Restaurant decor: where should you start?

Walls contribute to the atmosphere of a restaurant or hotel alongside lighting, furniture and materials. A print can provide a point of interest from a table, banquette or bedroom's bed.

To choose, start with positions that are actually visible and the demands of service. Here is a method for arranging pictures, planning installation and requesting a precise quotation, without promising that decor alone will bring customers back.

Choose between a main picture and a gallery wall

A large picture can suit an unobstructed surface; several frames let you distribute subjects along a banquette. View the wall from different tables, near and far. A very detailed picture may lose its impact at a distance, while a simpler composition remains easy to recognise when passing.

For a group, look for a visible connection: a frame finish, palette or family of subjects. Regular gaps help make it readable. Test several spacings using templates instead of applying one distance to every wall. Maintain access to sockets, switches and service equipment.

Check the establishment's specific requirements

Safety requirements depend, among other things, on the establishment's type and category, the material and how the decoration is installed. Articles AM 9 and AM 10 of the French ERP regulations, where applicable, distinguish items fixed to walls from hanging elements. A single rule for every frame would therefore be misleading.

Before approving a large arrangement, give its dimensions, materials and positions to the person responsible for safety at your establishment. Request the necessary technical documents from the supplier. Do not infer a fire reaction classification from the paper's weight. Fixings and circulation routes also need to be considered in the project.

Determine the number and height from the tables

A three-metre wall does not automatically need ten prints. First identify areas obscured by seated customers, wall lights and partition returns. Prepare one or two groups, then add their external dimensions and gaps. An area left empty can give neighbouring pictures more presence.

Sit at nearby and distant tables before deciding the height. Check a seated customer's view, but also staff movement and the possibility of someone knocking a frame when standing up. Frames must not interfere with service. The right position depends on the furniture and use, with no universal height.

For subjects, compare photographs, botanical pictures, black and white prints and architectural scenes. Olive trees and seascapes can accompany a Mediterranean identity. Keep a connection with the venue's atmosphere and what you want guests to discover.

Adapt the method to hotel bedrooms

In a hotel bedroom, view the picture from the entrance and bed. One main print can be enough, but its position depends on the lamps, headboard and furniture. Check reflections and choose a fixing suited to the surface and weight, in a position compatible with room maintenance.

For several rooms, a family of subjects can maintain coherence while varying the pictures. Minimalist prints and abstract prints offer several palettes. You can organise these choices by floor or room type, then keep a list of references and sizes for replacements.

A local subject can be relevant if it matches the establishment's identity. Architecture, a landscape or a regional detail offer different levels of specificity. Also compare the drawing with textiles and materials: coherence comes from this relationship as much as from the name of the place depicted.

Prepare a budget covering the whole project

List prints, frames, fixings, delivery and any installation separately. State quantities and request a quotation specifying taxes, commercial terms and applicable lead times. A discount or trade price must be confirmed for your order; it cannot be inferred from the number of prints.

Our paper prints are made to order in our Fayence workshop, on 270 gsm semi-matt photographic paper with pigment inks. Standard sizes are 21x30, 30x40, 50x70 and 70x100. Check the design's orientation and the frame's external dimensions before comparing configurations for your wall.

For your own images, the custom prints for establishments page helps you prepare your request and specify the desired dimensions. The offices and coworking and practices and spas pages present other professional settings. Explain the venue, its uses and your target date to receive a suitable response.

Plan changes and maintenance

If you want to refresh a few pictures, keeping common sizes can make replacement easier. Record the dimensions of prints, frames and any mounts. Keep product references and fixing information. Before each change, check the frame's condition and stability instead of treating the hanging arrangement as permanent.

How often you refresh the pictures depends on your identity, the prints' condition and your preferences. There is no need to change them every season. First look at the pictures with the lights on and tables set: moving an object or adjusting the lighting may already improve their presence in the room.

Start with a representative area

Photograph the wall with furniture in place and measure the surfaces actually available. Prepare a proposal viewed from several tables, then check the result under usual service conditions. This first area helps you choose a family of subjects and sizes before extending the composition throughout the establishment.

The decorating trends and living room selections offer ideas for colours and compositions. Our gallery wall guide explains alignments and layout trials. Choose pictures that suit the venue, then confirm the project's budget and technical conditions.