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If you’re a fan of Friends – and, let’s face it, who isn’t? – You’ve probably noticed that the main characters spend most of their free time in Central Perk, coffee house every single day!
While this location isn’t always something that captures the viewers’ attention, it’s still quite memorable and surely looks like the coziest place in the world, no matter how big Joey’s, Chandler’s and Rachel’s current problems are. That’s why lots of people love replicating such an ambient and decorating their kitchen so that it looks like a real café.
If you too wish to do the same, here are a few ideas that might help you get some inspiration.
A Bar
Can you picture a café without a bar? No, right? Well, you can’t create a café-styled kitchen without one either, which is why this should be the first thing you need to take care of.
Of course, you don’t have to spend a ton of money nor create something unreasonably huge, but a nice little corner bar will do the trick.
Alternatively, you can incorporate a small island into your kitchen and take care of your storage and dining problems at the same time. After all, building a kitchen island on your own is rather easy saves you a ton of money you can spend on more expensive items.
A Coffee Station
Speaking of pricey things, a proper coffee station is something all coffee lovers need to have in their kitchen.
However, even if you decide to splurge on an expensive coffee maker or espresso machine, you can still make this idea work if you’re handy or can ask someone with some building experience for help.
A coffee station doesn’t need to be overly complicated and requires nothing more than a spot for your coffee maker and a couple of mugs. There are lots of ideas you can borrow from the Internet, so create your own rustic, modern or eclectic coffee station that will satisfy all your coffee needs and help you enjoy your morning cup of joe even more than before.
A Device or two
If you want to achieve a more professional look of your kitchen/café, you have to add a few flashy things, too – a large fridge, an electric water boiler, a waffle maker and a proper stove.
This way, you’ll be able to serve your family breakfast, make coffee for everyone, make waffles and brownies, and do it all in style!
However, if you want to feel extra welcomed and imagine you’re sipping coffee right in the middle of Central Perk, you have to keep another thing in mind – keeping the kitchen clean.
That means vacuuming it once a week, swiping the cabinets, counters and counter-tops every few days, and cleaning the glasses and coffee mugs after every use. In order to do so easily and without spending hours at the sink, consider getting a reliable dishwasher that will do all the dirty work for you and ensure all your coffee-related essentials are always crystal clear.
Shelves and storage units
Unlike the kitchen your grandmother used to cook in, today’s kitchens are packed with all sorts of devices, utilities and cutlery, and storing these can be quite a big problem for all those people living in small apartments equipped with a tiny kitchen.
That’s why remodeling your cooking space is a great opportunity to change something in your storage area and create open shelves and hanging cabinets featured in most coffee shops.
Open shelves allow easy access to your dishes, glasses and, most importantly, coffee mugs, while hanging storage is sometimes the only solution for all those petite kitchens we all have to use on a daily basis.
Seats
A café-style kitchen is supposed to entertain lots of guests and prepare the best coffee in the neighborhood, isn’t it?
Well, in order to seat all your guests adequately, you should create a pleasant seating area and this could easily be the hardest problem you could face during your remodeling.
Since everyone’s used to sitting in big comfy chairs, having to spend their coffee time on a bar stool might not seem that enjoyable at first, but if you manage to find the right chairs – or reupholster some of your old ones – you’ll be able to make everyone happy.
Other Ideas
While these ideas will certainly transform your kitchen into a café-styled space you’ve wanted your entire life, it always a good idea to think outside the box for a while and take things to a new level.
The best way to do so is by adding new décor to your home café – chalkboards, wall stickers, vintage lighting and coffee beans displays will be enough – as well as taking a coffee brewing class and learning how to make new sorts of coffee your friends and family will just adore!
