Notes on rooms worth building.
What restaurants, bars, and cafés in New York actually cost, how long they take, and the design decisions that decide whether they last. Written by the studio.
Bakery interior design cost in New York
Bakery interior design cost in New York: sourced build-out and design-fee ranges, oven ventilation, a production-line layout, and the permits that apply.
ReadWine bar interior design in New York
Wine bar interior design in New York: a shorter bar, storage that respects temperature, the SLA license that sizes the kitchen, and seats built to linger.
ReadInterior design contract: what to check
How to read an interior design contract before you sign: scope of work by phase, the retainer, procurement terms, change orders, and the red flags.
ReadSecond-generation restaurant space in NYC
What second generation restaurant space means in NYC, what you inherit from the last tenant, how to test the hood, grease interceptor and C of O, and the costs.
ReadRestaurant bathroom requirements in NYC
Restaurant bathroom requirements in NYC: how many toilets the plumbing code asks for, when guests must get one, the gender-neutral rule, and placement.
ReadNYC outdoor dining permit: design and rules
How an NYC outdoor dining permit works in 2026: DOT fees, the six-month review, sidewalk vs roadway cafe rules, and designing the outdoor room to match.
ReadRestaurant acoustics: how to reduce noise
Restaurant acoustics in practice: why dining rooms got loud, how to reduce noise in the right order, what NRC means, and when you need soundproofing.
ReadRestaurant lighting design: a working guide
Restaurant lighting design in New York: what it costs, the 2025 energy code's limits and dimming rules, kitchen light levels, and how to light a low ceiling.
ReadRestaurant seating layout and banquette sizes
Restaurant seating layout by the numbers: table sizes, NYC aisle rules, banquette dimensions, the two-top and four-top mix, and where accessible seats go.
ReadNYC health inspection: what design controls
Which points in a NYC restaurant health inspection are fixed in the drawings: hand sinks, finishes, lighting levels, pest-proofing, storage, and toilets.
ReadChoosing the Right Limewash: Testing Color in the Space
How we chose the limewash for Sesilya Bakery: testing Meoded samples in the real space, applying two coats by hand, and why the color shifts as it dries.
ReadChoosing hospitality interior design firms in NYC
How to choose hospitality interior design firms in NYC: what they cost by hour and percentage, what specialists do that generalists cannot, and when to engage.
ReadWhat it costs to open a restaurant in NYC
The cost to open a restaurant in NYC by line item: build-out, kitchen equipment, FF&E, licenses, lease, and contingency, with a sourced total range.
ReadWhat a restaurant renovation costs in NYC
Restaurant renovation cost in NYC by scope: sourced per-square-foot ranges, what an inherited kitchen saves, and what your DOB filing quietly adds.
ReadCommercial kitchen design and build cost in NYC
Commercial kitchen design cost in NYC: sourced per-square-foot ranges for back-of-house, plus the hood, fire suppression, gas, and equipment that drive it.
ReadWhat boutique hotel interior design costs
Boutique hotel interior design cost, explained with sourced per-key and per-square-foot ranges, FF&E per key, and how hotel design fees get set in practice.
ReadWhat it costs to open a coffee shop in NYC
The cost to open a coffee shop in NYC, with the total range up front, then build-out, espresso equipment, FF&E, the DOHMH permit, deposit, and working capital.
ReadInterior designer vs architect vs general contractor
Interior designer vs architect vs general contractor in NYC: what each role does, where they overlap, who files plans at the DOB, and who to hire first.
ReadADA compliance for NYC restaurants: a design guide
ADA compliance for a restaurant in NYC, in real numbers: accessible routes, dispersed seating, a reachable counter, ramps, and restroom clearances explained.
ReadBar interior design cost: what drives it
Sourced numbers for bar interior design cost in New York: per-foot bar die pricing, build-out ranges, the SLA licensing clock, and where to spend.
ReadBefore you sign: the restaurant space walkthrough
What a designer checks in a raw New York space before the lease is signed: ceiling heights, vent paths, gas service, and the six-figure surprises.
ReadBrownstone renovation cost in Brooklyn: what's real
Sourced cost ranges for renovating a Brooklyn brownstone, from cosmetic work to full gut, plus landmark permit realities and where design pays.
ReadCafé interior design cost in New York, explained
What café interior design cost covers in New York, the counter as the engine, the equipment vs interior split, and why small rooms cost more per foot.
ReadCommercial interior design fees, explained
The four commercial interior design fee models decoded: percentage, per square foot, fixed, and hourly. What each includes, and where scope changes bite.
ReadHow to hire an interior designer in NYC
Where to look, how to read a portfolio, the questions that reveal real process, and the fees to expect when you hire an interior designer in NYC.
ReadWhat an interior designer costs in NYC
Interior designer cost in NYC: hourly rates by seniority, flat and percentage fee structures, sourced 2026 ranges, and when the fee pays for itself.
ReadThe NYC restaurant build-out: permits and timeline
How long a NYC restaurant build-out takes: DOB Alt filings, health and liquor permits, landmark review, and a month-by-month timeline with slip points.
ReadWhat restaurant interior design costs, honestly
Real per-square-foot numbers for restaurant interior design cost in New York, where the money goes, and the traps that make cheap choices expensive.
ReadSmall restaurant interior design in 900 sq ft
Seat counts, the 60/40 split, the storage nobody budgets, and sightlines. How small restaurant interior design works in a 900 square foot New York room.
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