Sumo Kitchen
I collaborated with a local restaurant owner in Champaign to redesign the interior and brand experience of a former sushi restaurant, reintroducing the space as Sumo Kitchen. The project focused on transforming both the physical environment and visual identity to better reflect a modern Japanese concept and appeal to a broader customer base.
The redesign emphasized atmosphere, spatial layout, material selection, and brand expression to create a cohesive dining experience that felt contemporary, welcoming, and distinctive. The goal was to align the restaurant’s interior design with its updated identity, improve the overall guest experience, and support the business’s repositioning within the local dining scene.
Year
2025
Industry
Hospitality / Restaurant
Role
Interior & Brand Experience Design
Challenge
The existing interior lacked a cohesive theme, resulting in a visually fragmented dining experience.
Dim lighting and heavy color tones made the space feel smaller and less inviting, especially during peak hours.
Inefficient spatial planning limited seating capacity and disrupted both customer circulation and service flow.
An unclear brand identity reduced customer engagement and made the restaurant less memorable for first-time visitors.
Solution
Concept Development: Created a new interior identity centered on modern Japanese culture, using bold colors, sumo-inspired graphics, and traditional design elements.
Space Planning: Reorganized seating layouts to improve flow and increase seating capacity while maintaining comfort and privacy.
Materials & Lighting: Introduced warm wood finishes, accent lighting, and brick textures to balance modern and traditional aesthetics.
Brand Integration: Incorporated custom wall art, signage, and decor that tied together the visual identity of Sumo Kitchen.
Impact
Successfully repositioned the restaurant with a cohesive interior and brand experience aligned to its modern Japanese concept.
Improved the overall dining atmosphere, making the space feel more inviting and visually distinctive.
Received positive feedback from the client and visitors on the clarity, consistency, and character of the redesigned space.
Strengthened Sumo Kitchen’s presence as a contemporary dining destination within the local restaurant scene.
Deliverables
Interior layout and decorations.
3D visualizations and renderings for client presentation
Custom wall art and branding integration concepts
Final styling and installation direction
