Four stages, every project, no surprises
How we work · Edinburgh · Scotland
Our commercial interior design process — Understand, Concept, Design, Deliver. Hospitality interiors built for performance.
Honest numbers, early — design that performs from briefing to opening night.
The approach
We start with the numbers, not the mood board.
Every project starts with the same question — what does this space need to do commercially? Covers, spend per head, dwell time, footfall, service speed. The design is a response to those numbers, not a separate exercise in finishes.
We don't hand over a drawing pack and disappear. We stay involved from initial brief to opening night and beyond, through fit out and snagging, on site through build, with the operator through the first peak nights. What you see in the renders is what you get in reality.
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01
Understand
The business, the numbers, the commercial reality.
Every project starts with the operator's commercial brief — covers, spend per head, dwell time, peak nights, throughput. We map the existing site, the constraints (listed buildings, planning, services) and the operational model. The room follows the numbers, not the other way around.
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02
Concept
Brand-led creative direction with commercial intent.
Concept is where the brand and the room start to speak the same language — interior architecture, FF&E direction, lighting story, identity, menu typography. We test concepts against the operational model, not just the mood board. By the end of this stage you have a render, a brand and a budget that all commit to each other.
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03
Design
Layouts, specification, FF&E, tied to performance.
Detailed design — drawings, schedules, FF&E sourcing, lighting design, brand artwork, signage, menu and packaging. Every line on the drawing is tied back to a commercial decision. We tender, we value-engineer where needed, and we maintain the design integrity as the costs land. No stripping the room of intent in week 8.
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04
Deliver
On site, on time, on budget — through fit out, snagging, and opening night.
We're on site through fit out, in the room with the operator during snagging, and there for the first peak nights — because that's when the design is actually tested. What you see in the renders is what you get on opening night, because we're the ones making sure of it.
What you can expect
The practical stuff: budgets, programmes, scope.
- 01
Honest numbers, early.
We work to a capex sheet on every project and design to the budget from day one. We'll tell you early if the brief and the budget don't match — no surprises at tender. A bar or cafe fit out in Edinburgh might start from £80k. A student union or visitor centre project could be £500k–£2M+.
- 02
Realistic programmes.
A single-venue bar or restaurant is typically 12–16 weeks from briefing to opening. Cafe or pub fit outs follow a similar timeline. Brand activations can be faster — we've delivered in as little as 4 weeks. Larger projects like student unions or visitor centres run longer.
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One studio, full scope.
Interior architecture, hospitality branding, FF&E procurement, lighting design, on-site delivery — all under one roof. We coordinate with structural architects and contractors where required, but the interior design and branding are designed as one piece.
Start a project
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