and brand graphics, which play a strong role throughout the space.

Stainless steel was used extensively for both durability and aesthetic continuity. It ties into the core product – precious metals – while also serving a practical purpose in high-traffic, high-security areas. Light timbers and soft furnishings were introduced in the waiting and consultation zones to create warmth and contrast, ensuring the environment didn’t feel clinical.

The Challenges

This project wasn’t about open-plan collaboration or corporate breakout spaces; it was about designing for trust, discretion and safety. Every decision had to account for security, functionality and user flow.

Key challenges included:

• Integrating heavy-duty security requirements, such as bulletproof glazing, airlocks and reinforced walls, without creating a bunker-like feel.
• Designing for weight and durability, as gold and silver bars are surprisingly heavy and require reinforced shelving and cabinetry.
• Navigating spatial restrictions, with vaults needing to be positioned around the building’s lift core to support their immense weight.
• Creating clear wayfinding and communication through signage, ensuring customers could confidently move through multi-stage security checks and waiting zones.

Our Solutions

We approached the fitout like a high-end office space with industrial-grade functionality.

• Bulletproof glazing was installed at all transaction points, designed with minimal openings to eliminate risk while still allowing face-to-face interaction.
• Reinforced shelving and cabinetry were designed to handle the significant weight of precious metals, anchored securely into structural walls.
• Zoned lighting and clear directional signage help guide clients through the step-by-step entry and airlock process, reducing confusion and maintaining flow.
• Consistent finishes across all national offices ensure brand cohesion while allowing each space to reflect its location; in this case, incorporating natural light and beach views to soften the experience.
• Functional elegance in the back-of-house areas: simple yet practically designed kitchen, efficient storage, and carefully considered sightlines so staff can maintain visibility and control across key zones.

The Result

The completed Ainslie Bullion fitout at Mermaid Beach demonstrates how practical constraints can inspire creative, human-centred design.

The space feels calm, trustworthy and functional; a reflection of Ainslie’s grounded, family-run ethos. It’s a project that proves not every impressive fitout needs bold features or extravagant finishes; sometimes success lies in precision, subtlety and understanding the client’s world inside out.

For Urban Group, this project was a reminder that great design isn’t only about aesthetics, it’s about delivering solutions that make complex environments simple, safe and seamless for the people who use them.

Get in touch today to see how our expert team can transform your out-of-the-ordinary fitout project into reality.