Inside Rubins: A Mediterranean Restaurant Made Personal

Made for Rubins

Step inside Rubins and you’ll find a restaurant full of colour, pattern and Mediterranean character. But rather than following one look throughout, the interior was designed to give different areas their own personality, while still making the whole restaurant feel connected. 

Creating something personal was particularly important because of the story behind the restaurant itself. Rubins is named after the owner’s son, so the name means much more than simply the business above the door. When the team came to us for help with the tiles, they wanted that personal connection to become part of the interior too. 

For us, every project is different. Whether we’re helping with a restaurant, hotel, retail space or someone’s home, we look at the space, the ideas behind it and what the customer is trying to create. We want to be an extension of the project, offering advice and helping to find the right tiles rather than simply supplying them. 

Tiles are particularly well suited to busy commercial spaces like restaurants. They’re practical, durable and easy to clean, but they can also play a big part in giving an interior its identity. At Rubins, Mediterranean style provided plenty of inspiration, with warm colour, pattern and decorative details used differently throughout the restaurant. 

As the project developed, Sam suggested taking that identity one step further by creating bespoke tiles specifically for Rubins, featuring the restaurant’s name. These could be mixed with wall tiles, floor tiles and patterned tiles from our existing collections, bringing something completely personal into the scheme without overwhelming the space. 

The result is a commercial tile project that feels unmistakably Rubins. Each area has something different to offer, but everything has been chosen around the restaurant, its Mediterranean character and the personal story behind its name. 

Designing for Commercial Space

Designing a tile scheme for a restaurant is very different from choosing tiles for a single room. There are several areas to consider, each with its own purpose and style, but they still need to feel like part of the same restaurant. 

At Rubins, this didn’t mean using the same tiles everywhere. We worked with the team to look at each area individually, suggesting different tiles, colours and patterns depending on how they wanted the space to feel. The floor, bar, feature walls and toilets could all have their own character while still working together as one complete scheme.

A mix of patterned floor tiles, colourful wall tiles and characterful finishes helped bring the different areas together. Each was used in a slightly different way depending on the space, with some areas making a bold statement and others taking a much calmer approach. Mediterranean influences run throughout, creating a connection between the different designs without making everything feel the same.

With so many different areas to consider, our role was to help turn the initial ideas for Rubins into a tile scheme that worked across the whole restaurant. We guided the team through the different options, suggested tiles and combinations, and helped make sure each choice worked with the wider space.

As the Rubins team explained, “We were guided through the entire process… it made the process much more streamlined and simple.”

The finished restaurant shows what can happen when different tiles are considered as part of one project. Each area has its own personality, but together they create a space that feels connected, full of Mediterranean character and, most importantly, completely at home at Rubins.

One of the most personal details at Rubins can be found within the floor. Among the patterned floor tiles, the Rubins name has been worked into the design, creating something made specifically for the restaurant. 

The idea came about while we were developing the tile scheme with the Rubins team. Knowing how much the restaurant’s name meant to them, we suggested creating bespoke tiles featuring the Rubins name and incorporating them into the floor. It was a simple way to make the design feel even more personal without overwhelming the space. 

The custom tiles sit naturally within the surrounding pattern, so the name feels like part of the floor rather than branding added afterwards. And because Rubins is named after the owner’s son, the finished design has a personal connection to both the family and the business. 

For commercial interiors, branding doesn’t always have to come from signs or graphics. A business name, logo or custom pattern can be worked directly into the tiles, becoming part of the space itself. 

The Rubins project also helped us develop our bespoke tile service, which we can now offer for other projects. Alongside helping businesses choose and specify tiles from our existing collections, we can work with them to create custom tiles around their branding, ideas and space. 

Whether it’s a name, logo, or completely bespoke pattern, it opens up another way for us to help businesses create something individual - and something that couldn’t simply be chosen from catalogue or belong anywhere else.  

For this part of the restaurant, Rubins wanted something different from the patterned floor while still keeping the Mediterranean character running throughout the space. We suggested using our zellige effect tiles in a harlequin layout, creating a colourful feature wall with a completely different look 

Rather than introducing another patterned tile, we used the layout itself to create the pattern. Alternating colours across the wall creates the harlequin design, showing how a relatively simple wall tile can be used in a more creative way. 

Our Zellige collection was a natural fit for the look Rubins wanted. Their handmade-inspired appearance and subtle difference in tone bring plenty of variation to the wall, with the colours changing slightly from tile to tile. Combined with the harlequin layout, the finished wall has plenty of colour and character without repeating the patterns already used elsewhere in the restaurant. 

It’s a good example of how we approached the different areas at Rubins. Rather than trying to match everything, we looked at how different tiles, colours and layouts could give each space something of its own while still working as part of the wider scheme. 

The feature wall might look completely different from the patterned floor tiles, but the color and Mediterranean influence connect the two. Together with the bespoke details used elsewhere, it helped us create a restaurant full of variety while still feeling unmistakably Rubins. 

Not every area of Rubins needed to be filled with bold colour and pattern. When it came to the bar, the owners told us they wanted something much calmer, so we looked at the tiles that would complement the rest of the restaurant without competing with it. 

With patterned floor tiles and colourful features already bringing plenty of Mediterranean character to the space, we suggested taking a more understated approach here. The tiles chosen for the bar create a relaxed backdrop while still working naturally with the colours and finishes used elsewhere. 

This was an important part of how we approached the overall tile scheme. Rather than choosing one design and repeating it throughout the restaurant, we considered each area individually and suggested tiles based on how the owners wanted that particular space to look and feel. 

At the bar, that meant stepping away from the more decorative patterned tiles used elsewhere. It still needed to feel connected to the Mediterranean-inspired interior, but it didn’t need to make the same statement. 

That contrast is part of what makes the finished Rubins scheme work so well. Some areas immediately catch your attention with pattern, colour or bespoke details, while others are deliberately more relaxed. 

By helping the team find that balance we were able to create a varied scheme that still feels connected - showing that sometimes knowing where to keep things simple is just as important as knowing where to go bold. 

The attention to detail at Rubin’s doesn’t stop in the main restaurant. The toilets gave us another opportunity to have fun with the scheme, using a mix of patterned tiles, colours and different styles to continue the character found throughout the rest of the space.

Rather than choosing one tile and using it across every surface, different designs have been brought together to give the toilets their own personality. There’s plenty happening, but the combination works with the eclectic, Mediterranean-inspired feel of Rubins. It’s colourful, decorative and a little unexpected - exactly the kind of space where you can be more confident with pattern. 

In restaurants and other hospitality spaces, toilets can easily become an afterthought. But they’re still part of the customer experience, and continuing the interior design into these smaller areas can make the whole space feel much more considered. Bathroom tiles also offer plenty of opportunity to introduce a bolder pattern or colour that might not have been used elsewhere. 

The wall tiles and floor tiles chosen for the toilets don’t match those in the main restaurant, and they don’t need to. Instead, we focused on finding designs that had the same sense of colour and character while giving the space something different. 

The result is another area that feels distinctly Rubins. By suggesting different tiles for different parts of the restaurant, we were able to create plenty of variety without losing the connection between them - giving every corner of Rubins something of its own. 

Different Tiles, One Identity

Look at Rubins as a whole and there’s a lot happening. The personalised floor tiles, colourful zellige effect feature wall, quieter bar area and patterned toilets all have their own look, but together they feel completely at home within the same restaurant. 

That was an important part of the project. Rubins didn’t need every area to match, we worked with the Rubins team to find different tiles, colours and patterns that suited each space while still feeling connected to the restaurant’s Mediterranean style.

As the Rubins team explained, “It’s a really bespoke experience with every single tile matched to our themes.”

That’s exactly what we wanted to achieve. Some areas use bold patterned tiles, others make more of colour or layout, and some are deliberately kept simpler. We also introduced the bespoke tiles featuring the Rubins name, adding something completely personal to the scheme. 

Perhaps one of the best signs that it has all come together is the reaction from customers. The owners regularly receive compliments on how well tiled the building is, and they’ve been really pleased with how the finished scheme has brought their ideas for the restaurant to life. 

For a restaurant or other commercial interior, tiles can be much more than a practical surface. By working closely with Rubins and helping shape the ideas throughout the project, we created a mix of wall tiles and floor tiles that has become a real part of the restaurant’s identity. 

Bespoke Tiles, Made For You

Sometimes the perfect tiles already exist; sometimes different collections need to be brought together; and sometimes a project calls for something completely unique. 

That’s why we like to work with every project individually. You don’t need to come to us knowing exactly which tiles you want. Bring us your ideas, plans or inspiration and we can help develop the scheme with you, suggesting wall tiles, floor tiles and patterned tiles from our existing collections that we think will work for the space.

That was a big part of our involvement with Rubins. We worked closely with the team to understand what they wanted the restaurant to feel like, suggested different tiles and layouts for each area, and came up with the ideas of creating bespoke tiles featuring the Rubins name. 

We can take the same approach with other projects. Where something more personal is needed, we can explore custom designs featuring a business name, logo, branding or pattern, creating tiles specifically for the space. 

The starting point doesn’t always have to be “Which tile do you want?” Sometimes the better question is “What are you trying to create?”

Whether the answer is already somewhere in our collections or needs to be made especially for you, we can offer the ideas, advice and support to help bring the whole tile scheme together. 

A Restaurant That Feels Like Rubins 

What makes that finished Rubins scheme work isn’t one particular tile or feature. It’s the way the different designs have been brought together to create a restaurant that feels completely its own.

There’s plenty of variety throughout the space. Bold patterned tiles sit alongside colourful wall tiles, while other areas, such as the bar, take a much calmer approach. We suggested tiles, layouts and combinations for each area, using designs from our existing collections alongside bespoke tiles created specifically for the project. 

At the heart of it all is the Rubins name itself. Suggesting the personalised floor tiles gave us an opportunity to bring something completely unique into the scheme, particularly because of the meaning the name holds for the owner and their family. It’s a detail that simply couldn’t belong anywhere else. 

From the first ideas through to the finished restaurant, we worked closely with Rubin's team to help bring their vision to life. The different colours, patterns and finishes all have something different to offer, but together they create a space that feels unmistakably Rubins - and, most importantly, the team are really happy with.

Planning a space of your own? Whether you need help choosing and specifying tiles for a larger project or want to explore custom tiles featuring your name, logo, or branding, our team can work with you to develop a scheme around your space and ideas. 

Get in touch with our team to discuss your tile project and see what we could create together.