Despite Tough Times, Expansive Lobbies Thrive

For a reminder of how fast design trends can change, look no further than the July 1990 edition of theABA Journal. Several pages are given over to honoring the winners of the journal’s then-annual law office design competition.

The winning offices in 1990 were dotted around the country, and they show a few regional variations, like a desert-inspired color palette for a small firm in Texas. But some features appear again and again in the photos: lots of wood, mostly dark. Standard-height ceilings with fluorescent or recessed lights. Rich leather furniture; round columns; shelves upon shelves of books. ...