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Hospitality interiors that perform

Edinburgh · Glasgow · Scotland

Commercial interior design and hospitality branding across Edinburgh, Glasgow and Scotland.

What we do

We design the whole system — layout, service flow and durability — so the space works on a packed Friday night as well as it photographs.

Bar, restaurant, hospitality design

Bar design, restaurant design, pub design and cafe design for independent operators and multi-site groups. Built around service flow, atmosphere, durability and the operational details that make a venue work commercially — not just look good on launch night.

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Brand activations

Brand activation design for drinks events, pop-ups, product launches and brand experience environments. Fast turnaround, high impact, designed for social coverage and commercial return.

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Student union design

Multi-use venues that handle daytime service through late-night events. Designed for durability, flexibility and an atmosphere that competes with the high street. Includes Strathclyde Students' Union — ranked #1 in Scotland.

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Visitor centres and experiential

Distillery design, heritage centre design and visitor attraction interiors that tell a story, manage throughput and convert footfall into retail spend. Working from Edinburgh out to the Highlands.

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Brand design and identity

Every project includes hospitality branding as standard. We design the space and the identity as one system, not two separate briefs.

Included by default —
Strathclyde Students' Union — main bar interior, Glasgow

Strathclyde Students' Union · Glasgow

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Why Rough

Most of our clients have been burned by interior designers who don't understand the commercial side.

We're different in three ways. The brief starts with numbers — target covers, spend per head, operational model — not a mood board. The design is tested against how the space actually operates: staff flow, service points, peak capacity, not just how it looks. And we stay on site through build, fit out and snagging, not just through concept approval.

What you see in the renders is what you get in reality. That's the difference between a decorator and a commercial interior designer.

A design studio that thinks like an operator, delivers like a contractor, and creates like an artist.

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Projects completed

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Years in hospitality design

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Award-winning designs

The process

Four stages. Every project. No surprises.

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  1. 01

    Understand

    The business, the numbers, the commercial reality.

  2. 02

    Concept

    Brand-led creative direction with commercial intent.

  3. 03

    Design

    Layouts, specification, FF&E, tied to performance.

  4. 04

    Deliver

    On site, on time, on budget — through fit out, snagging, and opening night.

Frequently asked questions

The questions every operator asks before they brief.

What kind of projects does Rough take on?

We're a commercial interior design studio and hospitality designer — we design bars, restaurants, cafes, pubs, hotels, brand activations, student unions, visitor centres and distillery experiences. The common thread is commercial performance: every project is designed around revenue, footfall and operations, not just aesthetics.

Do you do restaurant design?

Yes. Restaurant design is core to what we do — we've designed restaurants in Edinburgh, Glasgow and across Scotland. Same approach as the rest of our hospitality work: brief starts with commercial targets, design is built around service flow and operations, and we deliver on site through fit out and snagging.

How much does commercial interior design cost?

It depends on scope. A bar or cafe fit out in Edinburgh might start from £80k. A student union or visitor centre project could be £500k–£2M+. 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.

How long does a typical project take?

A single-venue bar or restaurant is typically 12–16 weeks from briefing to opening. Brand activations can be faster — we've delivered in as little as 4 weeks. Larger projects like student unions or visitor centres run longer depending on stakeholder sign-off and procurement. We give you a realistic programme at the start.

Where do you work?

Edinburgh is home, but our hospitality interior design work covers Glasgow, the Highlands, the central belt and further afield across the UK. We've designed bars in Glasgow, restaurants in Edinburgh, student unions at Strathclyde, and brand activations from Scotland to London.

What makes Rough different from other interior designers?

We think like operators. The brief starts with commercial targets — covers, spend per head, dwell time — not mood boards. The design is tested against how the space actually runs, and we stay on site through build and snagging. A decorator can make a room look good. A commercial interior designer designs the whole system.

Start a project

Got a project? Let's start with the brief.

We respond within one working day.