Let Your Restaurant’s Artwork Speak for Itself

Choosing artwork for your restaurant may seem an arduous task you feel you’re bound to fail. Fear not. We’ve gone straight to our longtime collaborator & friend Farmers Restaurant Group‘s Creative Director Leah Browning Frankl for her aesthetic expertise.

As an interior designer and LEED Accredited Professional, Leah’s art & design experience and well-trained eye allow her to guide clients on creating fully functional, cohesive, sustainable design spaces.

As artwork is oftentimes an investment, we were interested in exploring this concept. How to choose restaurant art that fits within the design and feel of a space? Are there any general rules of thumb when choosing artwork? How to gage your restaurant wall art or restaurant murals, and such, so your space doesn’t go into “artwork overload?”

Here are Leah’s top restaurant design suggestions when choosing art pieces to enhance a space, tell a story, complement a brand, or display a playful side.

  1. If you’re not sure what kind of art you want, ask yourself what are the stories you are trying to tell in your space or the emotions you want to communicate. Art is a great way to express yourself, your brand, and your vision. And the best part? Art can be a subtle display of your vision or clear as day.
  1. Conceptually, restaurants are full of life, laughter, and the joy of gathering around a table to share great food and drink. Don’t be afraid to have fun and celebrate that spirit by featuring playful, whimsical pieces. Artwork can go a long way in helping your guests form lasting memories about their experience.
  1. Don’t limit yourself to just traditional-type paintings! Art can be two-dimensional, sculptural, wall mounted, ceiling mounted, digital, etc. All art forms are an expression of your vision. Don’t let that vision be limited by tradition. What speaks to you and your team will most certainly speak to your guests as well.

Leah’s work for Farmers Restaurant Group is a great example. Her contacts, vision, and aesthetic helped transform the space of their latest restaurant, Farmers & Distillers. Featuring local artists, and both traditional and whimsical artwork, put the finishing touches on the restaurant.

All that hard work and dedication has garnered much attention, even a recent article in Washingtonian magazine, spotlighting the restaurant’s whimsical oil on canvas, Young George.

*photo credit: Young George (painting), as featured in the Washingtonian.