Millennial Minimalist Restaurant Decor Is Dead — Enter the ‘Nostalgic Tavern’—
“Once 2010s minimalism is gone, what’s the next main aesthetic?” This question was asked in a Reddit thread a year ago, and lately, its application to the world of restaurant decor has been growing in my mind.
Untilveryrecently,thevisualshorthandforaVeryCoolPlacetoeatwaseasytospot:apastelcolorpalette—heavyonthepalemillennialpink,ofcourse—withminimalist,Nordicmidcenturymodernfurniture;JeanCocteau-esquelineart;ceramicsinanarrayofdustyshades;andasensethatinteriorsweregraphic-designedratherthanlivedin,inoffensivelyphotogenicandsocial-media-ready.CallittheWayfair-ificationofdesigninteriors.Whentheyweren’tpink,wallswereoff-whiteandunembellished;everythingwassmoothandbeige.TherewastheButcher’sDaughter,whichopeneditsfirstNYClocationin2012,aswellasDimes,Sqirl,andovertime,many,manylocationsofSweetgreen.WemayhavereachedpeakmillennialaestheticwithCarthageMustBeDestroyed,theBushwickbrunchspotthatopenedin2016withafleetofpalepinkdishware(itshut
