A change of season is a great time to rethink the design and fit-out of your café. But with so many cafés out there doing their own thing, it can be hard to know what’s hot and what’s not. Get the most out this opportunity by making sure passers-by notice your café with these top 3 cafe design and fit-out trends.

Exposing ceilings with LED lighting

This industrial design trend and has been seeping into office blocks for a little while, and includes exposing ducts, wiring, or the supporting beams in the ceiling. Often, it comes out looking unfinished. What sets this design trend off in a new direction this season is lighting exposed ceilings with LED lighting. Not only do LED lights last 10x longer than normal lights, but they’re also cheaper to run. Spruce up and highlight exposed features using LED spot lights, striking pendant designs, or subtle lighting running throughout the exposed areas. This will give your café an uncomplicated and industrial yet warm vibe.

Using recycled materials as finishes

Recycled materials – like wood, metal, furniture, bricks ­– not only show off your café’s environmental friendliness, but also add rich textures and character that other, more polished materials can’t match. Take recycled timber as an example. Whether sourced from used fruit and veg pellets or reclaimed and treated from a demo down the road, recycled timber is not only cheaper than other woods, but its natural age also makes it softer and warmer to look at. You can use recycled timber in a few ways, the trendiest is by panelling a feature wall and hanging some eye-catching original art from it.

Naturally breaking up communal dining

Communal dining tables have been around for years now, and while they bring a sense of sharing and belonging to your café, have you ever thought of making them more intimate? Naturally breaking up communal dining with modest planter boxers or floral arrangements can separate couples and small groups away from each other without altering the sense coming together. Place planter boxers or vases strategically along a communal dining table so that they break up the space but don’t get in the way. You can also change the plants and flowers for a spark of colour or to match the seasons outside.

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