Cafe-Style Kitchens: How to Groove to the Bistro Beat
Whether chic or funky, cafe-style kitchens bring a warm and welcoming vibe to any home
It takes more than a coffee machine to recreate the casual, comfortable atmosphere of a great cafe. If you think about what you love about your favourite cafe, the decor and feel-good atmosphere usually have something to do with it. Recreating the same vibe at your house is easy when you know how – just start with one element and build it from there. You’ll never need to go out for coffee again.
Add some swinging kitchen doors
Swinging doors deliver bistro-flair aplenty, especially when mirrored or glass features come into play. They evoke images of bow-tied waiters bustling through with laden trays held high.
Swinging doors deliver bistro-flair aplenty, especially when mirrored or glass features come into play. They evoke images of bow-tied waiters bustling through with laden trays held high.
Chalk up a menu board
I love the idea of writing down the courses to come when you’re having people over for brunch, lunch or dinner, and there’s no better way to create a casual cafe atmosphere. During the week, use the chalkboard for meal planning to keep you on the straight and narrow.
I love the idea of writing down the courses to come when you’re having people over for brunch, lunch or dinner, and there’s no better way to create a casual cafe atmosphere. During the week, use the chalkboard for meal planning to keep you on the straight and narrow.
Choose checkerboard flooring
Fabulous floors like these have been around for centuries, and they are just as popular today for good reason. For cafe-style kitchens with a retro edge, they’re a perfect match.
Fabulous floors like these have been around for centuries, and they are just as popular today for good reason. For cafe-style kitchens with a retro edge, they’re a perfect match.
Bring out your inner barista
Opening a jar of instant coffee and adding hot water just doesn’t cut it in a cafe-style kitchen. If you have the space, invest in a coffee machine that can deliver cafe-quality cappuccinos, mouth-watering macchiatos and memorable mochas.
Opening a jar of instant coffee and adding hot water just doesn’t cut it in a cafe-style kitchen. If you have the space, invest in a coffee machine that can deliver cafe-quality cappuccinos, mouth-watering macchiatos and memorable mochas.
Comfy up the space
Who says you have to have a table and chairs in your eat-in kitchen? A couch invites you and your besties to kick back and relax – just the feeling you need in a kitchen reminiscent of a groovy inner-city coffee hot spot.
Who says you have to have a table and chairs in your eat-in kitchen? A couch invites you and your besties to kick back and relax – just the feeling you need in a kitchen reminiscent of a groovy inner-city coffee hot spot.
Blend black-and-white decor
Punctuating lots of white with dollops of black is timeless and chic, and when you warm up the space with natural timber, it’s a no-fail combination. Don’t forget to add pendant lights – they add both charm and character.
Punctuating lots of white with dollops of black is timeless and chic, and when you warm up the space with natural timber, it’s a no-fail combination. Don’t forget to add pendant lights – they add both charm and character.
Set up a bistro booth
A cosy booth sets the scene for intimacy, whether for heart-to-heart conversation or just a sense of togetherness. An eat-in nook in your kitchen achieves just as lovely an outcome.
A cosy booth sets the scene for intimacy, whether for heart-to-heart conversation or just a sense of togetherness. An eat-in nook in your kitchen achieves just as lovely an outcome.
Track down vintage artwork
If you’re happy with your kitchen but like the idea of adding some chic cafe culture, vintage French prints are a simple way to add the charm you’re looking for.
If you’re happy with your kitchen but like the idea of adding some chic cafe culture, vintage French prints are a simple way to add the charm you’re looking for.
Take inspiration from commercial kitchens
Open shelving and stainless steel benchtops are a given in the kitchens of cafes and restaurants because they’re ultra-hygenic and items are easy to access on the fly. A flexible dish sprayer is another time-saver for busy people, not to mention adding function and flair to a funky cafe-style kitchen.
TELL US MORE
What do you love best about your favourite cafe? Share the joy in the comments section below.
Open shelving and stainless steel benchtops are a given in the kitchens of cafes and restaurants because they’re ultra-hygenic and items are easy to access on the fly. A flexible dish sprayer is another time-saver for busy people, not to mention adding function and flair to a funky cafe-style kitchen.
TELL US MORE
What do you love best about your favourite cafe? Share the joy in the comments section below.
Line up some industrial-style stools by a window opening and install a shelf to serve as a bar – you’ve just created an impossible-to-resist drawcard for your cafe-style kitchen. Friends and family of all ages will get a kick out of sitting here for a chat with the chef, no matter what’s on the menu.