Designers are specifying warm metal again. Brushed stainless steel with gold PVD trim has replaced flat matte black in most of our hotel orders this year, because the tone photographs well and hides fingerprints better than mirror finishes.
The second shift is treating the display as architecture. Rather than fitting cabinets into a back wall, project teams are asking for full-height wine walls with integrated lighting, so the storage becomes the feature guests photograph.
Service speed is driving layout. Back bars are being designed around the working triangle of the bartender, which means refrigerated shelving at reach height and fewer decorative racks that require walking to restock.
Sustainability documentation is now requested early. Mill certificates, recyclable packaging and a repairable shelving design come up in tenders far more often than they did three years ago.