In small spaces, where activities require a flow of people, designers are called upon to combine functionality and aesthetics to optimize every inch. “Nem gran mar dell’essere” (in the great sea of being), cit. Dante, create a singular and memorable identity.
Located in the heart of Chiavari, our design studio, Forma Design, stands out for its ability to transform even the smallest spaces into evocative, welcoming, and functional environments.
For restaurant or tea room decor, you can leverage our expertise to optimize every square meter, making it unique and distinctive. In an era where space efficiency is paramount, furnishing small restaurants becomes an art.
“Small rooms discipline the mind.” Quote Leonardo Da Vinci.
This pushes us to make a further effort. It pushes us to retain the essential. A concept that invites us to train the mind to think well. “In my opinion, the human brain, originally, is like an empty attic that one must fill with the furniture one likes best. A fool stores in it all the junk he comes across, so that the notions that might be useful to him end up taking up no room and, at best, are piled up haphazardly with an infinite number of other things, making it more difficult for him to find them. A prudent scholar, on the other hand, carefully selects what he stores in his attic-brain.” Sherlock Holmes
Our design studio will guide you to translate the apparently limited stage of stylistic decisions into a possibility and thus create intimate atmospheres taken care of down to the smallest detail: “down to the centimeter”
Function & style
In our projects, we have also found ourselves involved in these realities – of limited size – and functionality has been expressed through a formal order metamorphosis of beauty, quoting Ovid, we have transformed limitations into creative opportunities, of character and charm.
In this context, we used space-saving furnishings, also creating custom, modular and functional furniture. Folding tables, stackable chairs, and built-in benches, all designed to maximize space without compromising aesthetics and comfort. Drawing on our extensive experience and the collaboration of the best Italian-made companies in our portfolio, we can therefore offer all the tools necessary to “regulate” your space.
“When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem begins to look like a nail” cit. A. Maslow
Small restaurants offer an intimate and unique dining experience that stands out for its attention to original menus, personalized service, and a sense of connection with the staff. This drives us to design an environment where functionality must go hand in hand with aesthetics.
“Design should be a refuge, not a prison.” P. Stark
This approach allows us to create an environment that invites customers to relax, even in a small space.
Like a precious jewel, cared for down to the smallest details, where the choice of colors is never as important as in these cases, a strategy that deceives the eye and therefore the perception of space.
Colors, Materials and Lights
Light shades and natural materials can visually expand a space, while carefully selected decorative details can add character. Color and texture are the main protagonists of the overall composition.
Italian designer Ettore Sottsass claimed that “color is like a typewriter: it is a language.” He used it in a pictorial manner, making it almost prevail over form, available to the senses.
Using colors, with some accent notes, that tell a story can transform the small restaurant into a memorable place.
The transformative event can become even more extraordinary and complete by using another fundamental furnishing element: lighting.
Well-designed lighting can, in fact, radically change the fate of a narrow space by transforming the perception – of the form initially immersed in negative tensions (feelings) – into a new feeling, which, thanks to the light, finds a new potential that affects the negative tensions, balancing them thanks to this new identity that nevertheless keeps the initial structure intact.
Designer pendant lamps, soft lighting, and adjustable spotlights can create intimate and welcoming spaces. As renowned architect Louis Kahn said, “Light is not just an element; it is art itself.” The right lighting transforms every corner, making the dining experience even more special.
Another essential precaution is paying attention to acoustics. Experience shows how difficult it is to remain in a place where the din of voices echoes in every corner of the room, interfering with any pleasant conversation at the table.
Decorating a small restaurant requires creativity, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of the customer’s needs. Forma Design of Chiavari offers innovative solutions that combine functionality and style, transforming every small space into a unique experience. As Leonardo da Vinci reminds us, small rooms can not only discipline the mind, but also inspire the heart, making every meal a moment to remember.
Our craftsmen can intervene in these narrow, dissonant environments, restoring a balance – “nem gran mar dell’essere” (Dante cit) – without distorting their identity, maintaining in each one the “singular point” for a memorable environment.
