Guest Post: Cafe & Coffee Bar Interior Design Tricks & Tips

13 Tuesday Nov 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, Guest Posts

Tags

atmosphere, business, cafe, coffee bar, colors, customers, entrance, functional, interior design, light, materials, public, staff, textures

A commercial space like a coffee bar or café is obviously designed very differently to a living area. This is due to its features and that the interior is under the public eye and therefore must have an aesthetic sense and also a business mindset.

The huge variety in possibilities that an interior designer can provide to a café often depends on its location, size and clientele. After valuating all of these factors a combination of materials, textures, colors and lines can create an appropriate atmosphere which can enhance a space but also make it functional for both staff and customers.

The Use of Color
A trick used by interior designers to make a dark room lighter is the use of specific colors. Many people think that using light colors will improve this but actually it doesn’t. It is much better to choose bright colors, which reflect light and turn your café into a more vivid space.

Entryway Tips
The entrance design is crucial to the success of the café because that is where customers make the decision to visit. The trick here is to create a mix of ambiance that is welcoming, warm and informative. In some cases that would meant choosing the sizing guide for the perfect rug to place. Someone nearby the café needs to feel attracted by the entrance and this will persuade him or her to have a coffee. Your café will be judged by its so-called ‘cover’, the entrance. The lines, textures and materials in display will set a tone and if used correctly create warmth to the customer. You can see some examples in this cafè design web site.

Layout of the Space
The layout of the coffee bar is often personalized to the clientele. There is a vast range of seating options from benches providing a more communal atmosphere to divided tables that can provide more privacy. The layout is often based on the shop location and clientele. For example, the many city cafes that include single seating facing outwards towards the street or square. The reason behind this is because many of the coffee drinkers are alone with either books or laptops and therefore it makes more sense for them to be able to look out the window.

{Giulia Ricci is an italian designer. She’s working as free-lance design specialist for some design companies.}

Decorating Tips for Your Home

30 Friday Mar 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Art & Design, The Home

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Tags

bookshelves, colors, decorating, flowers, home, interior design, patterns, plants, shelves, textures

Everyone has a room in their home that needs a little love. Why not jazz it up and add a sense of style that won’t only look great, but completes the entire room? Here’s some easy tips to create a more comfy space and well-designed atmosphere. With a little guidance, anyone can do this. The main thing to remember is balance. You want to think of the bigger picture, so that the final result looks complete and well put together.

General Decorating
A great tip for placing items is grouping them in threes. Sometimes when you put two things together, it feels like something is missing. Three is the perfect number! Keep this in mind when you’re decorating any space in your home. It’s OK to mix patterns, but make sure they relate to one another. Whether by color or theme, they shouldn’t contrast with each other.

Play with textures! No one wants to be in a flat room. Choose your textures wisely but get creative. Having a high-textured rug in the room brings warmth and depth to any space, especially when your furniture may be a little cold (metals and glass). Add some patterned curtains and fun pillows, and the whole room will feel lifted.

Wall Space
Remember, when hanging photos and framed pieces the middle should always be at eye level. If you’re shorter than most people, just raise it an inch or two. I go nuts when I visit people’s homes and they have pictures hanging almost from the ceiling. Whoa! If you have frames that run along the lines of your doorways, that’s a no no. Who lives with you? The Jolly Green Giant!

Also, try not to make your home look like a gallery or museum. Not everything has to be placed in a row. Sometimes, depending on the piece, you can raise one of them so they’re not so streamlined. You want your house to look lived in, not like a museum.

Bookshelves & Shelving
Organize your books into categories. Either group them by color, by size or both. It’s also good to keep certain subjects together so you can find what you’re looking for in a pinch. Sometimes it’s cool to have a section of old vintage books to add a sense of history to a room.

If you’re a collector, this is a great opportunity to let your collectibles shine. You don’t want too many, so make sure you pick your favorites. Always keep some space around the items and don’t crowd the shelves. You want your book shelf to stand out, not just one particular item, so keep with general themes.

Bringing the Outside In
It’s good to keep the outside of your home in mind when designing a space. What do you see when you look out the window? Is there a lot of green from leaves on a tree? Try to bring the outside in and highlight how beautiful it is. Decorate with some neutral colors like greens, browns and blues, and that tree will feel like a part of your home.

Think about light when choosing your curtains or shades. Is there a lot of light coming in a window or not enough? If it’s not enough, then I suggest you get blinds that open easily or a sheer curtain. That way you can block the light when you need to and let the sunshine through the sheers beautifully.

An easy way to brighten up any room is to bring in flowers and plants. Not only will it make you smile, but it’ll smell good and the air will be cleaner. Gotta love natural air fresheners!

The whole point of design is to attract and submerge. You want people interested in what you created and then happily drown in the sweetness of your work. I’m telling you, a few simple makeovers like this will add a modern and clever touch to any space.

If you’re like me, you’ll want to rearrange every room in the house! I absolutely love doing things like this. Not only because I’m a designer, but it really relaxes me. Good Luck!