Location
{ About the project }
Area
Status
Project author
Tuzdybastau, Kazakhstan
82 m2
in progress, opening in August 2025
Vassilyadi Marina
no photoshoot conducted
Photographer
Task and starting point:
This project is an example that it is never too late to contact an interior designer, but it is still better to do it in time. The clients approached us after already completing the finishing renovation themselves — floors, walls, ceilings, lighting — but without a clear idea of how the furniture and equipment would be arranged. At this stage, we took on the project, understanding that we couldn’t fix everything or create a perfect design, but we could still save the establishment from poor decisions.
What we already had: Calacatta marble-colored porcelain tiles on the floor; black ceilings starting from 2.3 meters and higher; all walls were painted with geometric graffiti in contrasting black, red, green, and yellow colors; linear ceiling lights; a huge lightbox — a sign with the name inside the premises. And with all that, the renovation budget was already limited.
What we already had: Calacatta marble-colored porcelain tiles on the floor; black ceilings starting from 2.3 meters and higher; all walls were painted with geometric graffiti in contrasting black, red, green, and yellow colors; linear ceiling lights; a huge lightbox — a sign with the name inside the premises. And with all that, the renovation budget was already limited.
The first thing we did was develop a planning solution, functionally distributing all the equipment and processes. At the back of the room is the order pickup area with a cashier, adjacent to the service zone with the kitchen. In front of the order pickup area, there is a tray and waste station and a waiting area. In the dining hall, there are tables for four and tables for two, with the ability to group them into sets for 6–7 people. Closer to the exit, there is another, larger, tray and waste station, as well as a display for additional sales, filling the existing window opening. A vestibule was also provided. In the small room immediately to the left upon entry, a restroom for one person and a boudoir with a sink were arranged. In the boudoir, two technical doors lead to the boiler room and utility closet. The door to the administrative office of the fast food restaurant leads from the dining hall.
There was no canopy above the entrance outside; we provided one and managed to place a bench with tables for guests and a railing that can be leaned on in a small area.
There was no canopy above the entrance outside; we provided one and managed to place a bench with tables for guests and a railing that can be leaned on in a small area.
{ Layout }
About the design solutions of the fast food restaurant:
There are many surrounding businesses and a lot of visual noise around the establishment. We highlighted the facade of the restaurant with a single volume, painting the entire entrance area red.
A canopy, local lighting, and an illuminated sign, clearly visible from the nearest intersection, were provided.
A canopy, local lighting, and an illuminated sign, clearly visible from the nearest intersection, were provided.
Right at the entrance, the guest sees the product sales area and menu monitors and heads directly to the cashier. For families with children, there is a designated area to leave strollers before the seating area begins.
The broken geometry of the space was corrected by the designer using colour blocking techniques. We managed to “calm down” and minimize the existing bright drawings in the space as much as possible. The dull floors were partially decorated with signal graphics to help with navigation in the hall. The contrast and color explosion were balanced with calm wood-colored furniture in minimalist forms.
The existing sign was moved to the orange hall, and now it frames the decorative spatial ceilings in that hall. Mirror lines on the walls serve not only as decorative elements but also as navigation aids, allowing you to see people's movement in advance.
Restrooms:
To the right of the entrance was a room with a low ceiling, a technical area — doors and passages branched off in different directions from there. There was no restroom, but it was possible to arrange one. And the designer took advantage of this: the room was divided into two rooms — a restroom and a boudoir in front of it. The boudoir retained two technical accesses through doors — to the boiler room and to the utility closet. The opening between the administrative office and this room was blocked, and a sink was placed in the recess in the restroom. The existing window was sealed in such a way that, from the hall side, the niche now functions as a display for goods.
A sink was installed in the boudoir, where one can wash hands and look in the mirror. The partition between the boudoir and the restroom is covered with mirrored panels to visually enlarge the space and enhance the lighting with reflected light. Since the ceilings here are very low, after leveling — no more than 2.2 meters — the lighting was done with LED strips, and the ceiling and surrounding space were covered with moisture-resistant OSB under matte lacquer — aesthetically pleasing, practical, and economical.
Was it possible to correct all the mistakes of the renovation done without a project? No, because the remaining budget and the mass of previously applied efforts of the customer could not allow a radical approach to the task. Was it possible to overcome most of the mistakes and save the establishment from inconvenience and disharmony? I think so.
And I would like to draw a conclusion from this case: any unsuccessful renovation or functioning establishment with bad or absent design can be corrected and improved. But if a restaurateur is preparing to open a new place, the first thing to do after purchasing or renting a space is to invite a designer. This will help save budget and time, and result in a highly functional and beautiful venue with a cohesive concept.
And I would like to draw a conclusion from this case: any unsuccessful renovation or functioning establishment with bad or absent design can be corrected and improved. But if a restaurateur is preparing to open a new place, the first thing to do after purchasing or renting a space is to invite a designer. This will help save budget and time, and result in a highly functional and beautiful venue with a cohesive concept.
VMVdesign interior design bureau is always ready to solve any task to achieve harmonious spaces. If you have a non-standard situation, write to us — maybe VMVdesign is exactly who can help you.