How Much Is Too Much Colour?
Mark Bithrey
November 2020
B3 Designers’ work for Hoppi Dorri, the sushi and soul food restaurant in Stamford, Lincolnshire won the international Restaurant & Bar Design Award 2020 for its beautiful use of colour, competing with entries from all over the UK.
The Bottom Line
Colour played a huge role in our interior design for this restaurant. Our brief was to bring the liveliness of Japanese streets, comfortable and modern dining, and a light industrial feel, all together in a cohesive design. With loads of ideas, concepts, and brainstorming, this was down to a balancing act – between colours, other elements, and functionality.
The moment your colours overpower every other element, that is too much colour!
Inspiration & Design
When designing the interiors for a restaurant, we draw inspiration from the owners and chefs, and characteristics of the cuisine and country. For Hoppi Dorri, colour shone through right from the start.
We were taken by the Japanese street market’s striking signages, layered neons, assorted yet complementary furniture, pops of bright posters and street art, and indoor-outdoor flexible F&B operations.
Design Details
The design spans two floors, blending street art, colours, lanterns, and carefully-chosen furniture to bring to life the restaurant’s bold, honest, and nostalgic interiors. A light industrial feel is achieved through the material palette – wiremesh, reclaimed wood, corrugated metal, and well-placed neon and coloured lights.
The ground floor features a 10-seat sushi bar where diners can absorb the theatre of watching the chef meticulously prepare sushi and sashimi. Upstairs, the first-floor bar is the focal point of the expansive dining area. Reclaimed windows and doors cleverly divide and add layers to the space, which gives way to a partially covered outdoor terrace.
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