A Closer Look at Restaurant Interior Design

Designing a restaurant’s interiors is a complicated endeavor. It involves curating a unique aesthetic that creates the desired experience for guests, selecting design styles and colors that complement the menu, and considering practical aspects such as seating arrangements and guest movement. Even the littlest details, like how comfortable a piece of furniture feels after an hour, play an important role. At GREODECO, we are committed to considering all these aspects and more to create a memorable and comfortable dining experience while meeting our clients’ various goals.

This article will take you through the details of our project at Veronika and how we achieved a space so stunningly atmospheric, it was named “The Most Beautiful Restaurant in New York” just this year by the editors of OpenTable and PEOPLE.

Introducing Veronika

Veronika is situated on the second floor of the historic Church Missions House on Park Avenue South, where it serves as the in-house restaurant for the American flagship of the international photography museum Fotografiska. Originally designed by Roman and Williams, the restaurant opened briefly before March 2020 and had its grand reopening in June 2022. The Church Missions House, with its steel structure and medieval-inspired facade, provides a rich historical backdrop that perfectly complements our design ethos. Our expertise in different design eras, experience in historic projects, and research-heavy approach made GRECODECO the ideal choice for bringing new life to unique space.

Our Project Goals

GRECODECO was commissioned to refresh and reconfigure Veronika’s space to meet several different goals. For one, our team aimed to help the restaurant’s overall operations, which we did by increasing capacity and adding an appealing new Grand Entrance on 22nd Street. We also needed to better serve guests and elevate their dining experience; this process included separating the space into a distinct Bar Room and Dining Room in addition to introducing custom “three-hour” chairs, sofas, banquettes, and tables throughout. 

This last goal of incorporating more comfortable seating also worked toward the restaurant owner’s goal of keeping guests in their seats longer. By creating a more luxurious and comfortable experience, we knew guests would rave about it to their friends, take photos, and of course, stay for dessert and another bottle of wine. 

The Dining Room

To achieve a decadent, grand atmosphere in the dining room, we incorporated several key elements:

  • A large, toffee-colored leather banquette
  • Mustard-gold velvet dining chairs
  • A monochromatic color scheme that allows the building’s unique architectural features like etched arches and grand windows to shine

 

The room exudes a timeless elegance, evoking the glamor of an era where Audrey Hepburn could walk through the doors at any minute. Music and large windows with views of the city further enhance the energy of the space. GRECODECO’s expertise in historic eras allowed us to spearhead this project successfully, ensuring that every detail harmonized with the overall glittering-Eastern-European aesthetic.

Bar Veronika

The design of Bar Veronika has a distinct–but complementary–aesthetic to the dining room. We wanted to offer a moodier, more casual vibe for guests spending time in this space, whether they are starting or ending their evening there. The design included:

  • Darker furniture that is lower and closer to the floor
  • Enhanced seating capacity
  • Rich dark fabrics to contrast with the white marble mosaic floor

 

The bar’s curated menu of craft cocktails, old and new world wines, and small plates completes the space’s atmosphere of relaxed sophistication. 

Design That Goes With the Menu

Veronika’s tagline, “A feast for the eyes,” underscores the importance of interior design in enhancing the dining experience. After all, in luxury restaurants like this one, the focus moves beyond simply serving incredible food to include immaculate dish presentation and perfectly choreographed background music–as well as carefully curated interior design. When we started this project, we knew our design choices needed to complement the menu and create a sensory experience that aligns with the chef’s and owner’s vision.

The Veronika menu features continental European classics with a modern twist, so some of our design details included:

  • Gilded details throughout that contribute to a grandiose feeling, in line with the Eastern European style
  • Dramatic, gauzy drapery separating Bar Veronika that adds an old-world feel of luxury and sophistication 

 

From larger design choices like furniture and color schemes, down to the littlest details like lighting and dishware, GRECODECO helped ensure the dining experience at Veronika is like no other.

Learn More About GRECODECO

Founded by Adam Greco in 2017, GRECODECO is a Manhattan-based firm specializing in designing thoughtfully layered commercial and residential spaces worldwide. Our passionate team of designers excels in research-heavy historic projects that capture and celebrate the essence of various iconic time periods, guiding guests through an elegant and emotional journey of the senses.

Interested in learning more about how GRECODECO can curate restaurant interiors that align with your vision and elevate your guests’ dining experience? Please don’t hesitate to inquire with us.