The Importance Of Café & Restaurant Lighting

Think of the atmosphere in your favourite café, bar or restaurant. The tinkling of glasses, the smell of delicious food and the buzz of happy diners, it can make you feel relaxed, comfortable and hungry. But did you know so much of this vibe is due to the design of the lighting?

Brooklyn Glass Cone Pendant - 7 Inch, by Industville (Image supplied by mylondonfairytales)

Start With The Basics

As much as looking stylish and on point, lighting has to first and foremost, serve its purpose. There's no point in having beautiful lights that are so bright the coffee blinds the customer. Or too dim for the customer to see the exquisite food menu the chef has prepared. Ambient, or general, lighting is the essential base lighting that is spread around to provide a comfortable level for everyone to see and do their job correctly.

Sleek Flat Pendant - 15 Inch – Brass, by Industville. (Image supplied by Avobar. Photographed by James French Photography)

 Our bulkhead lights can be paired with fluorescent lights to achieve ambience without affecting your stylish décor. The rustic finish will work with all colours to make them easy to strategically place. Heat lamps, while perfect for practicality, are also a reliable source of light. Consider building the food pass centrally to allow for the light to disperse evenly.

Old Factory Heat Pendant Lamps - 12 Inch - Light Pewter & Bulkhead Motorcycle Pendant - 6 Inch – Gunmetal, by Industville. (Image supplied by @sprayshopcafe The Spray Shop Café at Rust And The Wolf’s lifestyle store)

 Think About Where You Are

 It’s very unusual to find two places the same. The shape of the room, the height of the ceiling or the style of the food and drinks served will make each eatery unique, and it’s a good thing to consider in your initial lighting plans. Consider how you want your space to feel, for example, light and airy, or warm and intimate. With our vast range of commercial restaurant lighting, you will always be able to find something that suits your space.

Old Factory Slotted Pendant - 15 Inch – Pewter, by Industville. (Image supplied by Strangers Coffee House, Norwich)

 Have A Focus

Accent lighting is a smart way of using lights to highlight a particular area or object or even to illuminate the light itself. We love the trend for accent lighting as it can be used in all modern restaurant and café designs to provide spots of light in a dimmer room. For example, an appropriately placed hung light, like our Brooklyn Dome Pendant, can shine on a table to brighten it up in the evenings. Team with lush materials in a medium colour palette to stop them from absorbing all the light. Unique in artistry themselves, our lights can be used to illuminate focal pieces of art.

Brooklyn Cone Wall Light - 7 Inch – Pewter, by Industville. (Image supplied by @starandgarterfalmouth)

 Get Creative

This part is all about adding beauty to the surface of interior design. Unusual bulbs, fixtures and fittings can add a simple twist that can complement any style you are going with. We love how Brewdog bars have used our fabric flex cables to incorporate efficient lighting without compromising the overall look and theme of the place.

Brooklyn Step Pendant - 16 Inch – Pewter & Brooklyn Dome Pendant - 13 Inch – Pewter & Red Round Fabric Flex - 3 Core Braided Cloth Cable Lighting Wire,  by Industville. (Image supplied by BrewDog, Angel)

 Go Au Natural

While not essential, natural lighting can enhance the overall feel and ambience. Let more light in with bigger windows and glass doors if possible and combine with our retro glass pendants. The elegant glass design will disperse both the natural and artificial light evenly, with the bonus of a reduced cost in electricity.

Brooklyn Glass Dome Pendant - 12 Inch & Brooklyn Giant Step Pendant - 18 Inch – Pewter, by Industville. (Image supplied by Reeve the Baker)

 Study Up

Did you know specific colours can stimulate appetite? Scientific studies have shown that rusty browns and reds with gold lighting can make you feel hungry. While bright colours, whites and fluorescent, stark light (usually associated with fast food restaurants) can make you eat faster and enjoy the experience less.

Old Factory Pendant - 12 Inch - Pewter & Copper, by Industville. (Image supplied by The Summer Café  Photographed by @Hattieellis)

Interview With Kenny Tutt

 We caught up with 2018 MasterChef champion Kenny Tutt, to find out more about his upcoming restaurant Pitch, and discovered about how he went about the design and creation process.

 You’re about to open your first restaurant called Pitch, how exciting! Tell us a little bit about what was your vision for the restaurant?

The name comes from my family’s market heritage, where I fell in love with food. From the fruit sellers to the butchers, I always remember the passion and drive that they had. I want Pitch to become a place for people to enjoy great food focusing on local produce and seasonal ingredients.

 We believe good interiors are like good food; they take vision, great elements and hard work. How did you get inspired for your interiors?

Pitch has been designed to incorporate the outside market feel with inside fine dining interiors. We want people to enjoy their surroundings and feel relaxed while dining.

 What made you choose Industville lighting?

We loved how industville lighting has a great blend of industrial and luxurious appearance, and this fits perfectly into our Pitch vision.

 Which lighting did you choose and what was the reason behind the choices?

We chose a selection of lighting from Industville - from Brooklyn Wall Lights in the restaurant to brass ceiling pendants in the cookery school. All of which add an amazing finishing touch to our décor. 

 How does lighting help bring your vision to life?

Lighting is great to create moods and add aesthetics to the decor. We have used this aspect in certain areas of the restaurant to enhance our colours and textures they sit beside.

 How do you think the decor and interior design contributes to the overall dining experience?

I feel it plays a huge part in the overall experience of dining. You have to feel comfortable in your surroundings before you can fully enjoy your dining experience.

We can’t wait to see how Kenny’s restaurant looks! If you own a restaurant and are feeling inspired, or you want to try out some of these tricks in your own home, why don’t you have a look at our website for industrial lighting and design ideas? Or get inspiration from our Pinterest boards!