Unique Coffee Shop Decoration and Style Ideas

In a world where coffee culture has evolved into a thriving social phenomenon, cafés are no longer just about the brew; they're about the experience. From the aroma of freshly ground beans to the cosy ambience that invites patrons to linger, the design and decor of a café play a crucial role in shaping its identity and attracting customers.

While some cafés opt for a minimalist aesthetic with clean lines and industrial touches, others embrace a more eclectic approach, infusing their spaces with personality and charm. Whether you're a seasoned coffee aficionado looking to revamp your own café or an aspiring entrepreneur dreaming of opening the next trendy hotspot, exploring unique decoration and style ideas can provide inspiration to set your establishment apart in a saturated market.

In this blog, we'll delve into a world of creativity and innovation, exploring café decoration and style ideas that go beyond the ordinary. From repurposing vintage furniture to incorporating sustainable elements, we'll uncover how small details can make a big impact on the overall ambience of a coffee shop. 

So grab your favourite brew, settle into a cosy corner, and let's embark on a journey to discover the art of crafting unforgettable coffee shop experiences.

Industrial Cafés 

Industrial-style cafés provide a stylish, contemporary place for people to meet to eat, socialise, and even work. Achieving an industrial style is all about highlighting the raw features of your space, whether this means stripping paint from visible metal pipes, removing plaster to expose the brickwork, or removing ceiling tiles to show the elements hiding above them. 

Industrial Café Furniture Ideas

• Tables that combine natural materials like wood with exposed metal frames 
• A mix of wooden benches and chairs
• Reclaimed wood furniture which contains historical blemishes like old nails and hammer marks. 
• Vintage leather sofas and chairs for more casual areas of the café
• Large shelving units made from metal or wood 

Industrial Café Decoration Ideas

• Metal lighting fixtures or those with exposed bulbs
• Vintage signs and decorations
• Various metal accents and accessories
• Mix and match materials and elements - experiment with texture and colour
• Statement furniture
• Vintage technology like coffee machines or cash registers
• Utilise reclaimed materials like old shipping crates or pallets

Rustic Cafés

Rustic-style cafés combine various natural materials such as wood, stone and burlap to create a cosy, comfortable atmosphere. Hardwood floors, wood panels on the walls and even exposed brickwork create a great base for your café. Neutral colours such as browns and creams as well as traditional patterns like tartan all add to the rustic vibe - much like the industrial style, creating a rustic café is all about mixing and matching elements. However, rather than making the space feel quirky and modern, aim to make it feel cosy and lived in.

Rustic Café Furniture Ideas

• Handmade wooden furniture made from reclaimed wood
• Wooden furniture with live edges
• Soft upholstered chairs and sofas
• Chunky wooden shelving
• Wooden counters

Rustic Café Decoration Ideas

• Display herbs, plants and flowers, especially dried
• Feature fireplace or wood burner
• Natural decor such as branches and twigs
• Antiques such as an old wagon wheel or bellows
• Soft, warm lighting from lanterns, fairy lights, and hanging pendant lights
• Books
• Old paintings
• Soft furnishings such as rugs, cushions, blankets and curtains

Bohemian Cafés 

The Bohemian style is a popular choice for cafés as it combines a range of cultural elements from countries across the world. To achieve this style, include plenty of colour, plants and soft furnishings such as rugs and pillows. Like the previous two styles, a Boho café will mix-and-match various pieces of furniture to create individual, unique seating areas. 

Bohemian Café Furniture Ideas

• Low, wooden coffee tables
• Seating on the floor with floor pillows
• Rattan and wicker furniture
• Mix-and-match seating
• Wooden counters and panels with carvings or chevron patterns

Bohemian Café Decoration Ideas

• Crochet curtains
• Macrame wall hangings and plant pot holders
• Colourful Aztec and Tribal style patterns
• Large rugs
• Fairy lights
• Cushions
• Tassels
• Beads
• Hanging and climbing plants
• Pots and vase

Farmhouse Cafés

Farmhouse-style cafés are often found adjoining a farm shop set against rolling countryside, especially in the UK. Old, converted barns or other farm buildings with high ceilings and exposed wooden beams are all key features of farmhouse cafés. Natural flooring, either made from hardwood or stone, as well as an abundance of plants help to bring the outside in. Consider adding pastels like mint or pale blue for a subtle pop of colour, but white will often be the most common colour found outside of the vast amounts of timber. 

Farmhouse Café Furniture Ideas

• Large, chunky wooden tables
• Reclaimed wooden furniture with interesting grain, rays and knots
• Wooden farmhouse style or crossback dining chairs
• Wood panelled counters and walls

Farmhouse Café Decoration Ideas

• Simple table decorations such as a bunch of dried flowers in a mason jar
• Local artwork or photography on the walls
• Plants, including hanging plants and those in large pots
• Repurposed elements like an old fireplace or barn door
• Exposed brickwork
• Wooden beams, doors and window panes
• Wall sconces
• Well-chosen vintage elements, perhaps repurposed from the farm or sourced locally
• Reclaimed shipping crates and pallets

Scandinavian Cafés 

The Scandinavian style first became popular in the mid-20th century, and hasn’t really gone out of fashion since. It’s all about using sleek, clean lines and natural materials to artfully create furniture which is both comfortable and practical. Scandinavian style cafés tend to be minimalist, utilising natural light to create an inviting, airy space. White walls and simple, concrete flooring are often framed by large windows, track lighting and simple wall art. Like the rustic style, Scandi style uses a lot of natural materials and colours - the main difference between the two is that the latter is far more minimalist.

Scandinavian Café Furniture Ideas

• Lighter wooden furniture like birch, pine, ash or beech
• Sleek, thin table tops with matching benches
• Simple, unembellished chairs made from metal, wood and wicker 
• Minimalist shelving units and floating shelves

Scandinavian Café Decoration Ideas

• Large plants
• White pegboards
• Modern and abstract wall artwork
• Track lighting and simple, sleek pendant lighting
• Faux fur blankets and rugs
• Simple patterned soft furnishings like cushions made from cotton and linen
• White decorations
• Light wood decorations

Tropical Cafés 

The possibilities are endless when it comes to a tropical café design: you can choose to go in a more jungle-esque direction, get inspired by beaches and surfing, or even incorporate a minimalist vibe. The most important thing is that you adorn your café with plenty of plants - this is the main thing that will create the tropical ambience. Be sure to choose plants found in the part of the world you’re trying to emulate for maximum impact. Many tropical-style cafés bridge the gap between indoors and outdoors by providing outside seating under a pergola or other shelters. 

Tropical Café Furniture Ideas

• Mix-and-match wooden tables and chairs
• Wicker and rattan chairs
• Wooden benches
• Parasols
• Wicker room dividers
• Wooden shelving units

Tropical Café Decoration Ideas

• Plants, plants and more plants! Hanging, climbing, and potted.
• Wicker or clay plant pots
• Wicker or wooden lanterns
• Hanging pendant lights and fairy lights
• Cushions with tribal or Aztec patterns
• Fountains or other water features
• Stones and rocks

Are you looking for handmade, reclaimed wood café furniture?

At The Bespoke Carpentry Co., we use hand-selected, genuine reclaimed wood, with every single one of our pieces lovingly crafted to be entirely unique. Our experienced carpenters take the history-immersed timber and rework it into stunning handcrafted dining tables, completely tailored to your requirements; providing you with pieces which fit right into your restaurant, café or bar and will reliably serve your customers for years to come.

To get started, check out our handmade commercial furniture page. Alternatively, you can get in touch with us by giving us a call on 01305 849386 or filling out our contact form to discuss your commercial furniture requirements.