5 Design Lessons from Restaurants
The other night, while out to dinner, I spent some time looking very carefully around the restaurant. It was a small chain and had obviously been carefully designed to evoke a certain feeling and to make the most of diner experiences (also, I'm guessing, to make the most MONEY off diner experiences).
It got me thinking about the careful planning that goes into restaurant design, especially in larger (or more heavily financially backed) places, and which lessons from restaurant design are also applicable to homes.
Regular people don't need to make room for dessert carts or worry about quick table turnover, but we are better off if we design spaces that absorb noise and, well, look pretty. So here are five design tips that we can take from restaurants and apply to our own spaces:
It got me thinking about the careful planning that goes into restaurant design, especially in larger (or more heavily financially backed) places, and which lessons from restaurant design are also applicable to homes.
Regular people don't need to make room for dessert carts or worry about quick table turnover, but we are better off if we design spaces that absorb noise and, well, look pretty. So here are five design tips that we can take from restaurants and apply to our own spaces:
1. High ceilings create a feeling of spaciousness. Even in smaller spaces, high ceilings make a room feel better, airier and less crowded.
Plus, ceilings that draw the eye up open up people's perception of a space, as they're looking up and down in addition to at eye level.
2. Noise control is key. One of the risks of high ceilings, though, is that rooms get noisy - but carefully placed fabric, like in the form of throw pillows, can absorb a lot of that noise.
Fabric-covered furniture, rugs and tablecloths are also good noise cushions.
Fabric on the walls works nicely, too.
3. Big windows are best. Restaurants with big windows are fabulous in the daytime, when natural light floods the food...
and great at night when a sparkly evening view is as pleasant as the best art.
4. Create spaces that allow for a feeling of both privacy and activity. One of the great things about a restaurant meal is the ability to have a private experience with just those you came with, but in a public space.
5. Upscale casual is hot. The restaurant we went to the other night specifically called itself "upscale casual" - which sounds like an oxymoron, but it's actually a good description of what many Americans look for in their spaces - comfortable rooms that still look really nice.