Things to Consider When Designing Your Restaurant

When the time comes to design a restaurant it is important to know exactly what you are doing. Knowing how to design a restaurant is vastly different from other forms of design. Principles that apply for home design and interior design may not have any relevance for making a restaurant look great. In this guide, we’re looking at restaurant design and how you can create a certain look within your restaurant to make it look classy and drive people through the door.

Colors & Lighting Matters

There are certain colors that have a scientific effect on our brains. Did you know that red makes us feel more hungry, whereas blue makes our metabolism slow down! If you are choosing a color scheme then you should opt for something that looks great and keeps within a certain theme but doesn’t neglect the psychological effect of colors.

Lighting should fit in, too. A white lighting scheme can encourage focus, and look more modern. Tungsten lights fit with classic looks and have a relaxing property.

Be Smart with Space

Not many people will choose to eat in a restaurant that is cramped. Everyone wants their own space and to eat in comfort without having to think about the conversation on the next table.

You can make your space appear bigger by being clever with how you arrange furniture. Also, incorporating more mirrors can be a good way to enhance the look of the restaurant and give the illusion it is bigger and more spacious than it actually is.

What’s Your Theme?

Many restaurants have a theme that can be used to drive your restaurant design ideas. For instance, if your restaurant serves Asian food, think about using Asian signs and imagery such as dragons! If you are a seafood restaurant, decorated with images of the sea, model boats, and anchor signs. This helps to promote a strong brand image.

Staying on the message in terms of colors and the theme of your restaurant is vital. It shows you have a clear theme in your food rather than just being random and aimless.

Fortunately, there is always a lot of inspiration readily available. All you need to do is walk down the high street and head to some local restaurants, or watch some video reviews of restaurants to give you some restaurant design ideas. Do your market research, decide on a theme and then stick with it. This ensures that you have the best chance of customers understanding your brand and ultimately gives off a more professional image.

Design Details

The following are some design details you should consider when looking into how to design a restaurant. Every restaurant design is different but it is still so important to consider the impact each element could have on the look and vibe in your restaurant.

Fireplaces

Fireplaces can give a lovely warm glow and are an especially welcome look if you are opening your restaurant in a location that can get cold. People are drawn to come inside to the fire. It gives a classy and homely feel, like an English pub! The fireplace mantels can also give you an extra place to decorate and nail down the theme of your restaurant design.

Fountains

Fountains provide a very luxurious feel. The kind of look you associate with Michelin stars and incredibly good food! If you are trying to create a very high-end establishment, you can get custom fountains created to fit with your design and show people that your restaurant belongs at the elite level!

Faux Ceiling Beams

It can be hard to create an amazing look without spending huge amounts of money. Ceiling beams are a way to create a striking and historic appearance within your restaurant, but the truth of the matter is that they require loads of upkeep and they’re not the easiest to have installed if they don’t exist within the building already.

Faux ceiling beams are created to give the look of old fashioned beams without any of the upkeep and at a small amount of the cost. They still look fantastic and to the naked eye, it is very hard to tell any difference between the two. Installation is much easier and this is a way you can spend relatively little money for an amazing look.

Staircases

Yes, staircases are functional, but they also provide a chance for you to make a design statement. Your staircase should always be safe to ensure that staff and customers don’t have any accidents, but you can also include some personality. Think about a spiral staircase to save space, or an old-fashioned staircase to stick with the olde-worlde image you may be trying to create. A staircase should not be ignored as a design feature just because it is functional, too.