An interesting restaurant interior design can serve you well in attracting customers. The importance of the impression of the interior is hardly inferior to the impression of the kitchen and the presentation of dishes. At the same time, as Spanish interior designer Ivan Cotado explained in an interview, the unity of form and content is extremely important in the design of a restaurant, that is, the dishes served and the interior of the restaurant should be in harmony.
Understanding the restaurant business idea
Before deciding on the style, the designer needs to clarify the business direction of the establishment. A modern restaurant interior can be a powerful tool in achieving commercial success, but for this you need to understand three key points:
- the difference between the restaurant and its competitors;
- matching the tastes of visitors;
- the degree of manifestation of the emotional component of the interior.
In order to find out all this, it is necessary tochat with both the director and the chef of the restaurant, read possible publications about the restaurant, as well as learn about the nearest competitors and their design.
Knowing the details of restaurant cuisine
Familiarity with the key attributes of the restaurant's cuisine will help to develop the interior of a restaurant in order to convey this information to the client, if possible, through design. The characteristic features of the kitchen distinguish the establishment in the eyes of customers, and the interior can help emotionally combine the taste and the special idea of the establishment.
If a restaurant offers traditional cuisine with a predominance of local dishes and products, then the design should be based on simple materials (wood, stone, forged products) and stick to simple colors that are close to the natural colors of the region.
If, on the contrary, the menu has futuristic notes, the dishes are unusual or there is a mixture of different directions, then the original style can be chosen in the decoration, so the interior of the restaurant will set the visitor to an unusual menu.
It must be remembered that not only materials and colors can visually express the features of the menu, but also everything that adorns the interior of the restaurant: the layout of the hall, decorative elements, furniture, dishes, menu design, website design.
Meet the Chef
The experience of specialists shows that if the design of a restaurant goes against the tastes and character of the chef, then the homogeneity of impressions from visiting the establishment will not work. It is in this issue that the importance of an individual approach to the project is manifested. The interior of the restaurant should be identified withcharacteristic features of the manner of cooking. The chef and his team should enjoy the atmosphere of the restaurant, this will be the key to creativity.
Combination of functionality and aesthetics
Each design project combines the functionality and aesthetic perception of the restaurant environment. The peculiarity and unusualness of the institution for the visual perception of the client should not interfere with the well-coordinated and convenient work of the staff. When decorating the hall, it is necessary to plan simple food delivery routes, areas with good and subdued lighting, matching the decor and furniture design.
According to Ivan Kotado, it is easy to come up with a beautiful interior design for a restaurant, but making it beautiful and functional is much more difficult. The balance of aesthetics and functionality in the interior can make the establishment extraordinary.
Create an intimate setting
Visiting public places, which is any restaurant, does not at all indicate the desire of the client to be in a wide society. It is important to create a certain intimacy condition for each of the tables in the restaurant space, this is highly appreciated by visitors and is one of the important tasks of a design solution when creating an interior.
Comfort
For both customers and restaurant staff, the feeling of comfort in the interior is important, which is provided by lighting, acoustics, climatic parameters of the room, as well as the convenience of furniture.
- Lighting. It should be moderate in the restaurant, it is also necessary to consider a combination of natural and artificial lighting. Careful planning of this moment will help to avoid problems such as the unfortunate play of light and shadow on the faces of visitors, the presence of unlit places or overly lit.
- Acoustics. When it comes to sound, interior design often forgets about the need to avoid sound reverberation, that is, its multiple reflections in a confined space. For this, sound-absorbing materials are used: wood, fabric and others.
- Climate. We all understand the importance of the climatic components of the environment: temperature and humidity, but no less important is the quality of the air, it must be clean. Thus, studies at the Rockefeller University (USA) in 1999 showed that a person remembers 35% of olfactory, 5% visual, 2% auditory and 1% tactile information. The researchers who received the Nobel Prize in 2004, Richard Axel and Linda Buck, agree with this. They found that a person is able to distinguish 10,000 smells and only 200 colors. The riot of aromas that reigns in the kitchen should not dominate the hall. This means that proper ventilation of the restaurant will be an important component of success.
- Furniture that decorates the interior of the restaurant should be comfortable and consistent with the chosen style. Perhaps one rule is important to observe in all cases: furniture should not be bulky so that it can be easily moved at the request of the client.
The need to interest the client
In the modern world, visitors are no longer attracted only by food. The style and interior of the restaurant have become an integral part of the perception of the institution, as well as the attentionservice personnel. Choosing the right interior style direction can keep visitors engaged and make them want to come back.
Basic Styles
Indicating the chosen design style is often included in the description of the interior of the restaurant, without which neither critical nor advertising articles can do. When choosing a style, the designer can be guided by both local color and thematic direction.
Rustic style includes the following mandatory attributes: a wooden floor or made of tiles, reminiscent of the soil; wooden furniture; abundance of plants in the interior; at least one of the walls should be made of wood or stone, or using wallpaper of similar textures.
Urban style (or modern) is well suited for restaurants in large cities and includes the use of bright colors in the setting, unusual lighting solutions, high stools, plastic and metal furniture. The background music will also be an important detail.
Elegant style is characterized by the observance of all norms of etiquette and classic serving, here an abundance of details and, of course, a carefully seasoned menu play an important role. At the same time, the interior should be not so much expensive as really elegant: fabric tablecloths and napkins, beautiful and comfortable chairs in a classic style, candles and small bouquets of real flowers are a must.tables, quiet soft music and immaculately dressed waiters.
Retro style is characterized by various embodiments, which are united by the use of muted tones. Old or artificially aged lamps, chairs, vases, wooden floors will make the interior of the restaurant special, photos of past years will also fit in well.
Thematic style combines different ideas for implementation, the interior can become the dream come true of fans of any movie, cartoon, country, culture, hobby. For example, in the photo above we see an unusual restaurant "House of the Jew", located in the Spanish city of Santander.
Mixing styles can also be a good idea. Pictured above is a rustic-industrial dining room at a French restaurant in Singapore.
