HoReCa Furniture Trends 2026: What Restaurateurs Are Choosing

Kazakhstan's restaurant market is expanding fast: Almaty and Astana alone saw more than 400 new venues open in 2024. Competition is rising, and so are expectations around atmosphere. SANDALUCI attends the Istanbul Furniture Fair every year and works directly with leading Turkish factories, so we see trends before they reach Kazakhstan. Here's what will shape HoReCa design in 2026.

Biophilic Design and Raw Materials

Natural wood with visible grain, unfinished stone, live greenery indoors — guests are tired of plastic and gloss. Oil-finished solid teak and acacia furniture is the top request this season. For Noodles restaurant in the Globus mall in Almaty, we used exactly this combination: solid walnut frames with rough-weave linen upholstery — the interior photos went viral on the venue's Instagram. Note: natural-finish materials need real maintenance, so budget for it.

Warm Neutral Palettes

Grey is fading out. Terracotta, buttermilk, dusty rose and olive are taking over. In furniture this shows up as pastel-toned upholstery paired with walnut or honey-oak frames. These tones photograph well in natural light — critical for Instagram-driven marketing. In our experience, venues with a warm palette get 30-40% more guest-generated photos.

Multi-Zone Layouts

One room, several moods. Designers now split the floor into zones with distinct characters: a quiet corner with soft sofas, a communal table for groups, a bar counter for solo guests. Furniture varies by height, style and texture between zones. At Eden Pool Bar we built three zones in one space — a poolside lounge, a dining area and a bar counter — each with its own furniture but a shared colour concept.

Terraces as a Primary Dining Room

Open and semi-open terraces are now a full part of the venue, not an add-on. Restaurateurs are choosing aluminium frames with teak inlays that survive a Kazakhstan winter without losing their look. On the Phoenix Swisshotel Almaty terrace we installed an anodised aluminium collection that came through three snowy winters with temperatures down to -25°C without damage.

Brand-Specific Customisation

Off-the-shelf solutions are giving way to project-specific orders — custom dimensions, proprietary fabrics, brand colours matched to RAL or Pantone codes. For the Ladurée chain at Esentai Mall we produced chairs in the brand's signature pink; the shade was supplied as a Pantone code, and the Turkish factory matched it to the nuance.

AR/3D Previews Before Ordering

Restaurateurs increasingly want to see how furniture will look in their space before committing. SANDALUCI has added 3D viewing to the site: a client can view a model at true scale through their phone using AR, right in their own dining room. This cuts revision cycles and speeds up decisions.

FAQ: HoReCa Trends 2026

What furniture style is most popular in 2026? Modern classic with natural materials — solid wood paired with neutral, warm-toned upholstery. Which upholstery colours are trending? Terracotta, dusty rose, olive, buttermilk — anything that builds a warm atmosphere. Is investing in a terrace worth it? Yes — in summer a terrace adds 30-60% more seating and typically pays for itself within one to two seasons if properly equipped.