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No Comments The Sign Depot Revamps the Look of Restaurant Signs with Their Rust Finish Signage
Over the years, The Sign Depot has perfected the art of rust finishing signs using a custom finishing process. It is a multi-step paint finish that requires steady hand when it comes to achieving the distressed look required for each custom sign. This trend has since caught fire in the restaurant industry, changing the sleek chrome look to create more of a vintage look in many establishments. At a time where businesses are constantly looking to find ways to be unique, the distressed look rust finish trend gives restaurants a one of kind sign that helps them stand out from others in their industry. By using their signage as a focal point for the area, it attracts both current and potential customers to their locale and it serves as a 24 hour advertisement for their business. Below are four examples of restaurant signs that were given a distressed look by The Sign Depot.
OAK + CRU Social Kitchen and Wine Bar
The sign for Kelowna British Columbia’s OAK + CRU Social Kitchen and Wine Bar is a mix of modern and vintage all in one sign. The juxtaposition between two eras in one sign was crafted through a mix of metal, rust and LEDs. It was created as welded metal sign box with cut outs for the letters. The sign was then fit for lit LEDs to light up the cut out areas. It was then given an all over rust finish creating a unique exterior showpiece for the local hot spot.
Belfast Love Public House
Belfast Love Public House in Toronto Ontario is branded as “A Proper Pub” and in turn required signage that reflected that statement. As a new restaurant in Toronto they knew they would have to get lots of eyes on their building and establish themselves as the top of mind place to be for traditional pub fare. This signage project required open can letters with neon tubing along with a paint and distressed finish to achieve authentic the look that the restaurant was going for. In this case the rust finish was strategically placed on the lit sign to create a patina look. For this project an exterior sign for the front entrance and a projection sign were created to catch the attention of both vehicle and foot traffic. The result is pub signage that looks like it’s straight out of Ireland.
Sociable Kitchen + Tavern
Retro is all the rage at Sociable Kitchen + Tavern’s Brantford Ontario location. So much so that their sign is actually a retrofit of sign that was already on the property. This multidimensional sign has several components to recreate the look of a vintage marquee sign. This project included refinishing the sign base to represent the look of an aged tin sign, LEDs faced with acrylic ovals to represent lit light bulbs, high density urethane that was CNC router cut to match the texture of a sea can shipping container, individual lit can letters for the restaurant name and a changeable message board to interact with their local clientele. The rust finish was the tie in that brought all of these items together. It created the retro look that Sociable Kitchen + Tavern wanted to achieve. Once combined, all these sign elements created a past meets present upcylced pylon sign that has quickly turned into a local landmark for the City of Brantford Ontario.
Hearthstone Kitchen & Cellar
In Las Vegas Nevada, the best way to stand out from all the flashing lights is to come up with something completely different. In this case, the Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa wanted to replicate the look of a salvaged Gaslight Sign for their Hearthstone Kitchen & Cellar restaurant. In order to recreate this look a three dimensional metal sign with can letters for the word Hearthstone was crafted. The letters were then halo lit with LEDs to give off a backlit glow to best replicate the hazy lighting of gaslight sign. Below the restaurant name, individual push through clear acrylic letters with the words Kitchen & Cellar were attached to let additional light from the LEDs shine through. After all of those components were in place, the distressed rust finish was applied to the sign base as well as the text and graphics on the sign. The addition of the rust finished suggested that the sign could have been a salvaged sign from the Las Vegas sign graveyard.
As you can see from the images above, the rust finish on each sign is used differently depending on the style each restaurant wants to convey to the public. Finding the best fit for each establishment is something that the expert sign-makers at The Sign Depot specialize in. They can transform signage from being brand new to a very vintage look with various sign making techniques and paint finishes. By choosing the distressed rust finish for these restaurants signs, it took bespoke signage to the next level. As a result of this, it makes each of the restaurant signs stand out showpieces that attract clientele to their establishments. These one of a kind signs show the public that they are in for a unique experience by choosing to dine there.
The Sign Depot strives to not only be “on trend” in the sign industry but also creates trends with their custom crafted signage. As they say at The Sign Depot “A Good Sign Is The Sign Of A Good Business”
To learn more about these and other sign projects by The Sign Depot, be sure to visit the following links
Website: https://sign-depot.on.ca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSignDepot
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheSignDepot
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/TheSignDepot
or visit our CONTACT US page for custom quote.
Custom Business Sign On Brand For In Vintage We Trust
Finding The Right Fit
In Vintage We Trust began as an online store curating vintage clothing styles for their clients. When the decided to open a retail flagship store in Toronto they wanted their signage to fit with the brand they had built. They wanted a vintage look custom business sign similar to the Gusto101 Restaurant sign that had caught their eye. As any internet savvy business would do, they took to the web and googled Gusto101 sign and The Sign Depot was suddenly on their radar. Much like an online website, a sign is a 24 hour advertisment for your business and you should always ensure it fits with your brand. The owners of In Vintage We Trust knew this to be true and contacted us regarding their exterior signage.
Getting That Vintage Look
When the In Vintage We Trust owners collaberated with the expert sign designers here at Sign Depot, the custom sign concept they conceived was to create a very visable sign but have it look like it was right out of the past. The sign material used was an aluminum composite, to give the look of an old tin sign, but be durable enough to withstand various weather conditions. Their logo and business text was hand painted with 1 shot paint (know to those in the signage industry as the go to paint for sign makers). The paint was distressed to give the look of a weathered exterior sign and then a faux rust finish was applied to the sign further the pantia look. All of these steps were crucial in order for the In Vintage We Trust custom business sign to fit their brand while catching the interest of passers-by.
If you are looking to brand your business with custom business signs, be sure to visit our CONTACT US page. Let us know what size, text, graphics and style of sign you are looking for. Not sure what you want on your company sign? The expert sign designers here at The Sign Depot can help with that too!
Great Custom Signs Get To Share The Spotlight
Creating A Custom Sign For A Vintage Landmark
It’s hard to believe that 2 years have already gone by from when we created the custom sign for the exterior of Gusto101 in Toronto. The Going For The Gusto post was a step by step look at how the sign was created and given a custom faux rust finish to match the vintage building it where it would be situated, but there is much more to the story of Gusto101.
Adding To The Atmosphere
When it comes to custom restaurant signs we know that signage plays a big part in creating an atmosphere around a location from the exterior of the building to the architectural interior. Gusto101 took it one step further and made their vintage look sign part of their brand. They choose to celebrate the former car garage location and keep reminders of days gone by while adding modern day touches like a retractable patio roof. The mix of traditional vs modern works in there favour and they chose to celebrate their unique establishment with a video.
I’m sure you can see why we really like this video. Seeing the Gusto101 sign go from day to night gives a great representation of how important your custom sign is. It is a 24 hour advertisment for your business and it can elevate your company’s brand.
Finding The Right Fit
When it comes to finding the right sign to fit both your business and your budget , our professional sign makers can assist you with several choices to streamline the sign design, permit, manufacturing and installation processes. Being a full service sign shop our sign experts can suggest ways to customize the look of your sign and give it the unique style your business deserves. Be sure to visit our Contact Us page to request your quote for your own custom crafted sign.
Custom Wood Sign Trends – Why Barn Board Is Hot In Artistic Sign Design
How Do Trends Start?
By definition a TREND is a general direction in which something is developing or changing. If that is the case then we are trendsetters here at The Sign Depot. We strive to always be unique and innovative when it comes to creating our custom signs. We approach each project individually and look for ways to help our clients get noticed. We have been recognized for the uniqueness of our custom barn board signs by winning Runner Up for Best Business Sign for the Spirithouse sign we created, but the real trend began when barn board started popping up in Kitchener Waterloo. When clients come in with sign concept in mind we work hard to create the vision they have in mind. This was the case with the Death Valley’s Little Brother sign.
Bringing Back Barn Board
When Death Valley’s Little Brother needed a rustic looking wood sign that would catch the eye of passers-by we knew this would be an out of the ordinary custom business sign.
Barn board was used as a backer for the rusted finish individual cut out letters. In order to give a lot of contrast between the wood and the letters the reclaimed barn board with given an distressed finish and the letters were pin mounted to add dimension to the sign.
And They Tell Two Friends
Once the Death Valley’s Little Brother sign was installed in Waterloo, we started receiving inquiries about rustic look wood signs. The Truth Beauty Compay. contacted us regarding their upcoming move and wanted to have a vintage-look wood sign created for their new location. You can read more about their sign creation over on our post Custom Vintage Look Wood Signs.
Another inquiry came from Cheeses Murphy. Cheeses Murphy is a late night grilled cheese eatery that was about to open a second location in Downtown Kitchener. They had noticed the custom wood signs that their Uptown Waterloo neighbours had and came to us to create a barn board sign for their new establishment. Take a look at our Reclaimed Barn Board post to learn about the process to make their sign.
Photo Courtesy of Cheeses Murphy
We’re Trending
Because of the many retro-look signs we have created over the past few years we are getting a lot of calls about signs made from reclaimed materials and even for new signs that have a distressed look.
It is a design trend that we love. Using a variety of materials and fabrication methods is something we specialize in. Finding ways to create dimension through artistic signage is what makes us unique in the sign industry. What makes you a trendsetter in the marketplace? Leave a comment with your answer! We want to know what makes you stand out!
Custom Wood Signs Created From Reclaimed Barn Board – Cheeses Murphy
A New Business Signs With A Vintage Look
Our latest installation has brought us to a new area of Downtown Kitchener Ontario. Just blocks away from the new court house is where you can find the newest location for Cheeses Murphy. Just like the concept of this grilled cheese restaurant, the custom business sign for it needed to be unique and tasteful.
Reclaimed barn board with individual cutout letters were used in this framed sign. The fabrication took several steps.
The wood was given a custom finish to give it a distressed look and enhanced the wood grain of the boards. The barn board would serve as a sign backer for the business name. Individual letters were created by CNC cutting half inch PVC on our router table and they were then prepped for pin mounting. A handcrafted wood frame was constructed to surround the sign backer and painted to match the cut out letters. Together these pieces would create a modern sign with a vintage look.
Assembly And Installation
After all the various components of the Cheeses Murphy sign had been manufactured and finished it was time to assemble the sign and install it above the establishment.
The pin mount letters were flush mounted to the barn board backer to add dimension to the sign and the finished wood frame completed the look.
The custom wood sign was installed above the entrance-way and an additional vinyl decal was added to front door to attract the attention of both vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
Photo Courtesy of Cheeses Murphy. Click the image to visit the Cheeses Murphy Facebook page
Photo courtesy of Andrew Coppolino of Waterloo Region Eats. Click the image to follow him on twitter
What Will Be Next?
What will be next? Be sure to watch our Sign Depot Blog for updates on what else is to come from this developing area in Kitchener otherwise known as the Duke St. Food Block. For more examples of 3 dimensional restaurant signs be sure to visit our portfolio page. There you will find a variety of sculptural signs that are sure to grab your attention!
