How to Make the Distressed Look Work for Your Restaurant

Distressed surfaces are a wonderful trend that has found its way into a variety of settings, including many trendy restaurants. If you want to give your restaurant an edge with this look but are afraid to do something too risky, then let us reassure you. Quality-made custom furniture from Toronto can incorporate the distressed look without taking away the elegance of your restaurant. The key is to create a space that looks very natural and comfortable without making it look worn out and old, or like your typical clientele was raised by wolves. In fact, we’ve got a few ideas on how to make the distressed look work for your restaurant.

More style and less distress

You need a balance when incorporating the distressed look into your restaurant design. We suggest having the distressed elements be pieces of decor that can easily be changed later if you need to rebrand or change your look. That means don’t choose distressed hardwood floors or reclaimed bar countertops. Keep it simple. Restaurant chairs are one of our favourite ways to incorporate this casual style into a restaurant. Distressed seating works equally well in the dining area and the waiting area or entryway.

By keeping your distressed surfaces to a minimum, you can create a more intentional aesthetic that doesn’t look lazy or like you designed your restaurant from thrift store pieces. It also keeps you from crossing the line into kitschy. Instead, you will create a relaxed vibe for your guests in a setting that shows you have taste and style. If you’re having trouble creating this balance, just remember that the idea behind distressed decor is to look easygoing and informal, not like you’re trying too hard. Balance does not mean equal parts distressed and new-looking. Balance means a lot of undamaged surfaces and a touch of distress.

Distressed restaurant chairs

The suggestion about balance trickles down to the chairs themselves. Of course you want the upholstery to complement the distressed look. But complementing is not the same as mimicking. Leather is an easy choice to pair with a distressed wood frame on restaurant chairs. Going with classic black leather is the furniture equivalent of faded jeans and a black leather jacket. Add a few metal accents and you create a nice vibe for a place to gather with friends.

Whenever you choose a design trend, like distressed wood, going with something more classic is a good way to balance out the look. And black always adds a touch of sophistication. If black doesn’t fit your restaurant decor or the style you are going for, other dark colours can work equally well. Try deep midnight blue, hunter green, or even an especially dark burgundy. You just don’t want a style pairing that is too jarring, like distressed furniture frames with bright, bold upholstery.

Note that you don’t have to stick with solid colours either, though. Just pay attention to what kinds of patterns work for your guests. A cozy tea house could easily pull off restaurant chairs with distressed wooden frames and a modern floral print. Big flowers on a white or cream background provide an airy, garden feel to a room. And the worn wood will enhance the casual nature aesthetic. You could also go for a floral pattern on a black background to change things up and complement a darker colour palette.

And what about the wood itself? You can really play with a lot of different looks. At Louis Interiors we have wood stains in many different natural colours to imitate the look of various woods without compromising the durability or paying more for exotic woods. Our kiln-dried maple wood takes any colour of stain and gives your chairs the long-lasting strength of hardwood. In general, light to medium wood and stain colours work best with distress patterns. Lighter-coloured wood has a reputation for providing a more casual feel to a space.

Here’s one more idea for your wooden chair frames. You can incorporate a colour from your decor into the wood itself by using a subtle shade of paint. This works well with the distressed technique because you won’t have a brightly painted chair. Instead, the paint will just come through in patches.

Are you ready to take the plunge into distressed decor? Check out our Toronto custom furniture site for more information on why we are the the best choice in high-quality restaurant furniture.