Design Rules That Were Meant To Be Broken

Whether you’re starting out from scratch or looking to remodel your cafe, it’s only natural that you’re a little wary of making mistakes. Understandably you want to stand out from the crowd, but for the right reasons.

Fortunately when it come to interior design most decorating rules were meant to be broken, and what will make your cafe stand out from the crowd, is to put your own unique stamp on it. Here are 3 pre-conceived notions that you should sweep under the carpet when planning your design.

Don’t mix old with new

One of the quickest ways to make your café’s interior look boring is by sticking to just one style or period. Rooms that attract interest are those that have an eclectic mix of modern and old pieces in a variety of styles, which make it look as if they have been collected and assembled over the years.

One easy way to do this is to consider your room’s architecture. If your indoor space is modern then add a vintage chandelier or furniture with an antique finish, such as our new replica Tolix antique collection, to give it a sense of history and warmth. If, on the other hand, your interior is 1950’s style then you could add a retro Juke Box alongside some contemporary lighting and accessories to bring it into the 21^st century.

If you have the space, you could consider zoning different areas with different styles of furniture to suit different needs. For example how about an area for lounging complete with tub chairs and some high backed bean chairs; another with stainless steel bar tables and bentwood stools; and another with some communal tables and a colourful mix of industrial replica Tolix stools. All very different in appearance and all extremely functional.

Paint a small space in a light colour

Most people will use a light neutral colour on the walls and floor to make a small space appear more airy; but did you know that using a rich dark colour such as navy blue, warm grey, or dark brown, can create an illusion of more space, because it’s hard to tell where the wall ends and begins. The key here is to balance the room by adding plenty of light catching materials such as large glass chandeliers, mirrored furniture, metallics, and wall sconces or floor lamps, to create a warm glow. We’ve got a great selection of white tables and chairs which would look cool against navy walls, for example. Or how about using a mixture of colourful powder coated steel bentwood chairs and light ash tables, against dark grey walls.

Don’t mix metals

An antique gold frame is a great way of warming up a grey wall but there’s no reason why you can’t go one step further and add silver metal sconces alongside the mirror or hang some copper pendant lights. You’ll get the best effect when you mix cooler metals like silver with warmer metals like copper, gold, or brass. The industrial look comes into its own with this rule since you can use all manner of metals including stainless steel and exposed copper pipes together with aluminium tables and chairs.

Be bold, be creative, and have fun injecting your personality into your café’s interior setting and provided you serve good coffee and tasty food, the customers will keep on coming. We’ve got a large selection of cafe furniture in a wide variety of styles, materials, and colours all at great prices.

Why not browse our online store or visit our warehouse in Campbellfield to see for yourself. If you’ve any questions feel free to call us on 03 9357 9688.