Creative Restaurant Design – Taking it From Old to Modern

Creative Restaurant Design – Taking it From Old to Modern…  Like all design enthusiasts, we love a good before-and-after shot that proves the power of creative interior design. Mindful Design Consulting became again the protagonists of such a project when we recently took the existing old Greek restaurant space in Carmel Mountain Shopping Center, San Diego, and brought it into the new millennium as the second location of the Sim Sim Shawarma restaurant brand.

The former Greek food restaurant operated in this location for two decades and its tired design showed it. On a first tour of the location, we were met by old wall and floor finishes, a partially exposed ceiling, a tired, boxy and unimaginative layout, a collection of old tiles and outdated murals, and some restrooms in need of a major facelift.

We have emphasized many times the importance of interior design as part of a cohesive brand image. This time, we started the design process by following the guidelines of SimSim Shawarma brand created by a Los Angeles company. This, combined with our vision for this particular location, led to a fresh, modern and highly improved space, with ample seating space, a good traffic flow and lots of delightful details.

The initial space needed order and streamlining. Because of the less-than-generous square footage, we tried to make good use of every corner and minimize the unnecessary details. First, we used straight, simple lines to define the different seating areas: a few individual tables, a long counter facing the window, and a private corner table. In order to keep the space light and fresh, we kept a very simple and bright color palette and allowed plenty of natural materials to come through.

The neutral combination of white, gray and black kept the look clean and crisp, while the wood tones and generous greenery added a relaxing natural element that warmed up the look of the restaurant.

Because too many straight lines run the risk of becoming monotonous and visually exhausting, we created details that took little space but provided a strong visual impact. The horizontal dividers’ wooden planks borrowed from the visual appeal of stripes while defining the natural traffic flow in the restaurant.

We used the same material for tables and for covering the exposed ceiling. The wooden ceiling planks, playing on the “striped” pattern but using a diagonal orientation, seem to reflect the lower structures and create a unified look.

To balance all this expanse of straight lines, we introduced a good amount of curves that soften the design. Some of them are bolder, such as the semicircular flower containers at the end of one of the seating areas. Others are found in pieces of furniture (the round stools), functional fixtures (light pendants with round shades and crumpled texture) or decorative accents (small flowerpots or round wall decor that tie in the tones, shades and materials of the entire interior).

We tried to take full advantage of the generous light that came through the large windows by building dividers that let the light in.  One of these vertical structures draws the eye upwards with a simple geometric pattern of lines and semicircles, adding to the modern feel of the interior. We also emphasized the size of the windows with black frames, between which the outdoor space resembles a moving and dynamic piece of wall decor.

The floor and wall treatments are simple and consistent with the rest of our creative interior design. Gray floor tile, white paint and a multicolored speckled terrazzo slabs (concrete-collaborative.com) behind the counter contribute to a clean, but far from monotonous design.

We took the same modern concept into the design of the bathrooms, where a combination of black, white, gray and speckled square tiles is softened by the lines of curved mirrors. The use of different materials creates well-defined functional areas, while the design remains simple and uncrowded.

Please take a look at our Before and After images of selected projects from 2018 HERE.

If you are thinking to open up a new business or in a process of rebranding and remodeling your existing business, contact us to get a free consultation from Mindful Design Consulting. Click HERE to price your project design.

Also, take a look at “Branding By Interior” e-book, the only book written on this subject at this time. It brings insight on how you can turn your business into a market-dominating competitor by using human cognitive responses.