New Year, New Look: Bespoke seating solutions for bars and restaurants
The start of a new year is a great time to refresh your bar or restaurant with a brand-new look. From updating your colour scheme to replacing furniture, there are some effective interior alterations that will give your hospitality setting fresh appeal. One of the most impactful ways to improve comfort and aesthetics is to upgrade your seating. We look at some bespoke seating solutions for bars and restaurants so you can refresh your venue.
When you are considering more bespoke seating designs, start by revisiting your original ideas and concept for your bar and restaurant. In some instances, your brand values may have evolved, or your clientele might be different to what you had initially expected. Your original plans for the space might have altered from a bar to a restaurant serving food.
When we redesigned the seating for The National Gallery’s Café, we needed to consider how the seating design would enhance this beautiful space. With its architectural features and pastel colour palette, we created banquettes with a roll-back effect that fitted snugly into windows, corners and alcoves. We also designed identical banquettes that sat within wooden structures to mirror this seating, providing a sense of symmetry. Read more…
Go back to basics
When a café, bar or restaurant hasn’t been refreshed for some time, it can be easy to forget the original concept. Do you still have the same objectives? How do you want your venue to look and who do you want to attract? Think about the ambience you wish to create.
Go back to your initial ideas around what you wanted to achieve with your bar and restaurant. Reflect on any elements that were key to the original concept and how your business has evolved since the last refresh.
Your business might have developed new values - for example, taking an active interest in sustainability. In this instance, your seating designer might be able to incorporate sustainable materials into your seating design.
If you are planning to refresh a bar or restaurant chain, consider how you can create an aesthetic connection between each venue. A skilled seating designer can link each venue’s décor scheme with bespoke seating solutions that create a clear visual connection across the chain.
Who are your customers?
If you’ve spent many years building up a regular and loyal clientele, then your refresh needs to align to their needs. You want your customers to continue having positive, memorable and enjoyable experiences. Carry out some competitor research to see if there are other venues that inspire you when it comes to the theme, along with the style and design of their seating
If you run a family restaurant, think about ways you can alter your current seating to make it more conducive to quality family time. Likewise, if you own a bar that attracts young people, consider how the seating could be enhanced to encourage social interactions.
As an example, we designed a Peruvian-Japanese fusion restaurant, nestled underneath Paddington Station. The aim was to create a sociable and comfortable haven for sharing plates, sushi and cocktails, away from the noise of the city. The theme drew from the traditions of Ayllu families from the Inca Empire and the importance of shared mealtimes. The restaurant featured dark green walls, exquisite decor and plush banquette seating, creating areas where friends and family could come together. Read more…
Different types of custom handmade furniture
The style of seating you choose for your bar or restaurant will depend on the venue concept and the ambience you wish to create. We have listed below different types of custom seating designs to give you an idea of what might work for your own setting.
Banquette seating
Banquette seating is a great solution for intimate dining experiences in restaurants, bars and pubs. A built-in banquette can be structured along a wall and into corners, where standard tables and chairs do not fit. As a result, it can maximise the number of covers and room space. This style of seating is popular in nightclubs as it can help to widen dancefloor areas.
Booth seating
Booth seating creates private spaces within a bar or restaurant, ideal for couples, families and groups. As well as being an efficient way to maximise space, you can create an exclusive look to suit your venue. Explore finer details such as table legs, upholstery and stitching to create bespoke seating. Booths are perfect for VIP areas within a nightclub.
Bench seating
Bench seating is a popular option for social environments, especially bars, restaurants and hotel lobbies. Handmade bespoke wooden benches can be built along the entire wall to accompany freestanding furniture. Custom-made benches can be designed to match existing furnishings to blend in with the décor, which helps to open up the space.
For more inspiration, please see our Gallery, where you can find plenty of examples of different seating solutions for bars and restaurants.
Handcrafted furniture for bars and restaurants
When you are looking to refresh your bar or restaurant, revisit your original concept and decide if your new look matches your objectives for your venue’s aesthetics. Depending on the concept, there are various custom seating solutions available. From handmade wooden furniture to vibrant upholstery that can be matched to any colour palette, let your imagination and creativity run wild.
Our design team will take your idea and create high-quality bespoke seating for your bar or restaurant. Whether you choose banquette, booth or bench seating, we offer a vast variety of fabrics, leathers and stitching finishes. Your seating will then be built by our highly skilled production team, passing through our quality control, and onto delivery and full installation.
Contact us to discuss custom handmade seating solutions for your bar or restaurant.