Restaurant interior designers are taking concepts to the extreme. In fact, one restaurant in London, aptly named Dans le Noir?, covers diners in complete darkness. Instead, diners rely on their other senses — taste, smell, touch, and sound — to enjoy their meals. These particular restaurant and bar designers spared no detail; “waiters and waitresses are blind or visually impaired and have been trained to serve meals in the dark,” Woman’s Day explains.

The good news is that you do not have wait staff specially trained to serve people in the dark for compelling restaurant or hospitality designs. With a few, relatively simple tips, restaurant, bar, and hotel owners can transform plain or lackluster interiors. What are they?

Stick To A Theme

“Dining out is rarely just about the food. The scene, the socializing, and the sense of a special event are equally important. When done right, a restaurant’s design enhances all of these elements. A simple meal seems that much more appetizing when paired with appealing furniture, luxurious finishes, and alluring lighting,” Architectural Digest writes. A simple way to achieve this is choosing — and fully committing to — a particular theme. Whether you choose a particular kind of cuisine or something much less conventional, like Japan’s cat cafes, a theme can be a simple way of conveying atmosphere.

Choose Compelling Color Schemes

A striking color scheme can make an incredible difference. Expert restaurant interior designers recommend pairing dark interiors, such as black, coffee browns, and deep reds, with dim lighting and gold and/or bronze accents, for example. Restaurants or hotel lobbies with a lot of natural lighting, on the other hand, will look best with neutral and/or cool color schemes. Choose all-white interiors, shades of blue, or chromatic color palettes to best complement natural lighting.

Remember, Even The Details Matter!

Lighting and music may affect the way diners perceive their meals and overall dining experience, researchers say. Diners are more likely to feel satisfied after dining in rooms with dim lighting and music, for example.

Breathe new life into restaurant and hotel interiors with a few, simple changes. Choose a theme to help bring everything together, keep color schemes compelling and interesting, and don’t forget about small details.