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Restaurant owners looking to capitalize on the latest design trends may want to consider paring down the number of accessories and features in a dining space. According to The Independent, many restaurant owners who won this year’s Restaurant and Bar Design Awards used sleek design features and made the visual impact of a space rest more on the industrial design of the structure than using accessories.

“Good design is all about creating something that is going to last,” said Marco Rebora, the RBDA founder, according to the news source. “It’s not about spending millions of pounds on creating a huge statement. If you fail to consider how your guests are actually going to feel within that space, you will go bust within a year.”

Simplistic design grows in popularity
The Independent reported that the restaurants that have been gaining popularity and recognition for their design are incorporating simple aesthetic elements. The ornate design aesthetic that was so popular in previous decades is now out of style.

“The ostentatiousness of the pre-recession era has gone. Unrefined finishes and lots of stone and wood are key at the moment. Foster + Partner’s Atrium Champagne Bar is all about simple stone. Host, in Denmark by Norm Architects, is all very down-to-earth raw wood,” said Rebora.

Rustic designs feature shabby chic interiors
While some design professionals working on restaurants are creating spaces that remove the ornate look of decades gone past, others are trying to recreate a more lived-in look as if this design aesthetic has faded.

“It’s almost anti-design in that they are not slick but distressed and rustic, influenced by the rough-and-ready sensibility of pop-ups and the farm-to-table food trend,” said Bethan Ryder, author of two books on the subject – Restaurant Design and New Restaurant Design.

This means that designers are using reclaimed wood, different types of patterned metals and textured fabrics.

“I wanted to create the kind of place that I feel comfortable in but couldn’t afford a designer or expensive fixtures and fittings. The whole stripping back thing is something that is very important to me in terms of decor as well as the food that we serve – our dishes are very simple with very few ingredients,” Ben McCormack, editor of SquareMeal.co.uk, told the news source.

Using quality simple materials
SCULPTCOR® by ASST is a patented thermoformed architectural wall panel system that is built with beauty and function in mind. SCULPTCOR can be used in a wide range of applications in a restaurant from wall panels, column covers, exterior facades, elevator cladding, casework, ceiling panels and furniture.

The system is fabricated from a non-porous, stain-resistant and easy-to-clean surface that is ideal for a restaurant to use and offers the right blend of flexibility and statement for a restaurant looking to create an impression on diners.

Please contact ASST at 717.630.1251 x305 for architectural support or x307 for specific project estimating assistance.