
If you’re in the hospitality business, you probably already know how crucial interior design and art is to the success of your restaurant or hotel. You are providing your guests with a total experience, and you should be intentional about every aspect of that experience. Especially in the current age of social media, digital marketing, and ubiquitous visual culture, aesthetic impressions matter. They make guests and diners remember you, and differentiate your business from others. Guests are much more likely to become repeat customers if they have a memorable and beautiful experience. A put-together space is great for marketing and advertising, and will draw people in.
Competition is steep, and the way that you can get ahead is through innovative and value-driven choices. Show potential customers that you are willing to make investments that are rooted in values and in your community. Make your space somewhere that people want to be, whether it is a luxurious place to take a mini-vacation from daily life, a casual date-night restaurant, a boisterous bar to bring friends, or any number of other possibilities. Express your uniqueness, and the one-of-a-kind experience that you offer. Set yourself apart!
When considering art for your hospitality space, make sure that you are approaching it from the right angle. The art that you choose should set you apart, make you unique, and create differences between you and your competition. Art is not just another thing that you are supposed to do, it’s a critical and intentional choice which will shape the experience that guests have in your hospitality space. It should be true to you and what makes your business unique and individual. Don’t be afraid to embrace a wild or out-there piece of art if it fits the mission or story of your hotel or restaurant.
Make sure your art expresses your values, whether literally or figuratively. What does your business stand for? What niche does it fill? What personal values do the founders of the business hold? If you have any unique facets of your business model, such as a commitment to charitable giving, a relationship with local farmers, your own house-brewed beer, or a novel fusion cuisine that is rooted in your own background, make sure that this story is visible in your art choices. Don’t hide what you stand for. Hang it on the wall, and people will get excited. Art is a perfect way to tell your story.
Consider going with local artists to connect your restaurant or hotel with the community. A local artist’s work can tie your business to the neighborhood, and make it clear that you care about the space your business inhabits. It’s another great way to make your values visible in your hospitality space.
Buying from local artists is also a great way to create an ecosystem of folks that are involved in your hospitality business. Local artists, graphic designers, potters, farmers, or any other artisans that you may want to get involved with create buzz and free publicity for your business. They’re likely to share out about the work that they’ve done with you to their own community and social media followers, getting like-minded folks interested in the experience that you’re offering.
The moment that a guest enters your hospitality space, they should be wowed. First impressions are all-important, and wasting them is a fatal mistake for hospitality businesses. You want the entrance of your restaurant or hotel to be striking. Draw folks in from their first glance around.
Art in hospitality spaces should be part of a larger cohesive aesthetic scheme. Make sure that your choice of artwork makes sense with your branding, website, any written material, or advertising, or any other visual choices that you’ve already made in your space. Nothing about the visual experience in your space should feel disjointed or confusing. The aesthetic choices should flow into each other, and create a full and polished experience.
What are the elements of an Instagrammable space? This question is becoming a lot more important with each passing year. In 2023, does your interior design stack up? Consider embracing natural light, lots of plants (especially plants with big leaves, like Monsteras, the king of Instagram plants!), wood tones, sleek furniture, exposed brick and wood beams, globe lights and statement light fixtures, and soft pastel tones, as some Insta classic design features. Organic patterns are also a must on any fabric elements or rugs. Squiggles, zig-zags, splotches, sprinkles, and grid patterns are great go-tos.
Rick Rubin is a music producer who has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Johnny Cash, Red...
May 29, 2023Mexico City is home to some of the best street art in the world. If you're looking to visit a bustling city...
May 15, 2023Each pillar of our ‘Experience, Reflect, Make’ sequence incorporates several lesson plans to roll out for each age group, and no matter...
May 9, 2023