What emerging trends are designers seeing in the commercial sector for Boutique Hotels, Restaurants and nightclubs?
Furniture at throwaway prices with mass-produced origins is rapidly losing its appeal. A more discerning clientele demands luxury interiors which combine quality craftsmanship with inspiring design. With an explosion in the luxury travel sector and an increase in designer boutiques hotels and restaurants, the specification needs to appeal to the more design sensitive. Consumers are becoming more design-savvy and expect a new hotel, restaurant or bar to be visually extraordinary; they want to be inspired not only by what they eat, but by the whole experience. Interior finishes, lighting and furniture selections are integral to this.
Colour selections have tended to digress from drab neutrals like browns and taupe’s to livelier, riskier colour with more visual impact. Monochromatic themes are still abundant, but injected with opposing hues such as deep reds and purples, vivid indigo blues and jade greens. Exotic hides and printed leathers such as shagreen or ostrich prints add richness and interest to otherwise flat interiors. Crocodile and lizard print leathers, in a myriad of colours, are an increasingly popular choice in many commercial fit outs for wall paneling, floors and furniture.
With our increasingly transient nature, style direction has become more influenced by cross-cultural factors. Rich textures, patterns and inspiring colours from Morocco, the Orient and Africa have become part of our design psyche and have filtered into designer’s style books. African decor continues to fuel styles for the home and can be easily integrated into more contemporary design choices.
Morocco, the Orient and Africa, their rich textures, patterns and inspiring colours have become part of our design psyche and have filtered into designer’s style books. African decor continues to fuel styles for the home and can be easily integrated into more contemporary design choices.
Written by Charlotte Candillier and Sarah Radhanauth for Urban Cape Ltd
