10 Best Low Budget Restaurant Interior Design Ideas

Are you looking for the best low budget restaurant interior design ideas? If yes, well here is all you need to know! The reason people go to restaurants isn’t just about the food. They are looking for a pleasant experience along with the dining. This blog offers you excellent low budget restaurant interior design ideas that could transform your restaurant’s popularity and reputation. If you think restaurant interior design services will cost a lot, that need not be the case – take advantage of them to transform your restaurant.

Low Budget Restaurant Interior Design

1. Use Affordable Yet Stunning Lighting

In restaurant design, how important are lighting setups? Having a well-designed lighting setup is one of the most crucial aspects of modern restaurant interior design, but at the same time, it is also one of the most understated. It can make or break the visual appeal of your restaurant.

You could invest heavily in various kinds of visual gimmicks but if your lighting setup isn’t up to the mark, everything will just look flat and boring. If the right kind of lighting setup is in place, even a very minimalistic and simple restaurant can become a captivating and interesting space.

Best Ideas:

1. LED Strip Lighting: Install LED strip lights under shelves or along edges for a modern, ambient glow.
2. DIY Pendant Lights: Create unique pendant lights using everyday materials like wire baskets or Mason jars.
3. Candlelight Aesthetics: Use battery-operated candles or LED candles in glass holders for a cozy atmosphere without the fire hazard.
4. Upcycled Fixtures: Repurpose old items like colanders or birdcages into hanging light fixtures.
5. Projection-Mapping: Use projection mapping to create dynamic visuals and atmosphere with minimal physical fixtures.

Best Practices:

1. Layering Lights: Combine overhead, task, and accent lighting to create depth and ambiance.
2. Dimmer Switches: Install dimmer switches to adjust lighting levels according to the time of day or mood.
3. Highlight Focal Points: Use lighting to draw attention to key areas like artwork or architectural features.
4. Energy Efficiency: Opt for energy-efficient bulbs and fixtures to reduce long-term operational costs.
5. Maintenance Routine: Establish a regular cleaning and maintenance schedule to keep fixtures looking their best and functioning properly.

2. Try Alternative Furniture Ideas

Furniture and accessories play a crucial role in creating the perfect ambiance for your restaurant and contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to buy elegant furniture!

There are so many alternatives to make your existing furniture look more appealing these days, and you can even create your own artistic pieces of furniture by following a few simple DIY tips and tricks.

Best Ideas:

1. Repurposed Materials: Use reclaimed wood or metal for tables and chairs to create a rustic or industrial look.
2. Mismatched Chairs: Combine different styles of chairs for an eclectic and inviting dining experience.
3. DIY Upholstery: Reupholster existing chairs or benches with fabric that complements your restaurant’s theme.
4. Convertible Seating: Use furniture that can be easily rearranged to accommodate different group sizes or events.
5. Outdoor Furniture Indoors: Bring in weather-resistant outdoor furniture for a casual, relaxed atmosphere indoors.

Best Practices:

1. Comfort First: Ensure seating is comfortable and supportive to encourage longer stays and return visits.
2. Space Planning: Arrange furniture to maximize space flow and create intimate dining areas.
3. Durability: Choose materials that are durable and easy to clean, considering the wear and tear of restaurant use.
4. Style Consistency: Maintain a cohesive style across all furniture pieces to reinforce your restaurant’s brand.
5. Accessibility: Ensure furniture arrangements consider the accessibility needs of all patrons.

3. Go for Local Art

If you don’t want a minimalist look in your restaurant interior design, this low-budget small restaurant design idea could give your restaurant the wow factor you’re looking for.

Reach out to local artists via social media. Instagram is likely to yield the best results because most artists share their work on this image-based platform. Find artists who have painted wall art but don’t have a huge following. Find an artist with an appealing design, style, and typography, and get in touch with them. Use a site like Fiverr to find an artist within your budget.

Best Ideas:

1. Murals and Graffiti: Commission local street artists to create murals or graffiti-style art on interior walls.
2. Gallery Nights: Host art exhibitions featuring local artists, rotating their work periodically.
3. Interactive Art: Install interactive art pieces that engage diners, such as light installations or kinetic sculptures.
4. Art on Menu Cards: Collaborate with local artists to design unique menu covers or inserts.
5. Artisanal Crafts: Display and sell handmade crafts from local artisans as part of your restaurant decor.

Best Practices:

1. Art Placement: Position artwork strategically to enhance the dining experience without overwhelming patrons.
2. Artist Profiles: Share artist bios and stories alongside their work to create a connection with diners.
3. Art Rotation: Keep the art fresh by rotating pieces periodically to maintain interest and support local artists.
4. Lighting Considerations: Illuminate artwork properly to highlight its details and textures effectively.
5. Community Engagement: Foster community ties by involving local schools or organizations in creating art for your restaurant.

4. Tempt With The Scents

There are a lot of visual hacks for low-budget restaurant interior design on social media, but the smell of a restaurant can have a big impact on its success.

A smell is 100x more likely to be remembered by your guests than any other sense. Although an open kitchen design is the ultimate way to advertise the smell of your food, it is an expensive renovation that involves closing down your restaurant for months. You can create a mouthwatering aroma in your restaurant by using custom fragrances.

Best Ideas:

1. Essential Oil Diffusers: Use essential oil diffusers strategically to disperse inviting scents throughout the restaurant.
2. Scented Candles: Place scented candles in strategic areas to create a warm and inviting atmosphere.
3. Baked Goods Display: Bake fresh bread or pastries on-site to naturally fill the air with enticing aromas.
4. Herb Gardens: Grow herbs indoors and use them in cooking to infuse the restaurant with natural scents.
5. Custom Air Fresheners: Create custom air fresheners with signature scents that patrons can purchase or take home.

Best Practices:

1. Subtle Fragrance: Ensure scents are subtle and not overpowering, to enhance rather than distract from the dining experience.
2. Consistency: Maintain consistent scents throughout the restaurant to establish a familiar ambiance.
3. Seasonal Themes: Adjust scents seasonally to align with menu changes or festive periods.
4. Natural Scents: Opt for natural scents over synthetic ones to create a more authentic atmosphere.
5. Feedback Loop: Solicit feedback from patrons to gauge their reactions to different scents and adjust accordingly.

5. Bring In More Indoor Plants

When it comes to cheap decoration ideas for your restaurant, indoor plants are the best option. Apart from placing indoor plants for homes, they have also become very trendy these days in hotels and restaurants as well. Searching for the most favorite restaurants in your area will reveal that they have added indoor plants to their places to give the atmosphere a natural touch.

The cheapest plant you can find at the nursery and hang it in the entrance area of your restaurant will certainly look nice. You can also buy hanging plants and hang them in multiple prominent places.

Best Ideas:

1. Vertical Gardens: Install vertical planters or living walls to maximize greenery without taking up floor space.
2. Terrariums: Display small terrariums on tables or shelves for a touch of green in every corner.
3. Hanging Baskets: Suspend baskets of trailing plants from ceilings or beams to create a lush, overhead garden effect.
4. Herb Gardens: Create an indoor herb garden that serves both as decor and a source of fresh ingredients.
5. Bonsai Trees: Place bonsai trees on counters or tables as elegant, low-maintenance focal points.

Best Practices:

1. Lighting Requirements: Choose plants that thrive in indoor lighting conditions and position them accordingly.
2. Maintenance Schedule: Establish a watering and pruning schedule to keep plants healthy and vibrant.
3. Air Quality: Use plants known for their air-purifying qualities to enhance indoor air quality for patrons.
4. Safety Considerations: Avoid plants that are toxic to pets or sensitive individuals, and clearly label them if necessary.
5. Design Integration: Integrate plants into overall decor themes to create a harmonious and inviting atmosphere.

 

6. Make Use Of Chalkboards

It is not new to decorate your restaurants with chalkboards, but they are still one of the best ways to decorate on a budget. You can decorate your chalkboards with calligraphy and add the deals of the day to them if you love art. As well as looking inspirational, it is a unique way of styling restaurants on a budget that is also unique.

You can attract more customers to your restaurant by adding an attractive phrase to the chalkboard. Moreover, chalkboards are available in almost all the stationery stores, which is an added advantage. You can make unique designs and patterns, that beautify your restaurant. It adds a sense of sophistication to your restaurant as well as making it appear impressive.

Best Ideas:

1. Interactive Menus: Use chalkboards as interactive menus where daily specials or seasonal dishes can be easily updated.
2. Themed Chalkboards: Create themed chalkboard art that reflects seasonal changes or special events.
3. Customer Messages: Allow customers to leave feedback or notes on a designated chalkboard wall.
4. Chalkboard Tabletops: Use chalkboard paint on tabletops for a creative dining experience where customers can doodle or play games.
5. Educational Chalkboards: Display fun facts about ingredients or cooking techniques on chalkboards to engage diners.

Best Practices:

1. Regular Updates: Ensure chalkboard designs and information are updated regularly to keep content fresh and relevant.
2. Quality Chalk and Erasers: Use good quality chalk and erasers to maintain clean and readable boards.
3. Consistent Style: Maintain a consistent style of writing and design across all chalkboards for branding purposes.
4. Clear Information: Ensure all information on chalkboards, especially menus, is clear and easy to read from a distance.
5. Chalkboard Maintenance: Regularly clean and touch up chalkboards to prevent smudging and maintain visual appeal.

7. Adopt Unique Seating arrangements

Your restaurant can also make a lasting impression by switching up your seating arrangements.

Unique seating is also one of the significant elements of a restaurant’s interior design. The ultimate aim is to make your customers as comfortable as possible.

In order to truly stand out, you need to create an aesthetic that will change the way your space looks while keeping things comfortable for your customers.

Best Ideas:

1. Communal Tables: Install large communal tables for groups to encourage social interaction among diners.
2. Booths with Privacy: Create intimate booths with high backs or partitions for privacy without sacrificing style.
3. Outdoor Seating Nooks: Utilize outdoor spaces or nooks with unique seating arrangements like swing seats or garden benches.
4. Flexible Seating: Incorporate movable seating like stools or ottomans that can be rearranged for different group sizes.
5. Themed Seating Areas: Design seating areas inspired by different themes or cultures for a diverse dining experience.

Best Practices:

1. Comfort and Ergonomics: Ensure seating is comfortable and supports good posture to enhance the dining experience.
2. Traffic Flow: Arrange seating to optimize traffic flow for waitstaff and customers without crowding.
3. Accessibility: Accommodate patrons with mobility challenges by offering accessible seating options.
4. Aesthetic Harmony: Ensure seating arrangements complement overall decor and theme of the restaurant.
5. Maintenance: Choose seating materials that are durable and easy to clean for efficient upkeep.

8. Choose a Simple And Unique Theme

Designing your restaurant with a simple, unique theme isn’t just an artistic choice – it can also be a practical one. Not only does it help your restaurant establish its identity, but it can also save you money.

A single piece of design, such as a painting, can give your room a completely unique aesthetic. Everything from the style of the furniture to the colors of the walls can revolve around it.

Use recycled wood and reclaimed farm equipment to complete the rustic theme of your restaurant if it is in the middle of the city surrounded by modern establishments.

Best Ideas:

1. Minimalist Design: Embrace minimalism with clean lines, neutral colors, and a focus on functional furniture.
2. Industrial Chic: Incorporate raw materials like exposed brick, metal fixtures, and unfinished wood for an industrial vibe.
3. Cultural Fusion: Blend elements from different cultures or regions to create a unique and eclectic dining environment.
4. Nature-Inspired: Design interiors with natural elements like stone, plants, and natural light for a serene atmosphere.
5. Vintage Revival: Use vintage furniture, decor, and artwork to evoke a nostalgic and cozy atmosphere.

Best Practices:

1. Consistent Execution: Ensure all design elements align with the chosen theme to maintain coherence.
2. Focus on Details: Pay attention to small details like lighting fixtures, textiles, and artwork to enhance theme authenticity.
3. Functional Design: Prioritize functionality alongside aesthetics to create a comfortable dining experience.
4. Scalability: Choose a theme that can evolve with the restaurant’s growth and future design changes.
5. Feedback Integration: Gather feedback from customers to fine-tune and adjust the theme for maximum appeal.

9. Single Out Your Ceiling

The ceiling already occupies a large area of the room, so why not incorporate it into your design scheme? It’s an easy and affordable way to instantly enhance the ambiance of your restaurant.

Peel-and-stick tiles are one way to make your ceiling look more sophisticated without breaking the bank. Since they’re too far above, nobody will notice that they aren’t real tiles.

Make your ceiling space more attractive by installing murals, paintings, and other decors.

Best Ideas:

1. Statement Lighting: Install eye-catching pendant lights or chandeliers as focal points.
2. Ceiling Murals: Commission local artists to paint murals or patterns on the ceiling for a unique visual impact.
3. Wooden Beams: Expose or install wooden beams for a rustic or cozy atmosphere.
4. Hanging Installations: Use hanging plants, decorative mobiles, or kinetic sculptures to add movement and interest.
5. Reflective Surfaces: Use reflective materials like mirrors or metallic finishes to create an illusion of more space.

Best Practices:

1. Height Considerations: Ensure ceiling decor does not obstruct views or make the space feel cramped.
2. Lighting Balance: Integrate ceiling decor with appropriate lighting to highlight features without overpowering the space.
3. Maintenance Accessibility: Choose decor that allows for easy cleaning and maintenance over time.
4. Acoustics: Consider how ceiling decor impacts acoustics and sound quality within the dining area.
5. Safety: Ensure all installations are securely fastened and meet safety standards, especially for hanging objects.

 

10. Try Open Kitchens

There are many restaurants that have opened up their kitchens and made their floor plans more open so that customers can see what’s happening.

As a result, the business gains customers’ trust and shows them its honesty. In an open kitchen, diners can not only see how their food is prepared, but they can also be entertained by it and feel like they are part of the whole process of making their meal. If the kitchen is open to the dining area, people are able to see, smell, and hear their food being prepared. It makes eating more enjoyable.

Best Ideas:

1. Chef’s Table Experience: Offer a chef’s table near the open kitchen for a premium dining experience.
2. Interactive Cooking Classes: Host cooking classes or demonstrations in the open kitchen for patrons.
3. Live Cooking Shows: Occasionally host live cooking shows or competitions to engage diners.
4. Customization Stations: Set up stations where diners can interact with chefs to customize their meals.
5. Kitchen Bar Seating: Install a bar counter overlooking the kitchen for diners to watch chefs in action.

Best Practices:

1. Hygiene Standards: Maintain high cleanliness and hygiene standards visible to diners in the open kitchen.
2. Staff Training: Ensure kitchen staff are trained to interact positively with diners and handle questions professionally.
3. Workflow Efficiency: Design the open kitchen layout to optimize workflow and minimize distractions.
4. Temperature Control: Implement effective ventilation and temperature control systems to manage kitchen heat and odors.
5. Diner Engagement: Encourage chefs to interact with diners, explain dishes, and share cooking tips for a memorable experience.