A café interior has to look good on day one….. and just as good after two years of service. Choose materials that work hard, are easy to clean and maintain, and stand the test of time. Materials that wear in and don’t wear out.
Oak and natural timbers wear beautifully - getting better with time and taking on pattina as they age.
Floors, counters, seating and walls take daily wear. Chairs scrape, trolleys knock and spills happen, so material choice matters more than it does at home, where daily wear is much lower. Good café interiors borrow from good homes, with warm materials, layered lighting and comfortable seats. But, the difference is durability. Choose counter tops that cope with heat and moisture, floors that clean easily and hide wear, and wall finishes you can wipe down to seat height. A dado rail can be a useful device for this.
Hard surfaces are noisy, and a room of timber, tile and glass can be tiring to talk in. So, with the use of ‘tough’ materials needs to be balanced with the soft. Add soft surfaces where you can, such as upholstered banquettes, acoustic ceiling treatments and curtains, and keep the loudest surfaces away from where people sit the longest.
Lighting does more for the atmosphere than a particular finish can. A well lit space can make all the difference, use layers of light, including ambient, task and feature lighting, and keep it warm. Put on dimmers so the lighting scheme can be controlled and the room can move from a bright morning to a quiet and cosy evening.
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