5 Things to Consider When Decorating Your Cafe

 

Ensuring a superb cafe experience is essential in this day and age. In the era of social media, coming up with an Instagrammable cafe design is key to ensuring a positive customer experience, and consequently, positive reviews.

When it comes to decorating your cafe, there are a number of factors to consider, from colors and lighting to furniture and layout. All of them are equally essential regardless of whether you’re working with ample space or a small room. To help you come up with a design that will not only draw customers in but also keep them coming time and time again, we’re listing five things you’ll need to keep in mind when decorating your cafe.

Define your design concept and target audience

First things first, when it comes to decorating a cafe, you want to know exactly what type of customer you’re looking to attract. Your target audience will be the deciding factor when it comes to your cafe’s design concept, so start by determining who you want to appeal to.

The process of decorating a cafe to attract millennial professionals will be significantly different from the one that aims to appeal to retirees, so keep that in mind. Think about your target audience’s expectations and taste first, and then move on to defining your design concept. Whether you opt for a design that’s modern, sophisticated, relaxing, or old-fashioned, having a clear concept will help your business remain consistent across all aspects.

Decorate with color psychology in mind

Once you’re clear on your design concept, you can move on to choosing the color palette for your cafe design. This is where color psychology can be of major help. Given how different colors evoke different emotions, your first step should be determining the atmosphere you’re looking to create.

Colors such as greens, blues, and neutrals have a calming effect, purple looks very sophisticated and luxurious, while brighter hues such as orange and red stimulate conversations. Subtle interior colors are your safest bet as they’re not overpowering nor are they overly stimulative. Make sure to factor in your design concept as well, and consider introducing colors through plants if you’re aiming for a more natural, minimalist cafe design.

Aim for balance between layout, aesthetics, and function

When it comes to furnishing your cafe, you want to design your space in a way that is aesthetically pleasing without sacrificing comfort or function. Part of achieving a chic look is utilizing your space properly, so you want to leave enough space between seating arrangements.

Generally speaking, the aisle space between furnishings should be neither too narrow nor too wide. You want your customers and cafe staff to be able to move around freely and pass through the aisles easily while at the same time keeping the layout aesthetically pleasing.

Retain a degree of homeyness with comfortable furniture

Other than creating balance between layout, aesthetics, and function, another important factor to consider are the furnishings themselves. Now, many cafe owners think they need to splurge on expensive, high-end design furniture pieces.

In reality, comfortable furnishings are a much better option as they help retain a degree of homeyness. Even then, you don’t have to blow your budget. Instead, you can look for cheap furniture for sale and find pieces that will fit perfectly with your cafe design, theme, and decor. After all, you want your customers to feel comfortable and at home when they visit your place, right? And the higher the degree of comfort, the more likely they are to stay.

Create the desired ambiance with the right lighting

This is one of the factors that often gets overlooked by cafe owners, yet it can make or break a design of a cafe (or any other interior for that matter). When coming up with an interior lighting design, you want to take a strategic approach. This will often mean introducing several layers of lighting in different areas of the cafe, with each of them serving a specific purpose.

From lamps to sconces to pendants, aim to include several lighting fixtures while paying special attention to light color temperature. Cold and warm light will produce different effects, with warmer light feeling more cozy and intimate, and colder light acting more energizing.

Wrapping up

Opening a cafe is a dream of many, but when it comes to actually designing and decorating one, things can get a bit tricky. You want to offer a memorable experience to your customers, something they can remember you by and something that will help stand out from other cafes in your area.

If you stick with these tips and include all of the elements listed above, you’ll manage to create a unique, stylish place your customers will love coming back to.