On cloud nine
A stylish roof terrace can really extend your horizons. What’s more decorating it is a breeze, says Jane Drew.
1. Wide open spaces
The secret to designing a roof terrace is to approach the task as creatively as you would a room within the home. Far too often these areas end up looking empty and incoherent. Use the furniture to demarcate the space in the same way you would in an open-plan living-cum-dining room.
2. Aesthetics first
What you want to achieve is a tandem of great food and a stylish decor, but always remember the latter is more costly if not done properly. “If a couple of dishes bomb, the chef can simply write a new menu,” says Gauci. “But if a design fails, you can’t expect a construction crew to redo the whole scheme. It’s worth spending the time and money initially to get things right.”
3. Location counts
It’s a given that you’ll seek out a functional and visible place with affordable rents and utilities. But it’s equally important to see how your restaurant will fit with its external surroundings. “If you have a great concept but a weak location your restaurant will fail,” says Gauci. “You need to get to know your targeted customer base and provide what they want.”
4. Built to last
Make sure that the style you create has longevity – the decor should not be time-sensitive; it should not need to be revised repeatedly, or updated to adapt to trends. “Good restaurant design is never faddish,” says Gauci. “It’s often about coming up with a modern or clever take on a tried-and-tested formula.”
5. Choosing a theme
A restaurant needs to be designed to complement the food being served – this is how its brand and personality is brought to life. Gauci, who runs French, Thai and Greek restaurants locally, says that no matter the theme, the decor needs to be consistent and authentic. “I source key decorative pieces when I travel, and I ship them back.”
6. Detail oriented
Whether you want your restaurant to have a homely family feel or a hip and trendy vibe, it’s the details that count. “What’s important is the whole environment,” says Gauci. “You need to pay close attention to the small things, like the crockery and candleholders, as well as to the bigger picture.”
7. Standing out
Every restaurant needs a sense of drama, a ‘wow’ element and this can be achieved through the decor. “People have to have something to look at besides each other and the food,” says Gauci. “I like my restaurants to be full of colour, with a couple of stand-out decorative pieces.”
8. Space race
A good layout is all-important: this can help you create a spacious feel, even in a limited space. “I like my restaurants to be simply designed, without any clutter,” says Gauci. “Waiters and diners need to be able to move around easily, and I’d rather have fewer settings than too many tables squeezed together.”
9. Good lighting
A restaurant must be sufficiently welllit so that guests can read the menu, see their food and navigate the space, but lighting can also contribute to the ambience, allowing guests to feel comfortable and look their best. Gauci says, “I like to set up focal points: tabletops bathed in pools of light in a semi-darkened room, create a sense of intimate space and focus the diner’s attention on the food.”
10. Designs of tomorrow
And how does Gauci see the future of restaurant design? “I expect to see more communal seating, and familystyle set ups where you cook your own food. There’s a move towards placing the bar in the centre of the room, so that it becomes a hub from where the action flows. Basically it’s interaction that’s important.”
Click here for more articles on home decoration
|
