Tierra Tile in a Melbourne Heritage Lobby

Where Every Arrival Becomes an Experience

At Tiles of Ezra, we believe a tile is never just a surface. It is the quiet foundation beneath every moment, every conversation, every arrival. Ellison Studios set out to transform Chapel Street's landmark Conways Building in Melbourne, Australia into The Lobby, a contemporary interpretation of the world's great hotel lobbies. Our EZTIER1010 Havana from our handmade Tierra tile range became the grounding element beneath it all.

The Theatre of In-Between

The brief for The Lobby was built around a feeling. CEO and co-founder, Leigh McKeown, describes it as that universally recognisable in-between space, not quite public, not quite private, where people arrive, wait, meet, and pass through. The 1914 Tompkins and Tompkins designed building offered a grand, atmospheric canvas to bring this vision to life. The design needed to hold scale without feeling cold, to feel luxurious without losing warmth, and to honour the building's century-old bones while feeling entirely of the moment. Havana, a handmade terracotta tile was chosen to meet all of these demands.

The Tile That Sets the Tone

In The Lobby, Havana does what only the finest tiles can: it disappears into the room while defining everything about it. Its warm, burnished tones and hand-finished surface provide a counterpoint to the soaring architecture above, drawing the eye down and anchoring the space in something earthy and real. Wrapped around the curved form of the reception desk, Havana's tonal variation adds depth and movement. As light shifts throughout the day, from morning trade hours to the amber warmth of evening gatherings, the tile responds, ensuring The Lobby feels perpetually alive.

Warm, Dark, and Deeply Considered

Havana's earthy, terracotta-inflected palette works in quiet dialogue with the materiality of the space: the aged timbers, the hand-restored parquetry, the artworks curated by Sydney's Hake House. It neither competes nor recedes. Instead, it sets a tone: relaxed, considered, and enduring.

The Kind of Place You Circle Back To

The Lobby by Ellison Studios is a reminder that the best interiors are experienced from the ground up. With EZTIER1010 Havana, the tile becomes more than a surface: it becomes part of the story. A detail that rewards those who know where to look. Suitable for hospitality, retail, and residential interiors, Havana combines earthy tonal variation with timeless architectural appeal.

All tiles are exclusively available through Tiles of Ezra. Visit our showroom or order a sample to explore the collection.

Credits
Design: Ellison Studios
Project: The Lobby, Prahran VIC
Tile: Tiles of Ezra
Photography: Anson Smart
Brand Creative: Joseph Gardner

Profiled | The Lobby, Ellison Studios