Most experienced business owners will know that interior design can be the difference between getting a swarm of interested customers and a slow business day. Humans are visual creatures that are attracted to good aesthetics and design. This doesn’t just mean that your products are presentable. Where you conduct your business can have a profound impact on how people perceive your brand. That’s why many businesses have invested huge funds in commercial interior design in Singapore.
What is commercial interior design?
You’re probably already familiar with interior designers and their work in residential spaces. Any homeowner worth their salt will hire a professional for renovation and design projects that occur within their houses or condominiums. But have you ever thought about how to design the interior of a retail outlet? What about a bar or a bakery? These spaces are no longer used by families or individuals, they are open to the public. Commercial interior design refers to projects involving the creation of spaces made for public use. Here are a few examples of commercial interior design:
- Airports
- Government buildings
- Malls and other shopping outlets
- Hospitals
- Hotels
- Offices and industrial or manufacturing plants
Yes, even small establishments and family-owned cafeterias or food stalls fall under commercial interior design. Just because you’re opening a cosy restaurant doesn’t mean you don’t need to pay attention to good design principles. Restaurant interior design in Singapore might be a separate class entirely.
Why does interior design for restaurants matter?
When opening any kind of business, special care should be taken to perfect every detail. Some restaurant owners think that they can neglect other aspects of their business, as long as they have great food. Unfortunately, even the best-tasting food won’t be able to save a restaurant if your customers are reluctant to visit your establishment.
These are just a few of the many reasons why you should go all out for your restaurant interior design ideas in Singapore.
1) Interior design serves as a marketing tool for restaurants. Your customers won’t be able to enjoy your product without buying or tasting it. Great restaurant interiors pique the interest of your customers and help you market your restaurant more easily to those who have never heard of your food.
2) Interior design captures the brand and image of your business. One of the things that differentiate certain restaurants from the scores of other competitors that also serve similar products. Restaurant interior design isn’t just about creating a comfortable and memorable dining experience. It’s also about creating a recognisable brand image that associates your restaurant with the quality of your food.
3) Interior design projects, when done well, repel negative impressions. Have you ever gone to a restaurant that had shabby interiors, and seemingly unclean and unhygienic areas? No matter how good the food is, you’ll never want to return to the restaurant because it evokes a negative first impression. It’s the same for your customers! You’ll want to be careful about designing your interiors and ensure that the first look into your restaurant won’t be their last!
4) Interior design can reflect the culture and ideas your food is from. Foods can be deeply cultural. If you’re serving authentic food from a foreign cuisine, wouldn’t you want to evoke the memories, traditions, and other things associated with it? Visit an authentic Japanese or Italian restaurant and see how cultural decor and design affect your restaurant interior design.
5) Interior design profoundly influences a diner’s first experience. If you’re curious, see online studies about how interior design has influenced our perception of our dining experience. Many businesses use psychology to entice customers to enact certain behaviours, such as buying more food. Other design ideas can either stimulate or relax patrons while they are dining.
Interior design mistakes of restaurateurs
Knowing all of this, what are some decisions that restaurant owners make for great restaurant design? Due to the wide range of establishments that you can create, there isn’t a one size fits all solution for great commercial interior design in Singapore.
However, you should avoid some common mistakes that can ruin your diner’s experience and decrease the productivity of your restaurant workers. Here are a few things you should watch out for.
1) Your restaurant has poor lighting. Great lighting for restaurant interiors is subjective. Some fast-food restaurants have brighter lighting for a more open atmosphere. Fine dining restaurants use dimmer lighting to create a more romantic atmosphere. But generally, pitch black or hard lighting is a no-no.
2) The service areas of your restaurant are exposed. What diners would want to see directly into a kitchen and see their dirty or unprepared dishes? Unless the creation of your food is part of your restaurant’s brand, you should keep those service areas hidden.
3) Cluttered cashier areas or greeting stations. Here’s a restaurant interior design tip: everyone benefits from clean spaces in restaurants. Nothing screams disorganisation more than a cluttered welcome or order area. You can give off the impression that you don’t care about your restaurant’s hygiene! Ensure that the first thing your customers see is a neat workplace.
4) Inconvenient floor plans. Don’t confuse your poor customer who only wants to navigate your restaurant. Make sure that every accessible feature of your restaurant can be easily found by your customers, especially if it’s a washroom or restroom. You’ll also benefit from a well-thought-out seating plan. Make sure aisles are wide enough for both servers and customers to pass through!
Aegro InteriorStudio helps you achieve the restaurant or store design of your dreams. Reach out to the best interior design company in Singapore for more tips and tricks on transforming your spaces!
