Tips on Giving Your Restaurant a Face Lift

Is your restaurant feeling a little tired? In need of a spruce-up? Don’t let the thought of a restaurant makeover scare you. Updating and renovating is a part of business, and we have some great tips to help you with the next phase of your business. Before you kick off on your restaurant renovation, it’s worth talking to an experienced shopfitter like Tu Projects – click here to see all the exciting ideas that could be implemented in your space.

Photo credit: tuprojects.com

Decide what it is that feels tired

If you think your restaurant needs a face-lift, there must be a reason for it. Step back, have a look at your surrounds, and decide what it is that is giving off weary vibes. It might be one small detail or it might be the entire visage. Either way, note it as a starting point.

What do you want to change to?

Now you’ve thought about what needs to change, it’s time to think about what you want it to change to. This can sometimes cause panic, but there is no need for that. You don’t have to know all the answers just yet. If you have no idea or have too many ideas, you might benefit from some expertise from an experienced shopfitter or interior designer.

How radical do you want to be?

If you’re considering a facelift for your restaurant, now is the time to consider how much you want to change. What may have started off as a minor update to some of the table decorations may quickly blossom into a complete redesign of your business. Think carefully about your restaurant and the image it presents: will changing this image affect your business, and is it financially viable to make a big change? What are the smallest changes you can make for the biggest effect?

Set yourself a budget and a timeline

If you have big goals, you may want to consider easing in the changes little by little. Not only will this enable you to see the redesign as it happens and make changes during the process, but you won’t have to worry about shutting down business for an extended period of time to complete the renovations. If you are looking at a significant redesign, you may want to consider what timeline suits you best. Is it more practical to shut down business for a few weeks and completely redecorate, or would you prefer to bring in changes subtly over a longer period of time?

Will this facelift be the last?

If you are willing to spend the time and money on improving and updating your restaurant’s appearance, you need to make sure you are making design and business decisions that are practical. There is not much point choosing a specific design pattern that will look outdated or worn in 12 months. If you intend to continually update your restaurant’s image, you may need to re-evaluate what you are willing to contribute financially and plan for future redecorations. If you don’t plan to redecorate any time soon, you need to have confidence in your new style.

Whatever you choose to do, it’s best to have trusted professionals ready who are willing to help you breathe fresh life into your restaurant. Now get out there and start redesigning!

Dream Home Illumination

Light fixture is one my favorite things inside a home. I am very fascinated by how a single light can put a certain drama or flair to a plain wall, painting or area in the house. Lighting can also emphasize a decorative item you want to showcase in your house or turn a dull place to a lively one.

Ever since we got the plot of land from my mother-in-law few months ago, all I can think about is the type and design of the house my family and I will enjoy and live in. I have been scouring the internet for beautiful lighting fixture I will put in my dream house. I am zoning in one particular brand and style - the Minka Lavery Lighting. My type of house design will be a marriage of Mediterranean and Contemporary pieces so the Minka Lavery Chandeliers will add a beautiful touch to my high-vaulted living room ceiling and dining areas.

The touch of flair does not end in the receiving and dining areas of my dream house. The bathroom is also one of the places I want to accentuate with drama. I want the area to be naturally-lit by daytime and well-lit at night with Minka Lavery Bath Lighting. There will be a wall sconce near the vanity area and small ceiling pin lights to focus on the beautiful marble counter top of the bathroom sink.

There are more areas in the house that will benefit from the many collections of the Minka lighting pieces. I have not included the exterior lighting yet but given the beautiful choice of products in the Minka Lavery collections, I am sure that the outcome will be as beautiful as the lighting accents I will have at home.

Re-Painting The House

We have been living in our current flat for the last 4 years and this is the only time we have been given free cans of paint. The painting is normally carried out by the contractors for free as part of the service the landlord is giving to his tenants.

We decided to do the painting ourselves so we can choose a different color aside from the normal cream tone. My husband picked a nice pastel green hued paint to cover the 2 opposite walls and the other 2 with the free cream paint.

A lot of work has to be done. We had to move the furniture aside and had to buy wire cover to protect the wiring of our appliances and other electronic gadgets.

I took the opportunity to do some cleaning and chucking of unused stuff at home. I managed to free several space inside the linen closet and another free shelves inside the kitchen cupboard. I feel and think that more stuff can be thrown or donated because the house still looks very cluttered. I can do more cleaning if I have to.

Painting the house can be very tedious. It takes so much time and effort to get it done but when the paint is all dry, you have that satisfied feeling of living in a new place.

Beautiful Kitchen Sink

I have been looking around, snapping and collecting pictures of beautiful kitchens and the fixtures and appliances that will go with the plan. I saw this beautiful triple undermount sink and I knew that it would be the right kitchen sink for me.

I like the triple undermount sink because of its compartmentalized feature and the way I can organize my washing. I also don't like spills on the kitchen top so this kind of sink is the best for me. The price is a bit on the high end but given the clean cut and functionality, I think the amount of money paid for the sink is worth the investment.

Wall Clocks

Wall Clock of any kind really fascinates me. I enjoy watching the movement of its hands and the swinging of some clock's pendulum. A bonus treat is when you hear the various melodic chimes.

I do not own a fancy and elaborate wall clock. I do not mind owning one though. I think a Large wall clock is a great piece to a bare or plain wall. It accentuates a room and can even be a conversational piece. It can also be a focal point in a simple room.  It certainly is a great addition to a home.

The first time I fell in love with a great wall clock was when I saw my aunt's beautiful cuckoo clock. It was big and stood out from their cream wall. I remember waiting for the clock to strike a certain time only to see a small cuckoo bird swinging out of the small window and the chimes followed a melodic tune. She brought the clock from Germany.

I recalled the beautiful cuckoo clock again when I saw similar designs sold in Munich near the Marienplatz. I thought it would be nice to have one in the house since I love wall clocks. I realized that it would be to transport unless I had it shipped.

I will certainly have one in the future. I really do not mind where it is made from as long as it makes beautiful chimes.

The Beauty in Rustic Furniture

I remember scouting for a furniture when my husband and I first bought our house. It was around 1999 before he left for Dubai.

We must have visited one shop after the other in a place in Manila where furniture were the main highlight of the place. It is one stretch of furniture shops to choose from.

My taste then was still different. I preferred having a certain country and homey feel to my furniture. I vividly recall selecting a white wicker living room set which was around $200. Back then, that price would be so much but I feel in love with the rustic furniture that I didn't consider the price. I know it was not a very wise move, money-matter wise. However, both my husband and I loved the rustic piece. Even our respective families were gushing on how pretty and dainty the wicker living room set was.

I felt proud owning that wicker set. It has been with us for sometime and my daughter has sat on it's soft cushions while growing up.

The wicker set is now in my mom's house. It will still be my favorite furniture because of its simple beauty.

Beautiful Bed Linens

I love collecting bed linen sets. I like my bed with color coordination and modern patterns. I do not mind purchasing bed linens from lesser known designers as long as the colors and design match my tastes.

It will be a great pleasure, though, to receive bed linens as gifts especially the ones from matouk. The designs of matouk is subdued, simple and yet elegant which is almost classy without being to flamboyant. And I just want my linens to be like that.

So far, my friends have given me bed linens from the UK and US and I love them all. I try not to use them often so the colors do not fade and the linen's shape is still retained. I know I should enjoy my bed linens but I just want to make sure that I do not over use them to prolong their life.

Cover Up

The tub that is! I am looking for something to protect our bath tub from other elements when not in used. My friend suggested to use hot tub covers. I have seen tub covers from my other friends' bathrooms but never thought that I might need one someday.

Their tub is protected from the water droplets and even from the little critters which are crawling in the bathroom. Although my hot tub is not very big, I think it will be good to have it covered every now and then especially when winter is coming. We will seldom use it because of the harsh weather.

On Rugs and Dull Floors

When you come in a house, do you normally check out the area or first look on the floor and see if it is clean, shiny and have a "wow" factor? Well, I am one of those who normally look down when I wipe my feet on the rugs and give an ocular inspection on the floor I am stepping at. It is a weird habit but I get to see and admire a lot of people's home by doing this. It also gives me an idea on what to put on my dream home when the time comes.

I have seen floors made of marble, granite, terracotta, vinyl, wood and wall-to-wall carpet. Some are nicely covered with area rugs. Others are white as a cloud and glossy. And others have intricate tile work that will leave you in awe.  

Our flat's floor are covered with 12x12 sq. ft. yellowish tiles.  I wanted something glossy but I had to settle with what was available when we scouted for a flat.  I thought when we first moved in the building that it was plain and simple. My opinion of the floor has turned to ho-hum. In short, I am bored with it. Our contract does not allow us to alter any original component of the flat except for paint improvement and other fixtures. That is also to our advantage because we do not have to spend a fortune updating the floor when there are other means of brightening a dull floor. I keep imagining my friends' houses with nice glossy floors. I just admire them!

So, to solve my slight problem whenever I look on our floor, my husband bought some cheap rugs to spruce up the place. He covered the living room with a slightly shaggy area rug to make it more homey, inviting and cozy. It improved the look of the flat and gave more definition to the place. He also bought some house plants to put in the corner of the dining place to give a little life and color on the area and the floor. I bought a small colorful mat and placed it on the hallway's main door to add pizazz on our simple floor.

Now that my slight problem is solved, I can let out a sigh of relief and be grateful to my husband's genius ideas and practicality.

Updated Furniture

I took a quick look on our couch in the living room a while ago and thought to myself how plain and old-fashioned it was. I have been looking around home centre in the malls lately to check on any contemporary furniture. I am eager to spruce the house a bit to make it more cozy and updated. I have seen modular types of furniture good for a small space and I hope they go on sale!

Lovely Lights

I have always been enthralled by hanging lights specially the grand chandeliers you find in big hotels and offices. They are breath-taking and beautiful.

I am already imagining how my house will be like with a very beautiful chandelier hanging from the high ceiling. I do not mind having a simple design as long as it gives bright light and will add warmth to a home.

Window Shades

Old adage says that the eyes are the windows of our soul. For a home, it is the window.

The window showcase a sneak-peek to one's home interior and a glimpse of the personality of the homeowners. However, an unprotected window can be a little perturbing too. Bare windows open an opportunity for strangers to have a look on one's privacy. So, using Window Coverings can help curb that feeling of paranoia and vulnerability to other factors.

A house is not complete without any windows. And a window is not complete without any shades of various forms like curtains and blinds. The market for Window Shades are quite proliferating. Due to this, consumers have the ability to decorate their windows according to their preference. The consumers are also not limited to the common curtains now. The choice can be from wooden or aluminum blinds, small or wide blinds, vertical or horizontal blinds, roller shades, woven shades, cell or honeycomb kind of shades and vertical panels with tracks. Colors will vary from natural wood, white, cream or the color of your choice.

Window Blinds are great covering to use at home. The advantages of using this kind of window covering outweighs the use of the conventional curtains. It is affordable. It is easy to maintain and clean unlike the drapery where it requires careful washing and drying by professional dry-cleaners or laundromats. It does not rip like the fabric counterpart. It is in with the times in terms of design. It is simple and one does not have to worry about over-doing the house interior.

The windows shade will be a great choice for the discerning consumer.

The Trees of Christmas

Christmas brings forth good tidings and warm feelings. Adding more fun to that jovial spirit are the gift-giving, holiday festivities and the decorations.

One of my favorite Christmas decorations are the Christmas Trees. A Christmas Tree adds that special feeling of warmth and coziness to a home. There are a wide variety to choose from pertaining to ones preference. There are real ones, artificial, white and even some made from indigenous materials like corn husks. I have seen some in my home country and they are just lovely!

Artificial Christmas Trees these days are a far cry from what we used to have when I was young. The artificial Christmas Trees we used to put up were so simple. They were made of plastic and the needles were the tinsels. Although I see them as pretty but the leaves were not enough to cover the branch so you could see the mid-section. They were like malnourished Christmas Trees even when they were decked with ornaments. However, there has been a remarkable evolution on the presentation of artificial Christmas Trees in the modern times. You can now get wide-bodied Christmas Trees, slim or narrow-bodied Christmas Trees, realistic evergreen colored ones, White Christmas Trees, decked with real pine cones on the PVC branches, some with clear or colored lights, some even rotates on their stands, two or three-tone green needles, different colored Christmas Trees other than the usual evergreen or white, foldable branches for easy storage, Christmas Trees with frosted needles and very huge Christmas Trees! The choices are plenty. The quality is superb and the presentation these days is almost believable. You cannot make out if they are artificial or not because they look realistic.

So, no matter what your preference is regarding Christmas Trees. I am sure that you will find something that you will love and eagerly take home to decorate.

I Want a Rug for Christmas

Just like Princess Jasmine flying on a magic carpet, I want a rug that will give me the same feeling by the mere presence of it in my abode.

I have always been a rug lover. I loved having carpets and Rugs at home because it makes the atmosphere cozy and warm. Aside from that, I want to kick off my shoes and slippers at home so I can walk barefooted and feel the rich texture of the rug on my feet. Having a rug or carpet will be my solution to that.

There are many rugs to choose from and I am quite particular with the design and price. Most rugs here in the Middle East are rather exorbitant due to the fact that some of the expensive rugs here are made of sheep's wool, silk or cotton and those are hand-woven. The carpets or rugs here are have intricate designs which I think is more suited to a luxurious hotel lobby or restaurant but not for a small home like mine. So, having a Persian Rug at home is not on my Christmas budget because I cannot afford it. I do not mind having Cheap Rugs at home as long as the design is within my preference. I like something that is not too bold or loud in color. I prefer the earth tones for my Area Rugs. A little tint of yellow and maroon hues will also be acceptable.

We just have one small area rug at the moment and it is mid-range in price. The design is simple. It is a rectangular rug with black border and beige center which looks very neat in our small living room. I want to have another rug as replacement if we need to have the other one cleaned.

My husband and I have been rummaging the web and some stores in the area so we can buy a rug to put in the living room before Christmas. I hope we'll find one!