Completed: October 2015

Area: 250 Square Meters

Unique Features and Description:

The eating-out culture has gained tremendous momentum over the years. People have become very adventurous in their food choices and experiment with different cuisine styles from across the world. While this in itself is not at all a bad thing, what too much of extraneous influences do is that they overshadow local identity. The décor of this restaurant was inspired by this thought. And therefore the concept of a North Indian flavoured décor for a Punjabi specialty cuisine restaurant located in a mall in Pune, the hub of IT culture; seemed perfect.

Theme decors are fun; but can get monotonous over time. In that sense a contemporary styling manages to interest patrons more; and that is necessary to draw them to the F&B outlet over and over again. Therefore, a subtle fusion of aesthetics was selected. As a result, rural materials and objects are seen woven into the contemporary fabric.

Restaurant décor is a highly challenging area of design. The aesthetics chosen need to appeal to the patrons and stay fresh and interesting over time. The client’s brief therefore needs to be understood thoroughly and adapted sensitively to the décor. As the designers, we try to add value by sharing the benefits of our experience and expertise, with the client.

Many of us have visited our family homes in villages and experienced the traditional homes, food, habits and way of life. The décor was based on the concept of creating a sense of nostalgia in the local patrons’ minds subtly; without letting the cultural overtones completely overpower the space. Therefore the base for the styling was chosen to be contemporary; with certain elements lending the nostalgic touches – to create an overall delightful fine dining experience.

Very often, Indian Regional Cuisine restaurants use Indian motifs and design elements in the décor. Here the attempt is to take out only essential extracts from Indian regional culture and infuse the otherwise contemporary styling with a touch of rural North India. The fusion of earthy and contemporary extends a very different experience for the patrons.

In a restaurant the sensory perceptions of the space dominates the level of appeal.

With simplicity as the primary guiding factor, an earthy look was chosen and relief was given by way of using modern elements like mirror and polished granite. An engaging play of light and shade – with a cleverly designed lighting pattern enhances the divine experience generated through organic components like Cane and hanging earthen pots. The overall experience though quite emotive, showcases North Indian culture and philosophy ingeniously; without compromising on the functional and visual factors.

The most important design decision was to use indigenous and local material keeping in mind the local context. Cane sticks closely woven together clad walls and the ceiling wrapping the whole space together. Cement particleboard used in raw form for the partitions and the walls comes as a rescue element for other wise a monotonous interior. Central seating is enhanced by the ceiling of hanging Kullhads (earthen pots) which continue in a flow over the bar section. Odd angles and the shape of the establishment was a major challenge while addressing the quality of interior space. Cleverly used mirror behind bar counter and the buffet counter multiples and enhance the interesting angles of space that otherwise would have been eyesore. Kotah stone, found in North West region of India is used for the flooring in mirror polished form and assorted variations in colour that contrasts in texture with the raw finish on walls.

The overall ambiance of the restaurant is a fusion of traditional earthy elements with a contemporary design as a base. It gives an international look to the restaurant and encourages even the expats in the city to step in and experience the regional cuisine.