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elements, such as found objects used as design fo-
cal points and reclaimed spaces being transformed
into restaurants. A favorite repurposed space of the
KTI staff is Acorn. Located in the Source, one of Den-
ver’s newest dining hubs, this one-time steel foundry
was just named one of
Bon Appetit’s
best restaurants
in America.
The farm-to-table movement also fosters a sense
of community, with chefs and guests supporting local
farmers – and an openness about where food comes
from. Designers have taken a cue from both of these
values, using long community tables that encourage
conversation with other diners as well as the increasing-
ly popular “chef’s counter.” This feature takes the ethos of
openness a step further, with bar-style seating facing an
open kitchen, giving diners a chance to watch their food
be prepared.
“The open kitchen is a trend that we love,” said Amanda
Fairbairn of KTI. “The transparency between the chef expe-
rience and the guest experience really plays off the farm-to-
table movement.”
In Denver, as in other cities, many of the top restaurants
are run by chef-owners, who have very distinct personalities
and ideas. Translating each chef’s culinary approach and their
unique style makes designing a restaurant an especially collab-
orative process, according to Timmons-Beutner. “Good restau-
rant design takes listening to and working with chefs to create
a space that corresponds to their food and their personality,” she
said.
For instance, KTI’s design of Guard and Grace was the result of
countless conversations with owner and chef Troy Guard of the
TAG Restaurant Group. Guard describes the resulting space as, “not
mine or hers, but just the best design.”
According to Fairbairn, part of the process involves looking at the
branding – including logos or menu concepts – to design a restau-
rant that matches that aesthetic.
“If the restaurant owners have not yet formalized their style, we’ll
work with them to understand and shape the brand,” said Fairbairn.
For example, if the chef knows that he or she wants to highlight the
restaurant’s extensive wine list or fresh fish, then the design will incor-
porate those themes into the interiors. Often, the restaurant’s raw space
drives the design. For instance, high ceilings, big windows or timbers on
the rafters can become focal points.
Just as each restaurant is unique, so is each guest, a fact that savvy
restaurateurs are recognizing with a service-first attitude that includes a
readiness to swap ingredients to accommodate special diets. Diners want
and expect a unique experience, not an overdone “theme.”
“Customers go to special restaurants to have a special night, and that
has to come through in the food as well as the design,” Timmons-Beut-
ner said.
In a busy restaurant, of course, the uniqueness of the design must be
balanced with the space’s functionality.
“Every inch of a restaurant has to be useable for the staff,” said Tim-
mons-Beutner. “The more thoughtful the design is, the easier their job is,
which allows for a stress-free guest experience.”
In restaurants, functionality is not a design trend. It’s good business
design.
KTI’s Five Favorite Restaurant Design Trends:
• Chef’s counters
• Community tables
• Open kitchens
• Local vendors
• Reclaimed objects as decorative elements
Kimberly MacArthur Graham also contributed to this story.
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/ Chic Restaurants Designed to Make Everyone Feel Welcome /
Photos by Daniel O’Connor
PREVIOUS PAGE:
The centerpiece of Guard and Grace is the
open kitchen, which creates a sense of
transparency that reflects the farm to table
movement.
ABOVE TOP:
A glassed-in wine cellar by the hostess
station holds over 3,000 bottles of wine. Of
the restaurant’s two ASID awards, one was
specifically for the hostess station design.
ABOVE BOTTOM:
The open main dining room combines
sculptural seating and a variety of whim-
sical elements on the ceiling and walls to
make each table feel intimate.
