We just love the turn of the year and the change in taste that comes with it.
From emerging restaurant design concepts like upholstered, textured walls, to use of brighter color and natural materials, this post has everything you need to get ready for the coming months.
The furniture design world is trending towards multi-functional, compact furniture in answer to the ever-dwindling space designers have to work with.
Restaurant designers are translating the definite shift towards multi-functional, compact furniture into their own domain by exploring more into non-traditional restaurant seating.
‘Reduce, reuse, recycle’ – the mantra is having an overarching effect on restaurant design moving into 2019. This is not only in the use of recyclable materials (as we’ve seen in years past), but in the manufacturing of those materials themselves in the first place.
We’re seeing a lot of warm woods of late, such as bamboo, and their soft chocolate to rose colors are appearing on anything from wall coverings to floors to surfaces.
As a reaction to an overdose of minimalism and cold industrial-style design, maximalism in home décor is rearing its head once again. This trend is popping up in restaurant design as well, but through the use of multiple textures and layers of upholstery fabric as well.
There are many facets that are fueling the pivot to sustainable design in recent years.
Society is not only becoming increasingly aware of the importance of sustainability in interior and industrial design, it’s also now easier than ever for professional and amateur designers alike to find décor products made with recycled materials.
You may have noticed that greenery is in every nook and cranny lately: not only in the ubiquitous potted plants but in decorative accessories and plant motifs that are springing up everywhere from wallpaper to tablecloths.
Some people might argue that this is less of a design trend and more of a lifestyle change.
Colour palettes are bright and saturated with natural daylight, evoking the feeling of the great outdoors in a world that increasingly seems to be lived in cities.
We’ve seen every permutation of this trend, from tropical twists to a more down-to-earth approach.
Igor and Judith of Urban Jungle Bloggers have suggested that the busy modern lifestyle is partly to blame for the explosion of flora in our homes and restaurants.
People don’t have time or energy to keep pets, so plants became the next best thing.
On top of this, we’ve seen that aspects of our digital lives (always connected, increasingly cerebral) have been cited again and again as being the main reason for our sudden hankering to get back in touch with nature.
Designing for small spaces with high traffic demands can be tricky. We get it.
So how is the design world rising to the challenge?
By looking to the walls!
Bold patterned wallpaper has been making a statement, adding instant color and impact to a space with minimal effort and cost. Recently we’ve seen a twist to this trend, though, and in the most unexpected way: upholstery.
Combining the sudden demand for custom seating with bold use of colour and pattern in wall coverings, upholstery has come on the scene as the answer to restaurant seating design’s problems.
Upholstered restaurant booths not only look so cozy (Hygge is still with us) and add interesting texture to a space, they also provide much-needed sound absorption.
Nobody wants to eat in a space with the same acoustics as an indoor swimming pool.
Warmer colours are trending in interior design as a whole, and can also be spotted in restaurant settings (as they’re deliciously instagrammable).
2017 was more focused on tropical green (as we mentioned above) and neutrals, whereas moving into 2019 we’re seeing colour palettes take on a distinctly edgier tone.
Dark greens and mustard hues are warming up spaces across the world, while pewter shades are providing some much needed depth and an alternative to the all-pervasive white walls that have so dominated trends in recent times.
Always looking to create an inviting space and an intimate experience, restaurants are embracing this design trend with open arms.
Mustard hues have been making their way into fashion design for some time, but in the past month Pinterest has seen a 45% increase in searches for the colour in interior design too (see their 2018 Back to Life report for all their other insights).
White walls, brushed steel and industrial furniture design are so last year. This outdated décor trend has been overthrown (at last) by a return to a more natural, earthy take on interiors.
A mix of colour combinations abounds for 2019, along with a love of bright colors and textures.
We’re saying hello to surfaces with a more mid-century modern feel we’re seeing a lot of 1970s trending items out and about as well, by the way). Steel accents, white walls and dark wood are all segueing into something less stylistic - modern, but not too modern so as to be devoid of life.
Why this sudden return to colour in all its glory - not pops of colour or accents, but full-on colour everywhere? Industrial interior design just went way too far, that’s all.
White-on-white doesn’t stand up in a space that’s inhabited by living, breathing human beings. This all-white look that’s been dominating restaurant design trends for years is finally being laid to rest. It’s time to come back down to earth.
With custom, multi-functional seating, upholstered walls that burst with texture, and bright colours as far as the eye can see, restaurant interiors in 2019 are looking like they’re inhabiting an entirely new world compared to the design landscape of 2018.
And we say: it’s about time.
