Commercial Interior Design & Renovations

Attitude Asia is one of the most unique and premium commercial interior design Hong Kong firms. Thanks to our international luxury branding background, we approach commercial renovation from a holistic perspective. Our specialty includes, but not limited to, the below types of businesses:

• F&B. Food and beverage commercial renovations are always very fun to be involved with. Restaurants, cafes and cocktail bars are all very design-driven, giving a high level of creative freedom to our commercial interior design HK team.

• Retail. Retail shops are in a category of their own. It takes lots of attention to detail, especially for visual merchandising props and display furniture. Luxury retail stores focus on customer experience while emphasizing on maximum sales turnover. This makes retail projects intriguing and challenging at the same time in terms of commercial interior design.

• Hospitality. Hotels, spas and clubhouses are the main hospitality projects our commercial interior design HK team specialize in. Hospitality projects require refined space planning to diverse public and back-of-house traffic flow. Creative radius is infinite for this type of commercial renovation in Hong Kong and overseas.

• Property Development. Property development projects include development of the public lobby, other public areas, handover units and show flats/show houses. Our commercial interior design HK team has won a few awards in Europe for show flats and show houses projects.

F&B clients are very interesting commercial interior design projects since dining is not only about food. It is about the ambience, the visual stimuli, the comfort of the space and the total experience from entering to the venue till leaving.

The first thing our commercial interior design HK team will advise our client for an F&B project is to conduct an in-depth benchmarking analysis so the branding positioning is clear. Before proceeding with space planning, it is important to have the finance numbers ready. The Return On Investment (ROI) defines the monthly turnover which also defines the total number of tables versus average spending per table per day. This piece of information will give our commercial interior design team a guideline of the seating arrangement.

While planning for the space layout for F&B commercial renovation, it is also important to look at the kitchen space provision. According to Hong Kong government codes, professional kitchen equipment and setup relates to the type of F&B service. It is wise to work with a kitchen/licensing consultant for your F&B project upon the start of space planning.

Licensing is also another practical aspect we should look at for this type of commercial interior design project. There are a few types of F&B licenses available, which correlate to the seat counts and food served. A licensing consultant is crucial for providing adequate information for the commercial renovation Hong Kong client.

Last but not least, F&B projects require our commercial interior design HK team to take note of durability and maintenance. For all F&B management, material which is easy maintenance for daily cleaning is essential. When tear and wear happen faster in commercial interior design projects, selection of materials that provide good durability is a prerequisite in all commercial renovations.

The retail business is moving fast, always changing and competitive. Our commercial interior design HK team has extensive experience in retail projects over the years, working with international brands as well as local ones. Let’s look into some key elements which makes a successful commercial renovation project in this sector:

• Benchmarking. Upon starting any retail, commercial interior design HK project, our team will always ask for benchmarking information. Benchmarking is of utmost importance for retail business. It will give our team an insightful perspective for brand image, pricing, marketing strategies and design direction.

• Branding. Most of our clients will have already created their brand prior to starting a commercial interior design HK project. Branding direction defines the mood of the space, the color represents the brand, the material used in design concept and any other brand related factors. For example, Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) has revamped all of their retail stores to black and white color correlating to it black and white logo. Overall, branding plays an important role in commercial interior design in Hong Kong.

• Space Planning. Retail space planning is more than space experience, as it entails the function of guiding customers behaviour. Take our commercial renovation project for the Rainbow Boutique at Four Seasons Hotel as an example, it is an open-plan space layout in a 4,500 sq.ft store with 7 different zones. This is a multi-brand fashion store, all different zones showcasing different fashion labels in different lifestyles. To maximize selling potential, all 7 zones are planned in a manner of a one-way street with contour. Once customers enter zone 1, they have to finish walking through all 7 zones before exiting the store. The setup provides greater selling time and opportunity for sales associates to create interest and to interact with customers. For most of the retail commercial renovation projects, storage room ratio is also an important aspect during the space planning stage. Especially for fashion and shoes retail, a storage room with easy access at adequate size relating to sales floor size is essential for supporting good retail management.

• VIP Experience. It is becoming more popular for retail stores, especially for luxury retail, to provide a VIP experience for its discerning clientele. During the space planning and concept building stage, our commercial interior design HK team will pay special attention to creating unique and engaging VIP experiences. VIP viewing or resting lounge is what we will allocate. A refreshment bar or semi-open pantry will be made available for serving VIP customers. A packing counter at the front or the back of the house is also provisioned for VIP wrapping.

• Display Window. For most of the commercial renovation in the retail sector, window display may be the most essential component in the store as a marketing and customer engagement tool. Prior to entering any retail stores, the display window has set the tone of the brand image and product quality expectations. The size, angle and position of the display window affects the results drastically. Flexibility of lighting control also plays an important factor in a good display window.

• Lighting Design. It may be the unsung hero, as lighting design is becoming more and more crucial for a successful commercial renovation project. Different retail businesses call for different lighting arrangements. F&B projects are more about cozy ambience, hospitality projects require various room scenes and easy control, and retail projects pay special attention to lighting enhancing product quality. Good lighting design gives tremendous support for successful commercial interior design in Hong Kong.

Our commercial interior design HK team has done quite a few signature clubhouses in the city. First things first, the space program is what we will discuss in detail with our client. From a 2,000 to a 30,000 sq. ft club house, all programs are different and it defines how our commercial interior design Hong Kong team looks at the space. While smaller club houses will normally be equipped with a reception area, lounge, bar and F&B area, larger scale clubhouses will allow for a swimming pool, changing room with spa facilities, locker room, cinema or viewing room, bowling, golf simulation and karaoke. Regardless of the commercial interior design project area, the space program must be defined.

Since clubhouses require substantial management, for good commercial renovation in Hong Kong, during the space planning phase, the back of house area should be also cared for with great attention. Similar to F&B retail projects, other important elements while working on a commercial renovation Hong Kong project includes good kitchen consultant, licensing consultant, and lighting consultant.

Property development is a very large market in Hong Kong. Real estate companies are very experienced developers and they have years of understanding toward local market expectations. These companies are also very in tune with their marketing strategy. In light of that, some specific factors are being placed with greater importance for property development when it comes to commercial renovation. These factors are:

• Cost. Property development is a strict, commercial business. The land cost vs expected selling price per sq. ft somehow frame the renovation cost. Some property developers may not restrict their commercial interior design team with a project cost to provide more design freedom, yet value engineering will be conducted during the tender stage as an attempt to retain the integrity of commercial interior design while replacing some material with substitute items at lower cost.

• Durability. Property buyers in Hong Kong are very sophisticated. They are usually well-traveled with international exposure. The property quality expectation is, therefore, relatively high. Property development projects requiring durability may be applied to public areas, show flats or show houses on one hand to fulfil buyer expectations, and on the other hand to create a solid brand image.

• Government Code Compliance. For commercial renovation, almost every type of business will have to comply with government codes. Especially for property development projects, it has a lot of public access and areas leading to fire exits. Fire regulation for commercial renovation must be complied. Non-combustible material is required for commercial renovation in Hong Kong for the captioned area. Another fire regulation related element is sprinkler heads and exit signs. These items will affect ceiling design hence liaison and attention have to be paid for a successful commercial renovation. Barrier Free Access code is another focus of compliance for public areas for a sophisticated commercial renovation Hong Kong project.

It is strongly recommended to hire a branding consultant if your business is new and/or have not yet established a branding direction. For commercial renovation projects, branding is sometimes overlooked but it is the most important part of aiming for a successful commercial interior design.

While social media is moving ever so fast with tons of information sharing from all around the world, local customers are now well-informed with international taste. Especially for commercial projects, the aesthetic element is a very crucial engaging factor for attracting customers. Branding defines almost all aesthetics related items for a business. It is the overall framework of the image of a business. A branding package normally includes the following items:

• Brand Logo. A brand’s logo is considered the most important item for any business. It represents the business nature, its philosophy and its aesthetic approach. Take Cartier, the world-renowned jeweler and watch brand as an example, though the brand logo has slightly evolved over its 177 years of history, the original logo is still making a bold statement on behalf of the brand.

• Stationary. Name cards, email signature, letter head, and other business-related stationary should be well designed to emulate the company’s sophistication. Branding consultants will also help you with all stationary designs.

• Marketing Standard Tool. For any social media communications, print marketing campaigns, company stationary and other PR applications of the brand identity, it is important to have a marketing standard tool for in-house administration, marketing and PR departments to conduct sophisticated actions.

• Packaging. For retail business and F&B business, packaging is also very important. It may be the most frequently seen item by others; hence, the package design should be well-executed. A classic example is the orange shopping bag from Hermes. Everyone recognizes it just by glancing at the color.

• Operational Items. For F&B and hospitality businesses, operational items such as menu, table mat, coaster, hotel rooms, print items and uniforms, these items connect directly with the brand image and should definitely be designed with care aligning the brand’s positioning. Some larger scale of F&B group or hospitality group will for sure have their in-house designer for these items. Any business on a smaller scale or new brand/ business is in need of help from a good branding consultant.

Pet-friendly elements are fast becoming more and more important for commercial renovation in Hong Kong. There are a lot of shopping malls, retail stores, F&B venues and property developments that welcome furry friends to enjoy the space with their owners. This is a social movement as a significant amount of households have pet members. From a commercial renovation Hong Kong point of view, some provision in this regard should be considered.

Pet-friendly flooring material is one of the elements our commercial renovation Hong Kong team will for sure be focused on. High durability with anti-scratch water resistance finish is good for pet-friendly commercial space. For commercial renovation Hong Kong projects with seating areas, anti-scratch and water-resistant fabric is chosen for all upholstered furniture.

For commercial interior design projects with space allowance, we will also allocate a pet garden and toilet area which are welcomed by all pet owners, resulting in more traffic for the commercial venue.