When you first meet Dan and Api, you feel like they have been your friends for a lifetime. They exude so much warmth and kindness and this is something I really wanted to reflect in the design for Sole D’Oro.
Since taking over the restaurant they had not undertaken any refurbishment work and as a result the place did not feel like it resonated with them. The decor felt like a traditional italian pizzeria but felt dark and dated. Lighting was an issue as it did not highlight particular areas and despite having more downlights than were required, it still felt quite dark and lacked atmosphere. Storage was another big issue, with not enough space for stock so it was spilling into the customer area which Api in particular hated very much!
The brief for the redesign was to inject some life into the restaurant and make it feel lighter and brighter. The plan for the menu is to make it diverse and flexible, introducing pop up concepts, they currently have a Japanese collaboration that is working really well, but obviously the restaurant did not accomodate the aesthetic for Japanese cuisine!
After a long discussion around the couples plans for the restaurant and what their business values were we came up with the words “Organic, Earthy, Authentic” this formed the basis of the mood for the design.
Sustainability is important to Dan and Api, they had already taken steps to ensure they used eco friendly packaging and wanted to continue to take steps to a more sustainable business model. For the final design we used LED lights throughout, recycled and repurposed furniture and sustainabily sourced timber.
The branding needed to reflect these ideals and the three key words, Organic, Earthy and Authentic. We translated this through earthy tones as shown in the colour palette above, organic shapes and bold typography. The clients fell in love with it instantly and so did we!
The logo for Sole D’Oro, earthy tones, organic elements and a light but solid and traditional font reflect their roots in tradition in a contemporary style.
You can see the final product in the project section of the website here:
It has been such a pleasure to be a part of the journey for Sole D’Oro and Blue Feather Designs wish Dan and Api every success for the future!