Located in Riyadh, the capital city and the largest city in Saudi Arabia, this restaurant design project offered us an opportunity to explore the value of neutral, modern aesthetics with a relatively informal dining space – uniting a light and friendly atmosphere with high end food and a memorable menu.
Deciding to keep the setting simple and natural, to allow the menu to become the focal point of the restaurant experience, we started out with a basic floor plan whereby we sketched out where the different components of the restaurant floor would lie for optimum efficiency and flow of movement. The bar area quickly became one of the main features of the entire design project, with downlighting installed to almost create a spotlight vibe, framing the entire structure with two character wall lights to match the surroundings.
Another main feature that we had to consider was the entrance to the kitchen, as well as a few sets of shelves which we installed with mirrored backing for maximum flow of light across and throughout the space. All of these features happened to be set into one wall, allowing us to separate these functional elements of the restaurant from the dining space.
The dining area itself was cleverly bordered with bench seating to create a non-invasive wall between the dining tables and the walkway from the kitchen to the restaurant floor. This, bolstered with the addition of oversized potted plants and shrubs, helped to keep the restaurant floor a space of calm – away from the hubbub of the service walkway.
Finally, to the decoration itself, which again we kept very minimalist with plenty of natural influences and inspiration from nature – particularly Japanese styling. Floral designs rise up from the base of the statement walls towards the ceiling, set upon a pale blue which oozes calm and tranquillity throughout the restaurant. The line of trees and the large shrubbery located above head height across certain points of the restaurant again reflect the modern and natural vibe, creating a restaurant which feels timelessly stylish and offers a memorable experience to every diner.
