A local diner was once a popular spot in the 1950’s where teenagers went out to eat burgers, sip on soda pops, dance by the jukebox and show off their hot rods. While gleaming and cold from the inside out, the décor was very bold and energetic. Retro diners are theatrical, bright, whimsical, and nostalgic. Many vintage design ideas are making a comeback and if you are looking to give your diner a blast from the past, incorporate colors, design elements and restaurant furniture that embrace a sense of fun that is reminiscent of the 1950’s.
Trending Retro Diner Decor Ideas
Classic Dining Room, Interior Design and Color Scheme
A retro diner décor can transform a simple looking dining room into a social and entertainment hub. Decorating your diner’s interior with a classic color scheme of black, red, white and aqua is one of the easiest ways to create a diner vibe. Checkered tiled flooring with vinyl tiles is one of the most quintessential diner attributes. You can stick with the black and white classic checkered floor tiling or choose a brighter color pallette.
The right furniture can also highlight your retro diner décor; especially diner booths, restaurant tables and bar stools with upholstery/material that syncs with the color scheme. As it is with every other restaurant, the dining room generates sales and revenues as it consumes the most space at a diner. A regular layout of bar stools, diner booths and restaurant tables neatly lined up in rows gives the décor a formal impression. Restaurant tables that are haphazardly placed throughout the entire dining room coordinated with diner booths and other various types of seating gives a more informal feel that creates a visually appealing décor.
Retro Diner Layout
Regardless what layout you want for your retro diner, spatial arrangements should always be organized and guide people to and from their tables in a logical progression. The layout and furniture control the efficiency and flow of service at the diner. Operations heavily impacts customer dining experience. Professional and fast services affect the efficiency of traffic flow at a diner with an organized seating layout.
Designing your diner begins with measuring your space to determine how many swivel bar stools, diner tables and booths you need that will respectively meet the maximum occupancy regulations. Then you can decide how and where you want to place your diner booths and tables. You can then furnish your room with laminate tables with an aluminum edge paired with booths or retro style metal chairs. If you have visited a diner, you may notice that most of them have counter spaces with retro décor themes. These swivel bar stools lend a cool and nostalgic vibe to the counter area.
Diner Wall Art
Wall art is an inexpensive but fun way to revitalize and showcase your retro diner style. Options are endless. Below are few ideas:
- Classic posters advertising soft drinks, vintage cars and cigarettes
- Frame pictures of celebrities from the 1950’s
- Movie posters
- Neon signs and road signs
- Travel memorabilia
- Vinyl records
Retro and Vintage Logo Design
Versatile and whimsical, retro style has lends its distinctive identity to logos, brand names and more. If you are struggling to find the perfect concept for your emblem, retro and vintage are your best options. Decorative swirls and vintage scrolls add a unique feel you your restaurant brand. While retro and vintage are two different concepts, they share a lot of commonalities. From a logo designer’s perspective, the term retro is associated with a lengthy time period between the 1920’s and 1970’s. By using vintage and retro techniques in their restaurant logo design , designers and restaurateurs pay tribute to that time period characterized by revolutionary restaurant design trends in that era. Nowadays, art can serve as a portal that can transport you back to those times.
If you feel your restaurant brand personality and retro style match well together, there are multiple unique logo design techniques you can use to bring out your restaurant’s best qualities. Intricate patterns and circles are the most popular geometry used in retro logo designs. Vintage also has a timeless style but like most trends, vintage comes and goes in waves. You can always insert your own twist that you feel represents your brand the most.