Wednesday, 12 April 2017

Awesome Restaurant Interior designs for Inspiration


Perhaps there is nothing more therapeutic than a fine dining experience. Culinary sophistication and high standards make for a memorable time for anyone in a restaurant. But we design freaks seek more and often end up lusting over great interiors at places like these. Right now we are admiring some fascinating restaurant designs photographed by a Russian firm Indoor Photos. Seems like a lot of time and money has gone into making these spaces perfect for food and conversations. Not only do they manage to lure a large number of food junkies, their interiors serve as good inspiration for home dining spaces too.
Nowadays along with yummy scrumptious food, customers need a cozy and inviting ambience for an enchanting dining experience. Lack of stylish and appropriate decor makes a restaurant incomplete. These days restaurateurs need to give an equal focus on designing their restaurants with innovative and unique concepts that make it appealing enough to attract customers along with their quality of food. When we talk of restaurant design trends, some move in, some move out and some remain stable during the changing times to stay on par with progressive minds of people.
Concept/Theme based Design
There is an immense growing trend for conceptual design these days especially for restaurants. Today designers and restaurateurs opt for theme or concept based designs while planning a restaurant interior portrays a story. This helps deliver a very individualized feeling to the diner and is definitely more inviting and energizing.
These concepts or themes are mostly used for bars or fast/casual restaurants. The Bicycle cafe Bucharest Romania is one fine example of concept based design. The entire restaurant has been designed keeping bicycles in mind, with peddle lamps, bicycle handles on chairs, wheel table forms etc. A very unique concept indeed and a roaring trend that will move on smoothly into the next year.

Raw Materials


As people are moving more towards eco-friendly and sustainable design, another popular trend that has become more and more visible is the use of raw materials such as metal, exposed bricks, wood and concrete for walls, ceiling and flooring. Designers have adapted the rustic approach and industrial look to create a dramatic and visually appealing ambience for the diners.
Nando’s Harrogate UK, an award winner of restaurant design 2016, has come up with a whole new concept or theme that has a mixture of vibrant geometrical form of art and exposed wood and concrete. The stripped down look and feel of the exposed material infuses pattern and texture adding depth and dynamic feel to the entire place. The vibrant and colorful wall art creates a form of balance. No doubt, I would say this trend will definitely rock on 2017 or might alter into more fabric oriented look.

Wall Art


Textures and patterns on walls is one thing that I have noticed in many new or refurbished restaurants today. No I am not referring to those vintage or velvet flocked wallpapers (although I noticed a few here and there) but abstract art, graffiti, digital art and one liners that adorn the walls of restaurants.
The Graffiti art on the amazing crab restaurant, Berkeley, Us is definitely more energizing and lively but can give a disoriented and loud feel if used in abundance. Sometimes you feel that it is a youth generated concept that would not last long and might gradually fade away in the following years.

Minimalist Furniture


Simple and clean lined furniture is another popular trend. Today the demand from the consumer end is more for minimalist furniture design focused more on functionality and that applies for restaurants too.  You rarely notice heavy ornate furniture chairs or tables. Even the more traditional theme based restaurants opt for light furniture that is more structure exposed and less upholstered. Varied seating is another trend with bare wooden seats, benches and stools sometimes with a leather backing.
The newly opened TGI Friday, Texas has followed the Scandinavian concept of simple understated furniture.
The Scandinavian concept is ‘in’ and trending probably that will go one for a while. But this doesn’t really mean that the traditional fine dining experience will fade away.
Ambient lighting
Since the restaurants have started moving towards the minimalist, informal and rustic design era, lighting design has built its own trend, pendant lamps and recessed mood lighting and spots have started replacing chandeliers and vintage lamps. Customized lights have gained popularity too.
You tend to see lighting designs that accord with the entire design concept of the restaurant as shown in the design of Nando’s Restaurant. But sometimes you feel that this cannot entirely replace the experience of dining under vintage lamps, it will trend in but will not replace the formal fine dining experience for sure.

Subtle Color Palette


Where simple design concepts have been introduced, choices of colors have reduced. Except for the wall art and rustic design that we discussed above, you would see more of the Scandinavian color scheme in many restaurants today.
White walls create timeless interiors as seen in the design of Oslo Restaurant, Spain. Black and grey tend to add statement and brown hues in the form of timber furnishings introduce warmth therefore these colors will never go out of vogue.

Open Kitchen


To create a thorough successful experience and utmost satisfaction for diners, restaurateurs and designers have come up with open kitchen concept.
Exposed kitchens with glass panels like the one at Scena, Carlton Hotel Shanghai can be a stimulating and satisfying factor for workers and diners both in terms of service and hygiene. We all want our food to be made in front of our own eyes don’t we? So this concept will definitely drift ahead.

Privacy

Where space planning is concerned, open space concept is really in today. We spoke of open kitchen concept but within the restaurant, partitions have taken form of wood beam plank dividers, partial decorative dividers, or cubicles, which brings a sense of openness and weightless feeling to the space as well as maintain privacy.
The Ginyuu Restaurant, Stuttgart, Germany has incorporated divider and cubicle concept but I feel this pattern will outgrow in the coming years as restaurants opt for more revealing design look.

Integrating Indoor and Outdoor Space


Creating outdoor experience for diners either through outdoor seating or extensive use of glass windows and walls is an upcoming trend.
Cilantro Calgary, Canada is chosen as one of the best open sky dining restaurant in Canada. There are more rooftop restaurants and bars, and who would want to miss the natural scenic view. Staying in par with demands of customers this trend will never go out of style.

Customized Ceiling Concept


More than wall designs, ceiling designs have become quite popular and trendy today. The more innovative feel of restaurants is achieved through ceiling design styles be it exposed wood, planked or raw constructed look with unconcealed metal pipes and vaults.
The ceiling design of Ozone bar, Hong Kong, China designed by Wonderwall with offered honeycomb effect with hidden lights throws back an electrifying experience. This might slightly alter as we move further towards a digitalized age.


Commercial Space Interior Design Ideas


Modern office and workstations are a far cry from the days of old when the work place used to be a drab and dreary place. The modern office space is chic, happening and user friendly. They are focused on the employees wellbeing health and work satisfaction.
Designing interiors for commercial properties is a tricky business. The space must be efficient and cost-effective, but also create a unique and engaging experience.
To further compound the problem, expectations are constantly evolving, so businesses must regularly adapt their interiors to reflect current tastes of their consumers, visitors, and employees.
Fortunately, some modern trends are helping them stay nimble with their designs.
1. Deep Tones

Reflecting the inherent beauty of nature, deep cooling tones are the flavor of the year. Look to use charcoals and greys tinged with greens. Combine them with ivory, stone, and taupe for balance.
If this all seems a bit reserved, then add a few splashes of fiery paprika or zesty lime for color.
2. Super-scale and geometric patterns

Small-scale designs have long been expected from hotel or hospital flooring around the country. But expect to see them phased out over 2013 in favor of more dramatic, large-scale, geometric patterns.
These striking designs help business create a true design statement that expresses personality and makes a lasting impression on visitors.
3. Form over function

It used to be that cost was the primary factor influencing decisions to purchase office furniture. However, with an ever-increasing focus on ergonomic design, the furniture in a modern workplace needs to be comfortable as well as cost-effective.
Expect to see more features like adjustable arms and head rests on office seating, as well as the emergence of standing height desks.
In addition, consumers are looking for quality — and commercial furniture is changing to reflect this by incorporating more durable materials like rustic woods, metal finishes, and tempered glass.
4. Quirky combinations

Interior designers today are moving away from obvious formulaic themes and instead including a variety of unexpected quirky touches to make each space unique.
A pertinent example is the rise of non-matching floor tiles, which, though it may sound bizarre, can look great if applied in the right way.
5. Dual-purpose designs
A consequence of all this prolonged budget tightening means that business are constantly looking for new ways to save money. Commercial interiors offer a host of possibilities, as reflected in the growing popularity of multi-purpose designs.
Examples of this economic ingenuity can be seen in filing cabinets with slide-out seats that accommodate those spur-of-the-moment business meetings. Even lounge chairs have tablet arms, so employees don’t have to be at a desk to work.
6. Eco-builds

With corporations coming under increasing pressure to meet social obligations, there is a drive towards promoting eco-friendly commercial designs.
While glass use has generally been considered a mark of energy inefficiency, new advances in window design mean that this is no longer the case — glass looks set to become a staple of future eco-builds.
Consider installing photovoltaic glass, which has the next generation of solar cells incorporated directly into the window surface. This allows a once power-sapping design feature to begin generating its own energy.
7. Collaboration — not isolation
In an era of increasing interaction and constant communication, the modern worker is no longer willing to remain isolated in a tiny cubicle with no access to natural light. As a result, commercial spaces are moving toward a more collaborative approach, changing their interior design layout to create more open workspaces.
Desks are separated with low or transparent panels, or these partitions are removed altogether in favor of circular workstations that promote an increase in communication and knowledge transfer.
Of course, for most commercial properties it’s not possible or practical to conduct regular full-scale refurbishments. Instead, the emphasis is on making smaller changes — a shift in the furniture layout or a new coat of paint – that can make all the difference without breaking the bank.



Living Rooms That Demonstrate Stylish Modern Design Trends


From material to lighting to layouts, interior design trends move in and out of style at an amazing pace. This post features five living rooms that embrace current best practices but in ways that will likely remain appealing for years to come. Some of these spaces are subdued and subtle, sparking interest without overwhelming the eye. Others take a bolder approach yet reduce risk by anchoring their designs around traditional features or palettes. Most importantly, these living rooms explore the ideas most popular in contemporary design without blending into one homogeneous group – each has its own distinctive personality.


Let’s start with an uplifting pastel design. This cheerful white living room uses pale yellow as a primary accent, with many colors of the rainbow appearing throughout. The layout is open but wraps around a central volume in an L-shape for better division. Abundant windows don’t sacrifice any privacy at all thanks to the huge hedges outside.

Stunning feature lighting guides the eye from one functional area to the next. Here, the sofa arrangement basks in the light of the Skygarden lamp by Marcel Wanders. Artwork behind the dining table incorporates some of the colors found in the living room.


Plants and earthy furniture unite the interior with the unobscured view of the outdoors. The dining room has an especially amazing position: a double-height wall of windows gives a full view of sky and landscape.


It’s not easy to find artwork to suit the scale of a wide-open atrium wall like this one. This painting flawlessly integrates the natural colors used throughout the dining and living spaces.Diamond upholstery, chrome spherical lighting, and playfully angled chair legs all come together for an interesting geometric aesthetic in the dining room.Just around the corner from the living room, a compact galley kitchen occupies a tiny hallway created by the stairway enclosure.


Here’s another space that brings the outdoors in! This modern living room relishes its unique configuration, with its seating area looking out over the pool and toward the gorgeous landscape beyond. Contemporary furniture inspired by midcentury designs offers a touch of classic simplicity and maintain a low profile to preserve the view of the outdoors.


A central staircase punctuates the middle of the room. Ring lamps hang in the open void of the atrium above, with a pouf and table making good use of the space beneath.


Jean-Marie Massaud’s IPANEMA armchairs and the square-topped Tribeca table make a fabulous combination. The checkered rug is a very creative choice, eliminating the need for prints or patterns elsewhere.


These little behind-the-sofa tables are a great way to prevent a central sofa from looking too plain from behind, and serve as a handy place to store books out of the way. This one is lit by the Atollo Lamp by Vico Magistretti.


This home design in Lugano, Switzerland, offers a cheerful approach to a minimalist and natural interior. The bright blue sofa with over sized gray pillows definitely makes a bold first impression. It’s the only non-neutral piece used throughout the entire living room, yet this block of color more than invigorates the room.



Stairs lead to an elevated area that houses the kitchen and dining but the windows here are the same height as those near the sofa. This gives the dining room a brighter appearance, while allowing the living room a little more privacy.

Interior Designing Trends In Kerala Style


Kerala's style of architecture is unique in India, in its striking contrast to Dravidian architecture which is normally practiced in other parts of South India. As is Kerala famous for its mouth watering cuisines, so is it for its architectural taste- inspired and influenced by both the ancient royalty and the Europeans. Every tastefully designed home - whether of the recent times or the ancestral ones, will have a touch of age old architectural techniques and elements which, with time, gets more trendier. Just like certain ingredients are unavoidable for making a perfect cuisines, there are certain elements that you will find common- although in different versions and styles.


1.High ventilation


Blessed with a pleasant, moderate climate throughout the year with a few days of exceptional heavy rains, Keralites love to have expansive windows and ventilators in every single room.


2. Indoor courtyard or Nadumuttam


Which translates to centre courtyard, is one of vital spaces that one can see in a Kerala styled home.The center inside the house is made into a natural courtyard by either leaving the space empty or having a 'tulasi tara' (a structure on which sits a Basil plant) that bears great religious importance in Hindu mythology. The courtyards bordered with huge pillars are usually left open upwards.

Even now, centre courtyards bear the same importance in Kerala interiors, although with an evolved structural design. The low lying space is either furnished with tiles or stones or made into an indoor garden with stones and pebbles to keep up with the contemporary look of the house. The space vertically above the courtyard is either not roofed at all or are done in a way that allows natural sky light in.

3 Evolving styles for stairs

Interiors of a Kerala house will inspire you to experiment. It is hard to find two houses having their stairs made in a similar design. Some, like to blend the ancient model into the contemporary while others go for complimenting style.

4. Majestic doors and windows


This is probably one of the striking interior elements of a house done in Kerala style.The doors and windows are considered to be of great aesthetic value. The doors, especially the main entrance door and windows are given a majestic look with intricate detailing and carving. The style indeed changes from time to time with each one becoming the latest trend in interior designing.

5. Love for wood


 Wood ( of various types) is given  utmost preference for the interiors in a house in Kerala as it is regarded as the finest material for home decor which is so versatile that it can never be outdone by any material – in look or  durability. Either its the door and windows or the wardrobes or the stairs- wood is so in love with these homes. No wonder, tourists, both national and from abroad would find a a wood furniture store at every nook and corner of the streets. The need to be 'close to nature' is what inspires the designs of  Kerala house. How they attain them is what make them stand out.