Good day,
I am designing a website for a local chinese restaurant and the hardest thing I have come across is which colors should I use? I want to give it an oriental design and feel, but I feel that the box look with just plain 'ol DIV tags won’t do? Any suggestions? I have also attached the main image that I plan to use, but I feel as if my work is all boring.
Thank you,
this is a free website that I am doing, so your ideas are not being used for profit.
The image is not showing yet, we have to wait for that.
But without seeing it, the typical Chinese restaurant in the US has red and jade as the main colors often, some natural reed/dried grass. The colorful paper lanterns, the paper umbrellas. The black lacquer of the screens that often are used, brass as well. The china is often white with either a rice pattern or white with a mild blue pattern like a carp.
Those I would look at and combine them, all or some, to create the color scheme.
Thank you for your quick reply, what about the box look? I apologize that is the only way I can describe it? I want to do something more chreative and break out of the box? Any suggestions or examples?
I do not quite know what you mean by that, since the attachment is not showing yet, That will take a little bit.
But what I can imagine is to incorporate the lovely lanterns and their tassels, those folded screens with the carving, those entry doors that are so massive often. Just imagine those elements and how you would paint a picture that would convey just that idea of a Chinese restaurant.
I think the Chinese wall does not say restaurant, it says China in a generic sort of way. Have you thought about the points that I have brought up?
Datura, I have forgot to mention that the name of this chinese restaurant is “The Great Wall” this is why I have choosen this picture of the great wall.
This is how I would go about choosing colors now. You want to use this picture of the wall, the same would apply if you were to choose another picture.
I enlarged the picture to 300% in Photoshop and looked at it closely. I choose some colors out of the picture with the eyedropper and filled a little square with the color. I did this with 6 different colors in this case.
This gives you the colors for your site, and now those colors will relate to the picture in the header, that will unify the design of the site that you will have in the end. The little lighter color inserts are a lighter version of the same color: Enhance > Hue/Saturation > Lightness +30%. You can play around with those settings, also the Saturation up or down. If you work in this manner, you will stay within the same color family, which is good, they will all relate to each other that way, your site will become a unit.
You think the banner that I created was okay? or was it too boring?
No, it is fine. The Chinese writing could be moved a bit away from the edge, is that the name? The logo? Is there still a name to come?
It is hard to really go into it, because you have given so little information. The site must be viewed as a whole, you have to go on first in order to judge it all better together. In designing you should develop the elements together. You have a start now, go from there and go back later to adjust details.
Thank you for all of your support, yes the chinese lettering is “Great Wall” I will move it away from the edge.
Let us know when you have come further along, then we can go into more detail about it 
That’s a really great idea.
Practical, usable, and easy to remember.
Thank you,
Moondrop
Yes, it is so simple. I take this approach to all design projects I get involved in, criss cross relationships. When you design this way, things will always hang together. I do the same thing with shapes.
I went over to China had some great food, but came back with an even better party idea in my locker other than different styles of Foods.
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C.Norris, when you get the site roughed out a bit, I’d suggest you post a link to it in Website Reviews. You’ll get a lot of valuable feedback (and see what others think about the suggestions you incorporate from this thread). Make sure you read the forum FAQ first. Good luck on the design!
I think that you are going in the right direction…Keep going…