Restaurant owners that are looking to expand and enhance their dining establishments should look into the possibility of adding an outdoor dining area. With the addition of a patio, backyard, or balcony, your patrons can enjoy your food and beverages in the open air, and your business can boom through maximizing its number of customers. 

The addition of an outdoor dining area can also help businesses adapt and stay afloat during different CDC and social distancing guidelines as we progress through the COVID-19 pandemic.

[Related: Guide to Commercial Restaurant Tables]

Key Considerations for Outdoor Dining Furniture

When choosing the best outdoor dining furniture for your new addition, keep in mind that the style should reflect your business, the material should be easy to clean, and the furniture should be comfortable, durable, and weather-resistant.

Style

Your outdoor dining furniture should reflect the style and aesthetic of your restaurant. 

For example, if you’re furnishing a traditional, casual brewery, wooden picnic tables and umbrellas would be a better fit than lounge furniture or bistro tables. Whereas if you’re choosing table and chairs for a cafe, steel-framed chairs and small pedestal tables would be the appropriate choice.

Comfort

Customers should be comfortable and able to relax while sitting outside your restaurant. You don’t want patrons having to constantly think about the uncomfortable chair or wobbly table they’re seated at. 

Think about the kinds of customers you cater to and how long they typically stay, and choose comfortable chairs and benches that will allow patrons to feel satisfied with not only their food, but their experience.

[Related: Commercial Lobby Furniture Design Guide]

Weather Resistance 

Depending on where you’re located, your outdoor dining area could be up against some unpredictable weather — especially if you’re planning on having your patio open during the fall and winter. This doesn’t have to be a reason to throw away the idea of outdoor dining! You just have to be creative. 

If you’re opting for wooden or upholstered furniture, a good workaround is setting up umbrellas, or placing them underneath a covered awning. You could also treat weather-sensitive furniture materials with a protective lacquer or spray. 

Teak is a great-looking and durable type of wood that is resistant to the elements and quite popular for restaurant furniture. 

If you’re working with upholstered materials outdoors, make sure you’re using vinyl or something similar that won’t get damaged in bad weather. 

Remember, you can make your patio weather-dependent as well and only open up when the weather is cooperative.

Easy Cleaning

When you’re furnishing an establishment that deals with food and beverages, easily cleanable furniture should be a top priority. 

If your outdoor dining area is furnished with hard tables and chairs made of steel, cast iron, or plastic, wiping down and sanitizing is easy enough — but for upholstered furniture ensure you’re choosing easy-to-sanitize vinyl or acrylic materials. For lounge furniture cushions, read the care instructions on the tag to gently spot clean after sweeping off or vacuuming.

Portability

Since the journey through the COVID-19 pandemic has been and continues to be fairly unpredictable, you should be able to move around your outdoor dining layout easily to accommodate social distancing. Lightweight and portable outdoor dining furniture can help you create different layouts or easily store them when not in use.

[Related: Bar Stool and Counter Stool Buying Guide]

Types of Outdoor Dining Furniture and Materials

Wooden Picnic Tables and Benches

Wooden picnic tables are great for seating groups of five or less, similar to booths and banquette seating arrangements. 

For casual dining and breweries, wooden picnic tables give off a traditional and welcoming aesthetic. You can treat wooden tables with protective lacquer to prevent wear and tear from the weather, or opt for teak outdoor dining furniture since it’s more durable.

Lounge Furniture

If your establishment is anticipating patrons spending some time eating, drinking, and socializing, consider lounge furniture for your outdoor patio or dining area. Upholstered lounge furniture is comfortable and stylish, and can create a welcoming social atmosphere for customers who want to talk and mingle. 

Lounge furniture is great for bars and clubs, or golf resorts and wineries where sit-down meals aren’t the main focus. If you’re looking for a cozy, homey style, lightweight wicker may be your best outdoor dining furniture option.

Steel Bistro Tables and Chairs

Steel or cast iron outdoor dining furniture, often referred to as bistro tables and chairs, are a great option for furnishing your backyard dining area if you’re a cafe or coffee shop. 

Metal outdoor dining furniture creates a chic atmosphere and is perfect for individual visitors or couples who are grabbing a cup of coffee or a cocktail. The material is also easy to clean and sanitize, and won’t get damaged by rainy weather.

Plastic Tables and Chairs

Plastic tables and chairs aren’t just for your backyard. You can actually create a nice-looking outdoor dining area with quality, durable plastic tables and chairs. This type of furniture is lightweight enough to move around and set up how you please, and also sturdy and durable enough to withstand many meals and gatherings. 

[Related: Complete Guide to Commercial Restaurant Booths]

Contact QA Group Today!

Interested in creating an outdoor dining space for your establishment with commercial outdoor dining furniture? QA Group has over 80 years of experience providing quality custom-made furniture to all major commercial industries, including restaurants, bars, and cafes. 

Contact us today and let’s get started!

Featured image via Unsplash

Do you run one of the 15,600 nursing homes in the United States? Are you getting ready to invest in new senior living furniture?

To keep your nursing home residents happy, healthy, and comfortable, it’s essential that you shop for furniture with care. Outlined below are some of the most important considerations to keep in mind when looking for your nursing home furniture.

Comfort

When shopping for furniture for nursing homes, a good starting point is to consider the comfort.

Worldwide, the prevalence of chronic pain among senior citizens is estimated to range from 25 percent to 85 percent. With these numbers in mind, it’s safe to say that the majority of your nursing home residents are struggling with chronic pain.

Because so many seniors deal with pain, their furniture must be as comfortable and supportive as possible. 

Functionality

Functionality matters too when considering furniture for assisted living facilities.

There’s a lot that falls under the umbrella of functionality. For example, do your tables meet ADA height requirements? Do you offer chairs and beds that are adjustable or come with additional postural supports? 

By checking these boxes, you can further improve residents’ comfort. You also make your nursing home more accessible to a wider range of people. 

[Related: Guide to Interior Decor and Furniture for Hotel Guest Rooms]

Fabric

Factor in the fabrics used to upholster your facility’s assisted living furniture, too. Look for fabrics that look nice and come in pleasing, soothing colors.

The upholstery can help to create a cozier, more comfortable environment for your residents. That way, they’ll feel more like they’re at home, rather than like they’re staying in a hospital.

Make sure fabrics are hypoallergenic and not made of materials that are rough or itchy. Consider pieces that are upholstered in fabrics that are easy to clean and disinfect, too.

Choosing the right fabrics will increase residents’ comfort and help you to avoid stains from spilled food or drinks. It will also make your job and your cleaning staff’s jobs much easier. 

[Related: Our Services – Re-Upholstery]

Durability

Durability is also key when you’re investing in furniture for a nursing home. A lot of people are going to be using these pieces of furniture, after all, so you need to make sure they’ll last a long time.

Some people are turned off by highly durable furniture at first because it’s more expensive than other items. Keep in mind, though, that it can be worth it to spend more money upfront to get high-quality furniture that lasts. You may even end up saving since you’re not spending a ton of money later to handle repairs and replacements.

[Related: Eight Hotel Upholstery and Furniture Trends to Look Out For]

Buy Better Nursing Home Furniture Today

As you can see, there’s a lot you need to keep in mind when shopping for nursing home furniture, from ADA-compliant heights to optimal comfort.

Are you having a hard time finding furniture for senior living that checks all these boxes? If so, you may be better off investing in custom furniture.Contact us today at QA Group to learn more about our services and to start creating the perfect furniture for your nursing home.

Lobbies used to be mostly large, unused spaces for checking in and out, or walking through on your way to your hotel room or outside. Now hotel designers have realized that the times have changed, and hotel lobbies should be designed and furnished with multiple purposes in mind. 

Accessible individual workspaces with convenient tech, comfortable lounge areas furnished with durable and stylish materials, and the incorporation of local art lead the way when it comes to commercial lobby furniture design in 2021.

[Related: Options for Hotel Window Treatments]

Desks and Workspaces

Since remote work has become the norm, lobbies should incorporate areas where visitors can settle down and be productive. 

Small, modern desks and tables with comfortable chairs can be arranged in the lobby space so that individuals aren’t confined to working in their room. Be sure these are set up next to outlets and that the individual tables are big enough to accommodate a large laptop. 

One or two phone booth meeting pods in a lobby can seamlessly blend in with the existing decor, and could give people the chance to have brief private phone calls or video meetings without completely turning the lobby into an office space.

Meeting Tables

In addition to individual desks and workspaces, one or two large, communal tables in the lobby could greatly enhance the diversity of the space. 

Choose from a wide variety of styles and materials depending on the aesthetic of your lobby, and add several outlets and reading lamps to the center of the table so that multiple people can share the space. This can also be beneficial to larger groups meeting up at the lobby to regroup before moving on to their next destination.

[Related: Guide to Interior Decor and Furniture for Hotel Guest Rooms]

Convenient Tech

One major element that commercial lobbies need to take into consideration during design is convenient technology. In this day and age, a phone with a dead battery or a laptop without a charger can ruin an otherwise good, productive day. 

Arrange desks and small tables near outlets so that patrons can utilize the space to their advantage. Consider adding cordless charging pads to side tables next to cozy chairs, encouraging visitors to relax even if they forgot their charging cord back in their room. 

Last but not least, ensure that your lobby has a strong and accessible wireless connection.

Comfortable Lounge Seating

When it comes to choosing hotel lobby furniture, one main concern is comfort. Although in recent days the lobby has transformed into a multi-use space, it should still be designed with the visitor’s comfort in mind. The lobby can be a place for work, but it also can be a place to relax or meet up with others to casually socialize. 

Furnish your lobby with plush lounge chairs and cozy loveseats and sofas. These hotel lobby furniture pieces should be upholstered to match the style of your interior decor, but keep in mind that their upholstery materials need to be durable as well. Leather, microfiber blends, and velvet are three luxurious-looking, strong, and popular materials for hotel lobby furniture.

[Related: Eight Hotel Upholstery and Furniture Trends to Look Out For]

Local Character 

Bring local flavor and culture to your lobby, especially if you run a hotel with guests from all around the world. Incorporating local flair into your lobby can help showcase your town or city and make your visitors’ stay one to remember. 

Consider adding a gallery wall displaying local artists’ work, commissioning certain pieces of lobby furniture from community woodworkers and furniture markers, and offering locally made food and beverages.

Contact QA Group Today

QA Group has years of experience helping the hospitality industry in the Puget Sound find the best furniture options to help their businesses thrive. From commercial lobby furniture options to the right window treatments, QA Group is ready to work with you every step of the way.

Contact us today to find out more about our custom commercial furniture design, reupholstery, and refinishing services.

One key element when designing a hotel guest room or lobby space is the windows. Hotel window treatments can be just as crucial to the overall look of your space and satisfaction of your guests as a comfortable bed or good water pressure. 

Window treatments are not just for showing off a nice view — they also serve an important function in giving your hotel guests privacy, regulating temperatures, and filtering light.

[Related: Materials Used in Custom Commercial Furniture]

What to Consider

When looking over your options for hotel window treatments, you need to think about a variety of factors in order to choose the best fit. 

Light control

Different hotel window treatments will let in and keep out varying levels of light. 

For example: if you’re outfitting a meeting room in your hotel, vertical blinds might be the best choice, whereas blackout curtains aren’t going to be necessary. 

Privacy

When it comes to hotel guest rooms, privacy is very important, especially if the room is on a lower level or facing another part of the hotel. Choose a hotel window treatment that gives the option for maximum privacy to make your guests feel comfortable and secure.

Climatic Condition

Having your guests feel comfortable during their stay is incredibly important. If your hotel is in a cooler climate, having extra blankets and a working thermostat is essential, but so are window treatments that can help insulate the room.

Style

Window treatments may not feel like the most exciting interior decor to pick out, but you still need to make sure your curtains, blinds, or shutters don’t look out of place. 

Certain window treatments, such as curtains, can allow for customization that can help you really accentuate your hotel’s unique interior decor style.

Durability/Maintenance

One of the most important things to consider when it comes to hotel window treatments is the durability and maintenance of what you choose. 

For example, blackout curtains are more durable than the average roller shades, and curtain materials such as microfiber or polyester blends are going to be easier to clean than velvet.

[Related: Guide to Commercial Upholstery Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting]

Types of Hotel Window Treatments

Although many options exist for hotel windows, here are just a few of the most common (and most practical) hotel window treatment choices.

Blackout Curtains

Big windows are great, but when you’re decorating a hotel room for travelers who need to catch up on their sleep, excessive natural light should be optional. 

Blackout curtains that block out the light and keep the room dark and cozy can help hotel guests deal with their jet lag or simply sleep in as late as they want regardless of the sunshine outside. Another great thing about blackout curtains is that they assist with hotel room insulation, keeping a cool room cool and a warm room a comfortable temperature.

You can find blackout curtains in dozens of colors and patterns for any style of room, and in materials such as cotton, linen, and velvet. Blackout curtains usually have a thick white cotton, polyester, or microfiber backing that helps to cut out the light.

[Related: Eight Hotel Upholstery and Furniture Trends to Look Out For]

Blinds

Blinds are a fairly basic cover for your hotel window made out of different slates controlled by a knob. When a knob is turned one way or the other, the blinds will shift open or close. 

Depending on what type of blinds you choose for your hotel, you can either move your blinds side to side in order to expose the window pane, or pull a string at the side to move the blinds up or down. 

Blinds can be made from a variety of materials, including wood, plastic, fabric, and metal. 

Roller Blinds

Roller blinds are what most people think of when they think of window blinds. They are blinds that are opened and shut with the pull of a string, allowing maximum privacy when rolled down.

Venetian Blinds

Venetian blinds have a very stylish look, and are most commonly made out of wood. These blinds don’t gather up completely like roller blinds, but with the tug of the string, the parallel wooden slabs shift in order to let in (or keep out) outside light.

Roman Blinds

Roman blinds are typically made of a solid heavy fabric material that stacks and gathers in equal folds when the string is pulled. Similar to blackout curtains, these types of blinds are great for privacy reasons and also help insulate rooms.

Vertical Blinds

Vertical blinds are easy to clean and can make a space appear larger because of their orientation. These blinds can be tilted to allow in light, or can be pulled to one side of the window or glass door to let light in.

Shutters

Shutters may seem like a unique choice — but that might be just what your hotel is looking for! 

Window shutters give off a comfortable, retro, and vintage-inspired look, and are also one of the most durable window treatments available. In addition to their versatile style and durability, window shutters allow for excellent light control and maximum privacy.

[Related: Guide to Interior Decor and Furniture for Hotel Guest Rooms]

Contact QA Group Today

If you’re looking for assistance in choosing the best interior decor for your hotel, whether that means stylish furniture or the right window treatment options, QA Group is ready to work with you. 

QA Group has been helping the hospitality industry in the Puget Sound since 1936, and can help you bring your vision to life through their custom commercial furniture design, reupholstery, and refinishing services.

Contact QA Group today to learn more about how we can help you achieve your hotel room decor and furnishing goals.

It’s official: peak travel season is well underway. If you’re in the hospitality industry, here’s why now is the time to protect your hotel furniture from wear and tear and anticipate post-peak repairs.

Types of Damages

Rowdy guests and rock stars aren’t the only causes of damaged hospitality furniture. Normal wear and tear results when furniture quality begins to deteriorate due to regular guest use.

Furniture wear and tear is an issue especially during peak summer travel, when hotels experience higher-than-usual traffic. Examples of wear and tear include furniture impressions or faded fabric from sunlight exposure.

Options

If you notice wear and tear and furniture damage, your options are to buy new furniture or fix your existing hotel furniture. Constantly buying new furniture at a hotel is an expensive endeavor, especially for tourist destinations that have a steady flow of guests and are more susceptible to accelerated  wear and tear.

Refinishing and reupholstering your existing furniture may be more cost-effective for your hotel. Be sure to look for a professional upholstery business for quality service that will last.

How QA Group Can Help

QA Group specializes in custom furniture repairs, refinishing, and upholstery for luxury commercial businesses. We produce durable, long-lasting, and beautiful results for hotels, restaurants, and beyond (including schools, health and fitness centers, nursing homes, and much more).

Our specialists will freshen up lobby and guest room furnishings or build custom designs, with a full selection of materials to suit your needs. QA Group also refinishes and reupholsters hotel restaurant seating for booths, tables, bar-tops, chairs, and more. Other services include onsite repair service, design consultation, and mobile hotel furniture upholstery.

Ways to Minimize Damage

Whether you decide to buy new furniture or use a reupholstering service, there are ways to minimize damage to hotel furniture. Some tips to maintain furniture quality include:

• Select fabrics with high wear test rating
• Use fabrics with appropriate stain coating to withstand commercial use
• Verify high density foam is used to prevent undue stretch on fabrics
• Use durable outdoor furniture fabrics indoors
• Vacuum furniture weekly and treat stains promptly
• Use custom fitted slipcovers that can be cleaned
• Choose fabrics with synthetic fibers that are best for heavy usage
• Use spray treatments to protect fabric from water, stains, and mildew
• Turn the cushions regularly for even wear