KAI Interiors Blend Outdoor Elements Into a Vibrant, Ever-Changing Environment

This week’s instalment of the Project of the Week series features a vibrant bar design by 2025 SBID Awards Finalist, KAI Interiors.

With a trusted relationship established with Clays, KAI Interiors has a deep understanding of the brand and operational needs. The vast size of the site enabled the interior designers to take a unique approach to design concepts, which included the installation of a DJ Platform, a private room, main bar and table space. To further amplify the brand, KAI Interiors incorporated a bespoke feature wall in the main space, unifying the central area leading to the bar and shooting. Additionally, exploding foliage clusters, dynamic lighting, and scented air created an immersive experience, blending outdoor elements into a vibrant, ever-changing environment.

What was the client’s brief?

The brief for Clays Birmingham was to design an immersive, high-energy social venue centred around virtual clay target shooting. The space needed to balance the charm of the British countryside with a contemporary, city-centre setting, creating a playful yet refined environment. Clays Birmingham was also the first site to introduce the new Clays Arcade concept, where customers can move freely between the game pegs. In addition, the client wanted to enhance the food and drink offering by including a designated dining area, a private room, and a mezzanine with its own cocktail bar.

What inspired the design of the project?

The design was inspired by the shapes and curves of the clay skeet itself, a theme carried through all Clays venues to create a distinctive and recognisable interior identity. The colour palette drew on warm clay tones and natural greens, bringing the outdoors inside. The overall design is sophisticated and elegant, elevated with playful pops of colour and neon accents.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

One of the main challenges in designing Clays Birmingham was integrating the extensive technology required to make the games function seamlessly. This demanded precise placement and discreet integration within the joinery. Another hurdle was selecting durable materials that could withstand the heavy footfall of thousands of weekly visitors while still achieving a premium look and feel. The project involved a high level of complexity, with hundreds of bespoke joinery pieces, custom floor inlays, upholstery stitch detailing, and unique wallcovering designs. Every detail was carefully considered.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

A standout highlight for the team was creating a striking ceiling feature. This included a bespoke night sky and exploding clay motif printed onto the rooflight glazing, complemented by floral explosion displays running across the ceiling. Seeing this vision brought to life with the bespoke lighting design was a particularly rewarding moment.

Why did you enter the SBID Awards?

We entered the SBID Awards to benchmark our work against the highest standards in the interior design industry and to gain international recognition for our innovation, creativity, and attention to detail. The SBID Awards are globally respected, and participating reflects our commitment to excellence and to pushing the boundaries of design. It was also a valuable opportunity to showcase our team’s hard work and share the project with a wider audience of industry professionals and design enthusiasts.

What has being an Award Finalist meant to you and your business?

Being an SBID Award Finalist has been an incredible honour. Having our work recognised on such a prestigious platform has been both validating and motivating for our team. It has reinforced our belief in pushing creative boundaries and striving for design excellence, while also placing our work alongside some of the best in the industry.

Questions answered by Michaela Reysenn, Founder of KAI Interiors.