Top Cafe Lighting Tips

cafe lightingBelieve it or not, cafe lighting is often regarded as an afterthought whereas in fact, it should be one of your first considerations. Cafe lighting is an important part of design and can make or break your project. So let’s take a closer look at 4 lighting techniques which you should consider using in your venue:

Ambient lighting

Ambient lighting is the most important part of your cafe’s lighting and serves almost as foundation does in make-up, setting a base on to which you can then layer with other elements. Ambient lighting is that which provides your interior with overall illumination. It should radiate a comfortable level of light allowing your guests to see where they are going and what they are eating quite clearly without being too bright or too dim. This can then be further accented with other types of lighting which all have their individual roles to play.

Accent lighting

If ambient lighting is the foundation on your face, then accent lighting could be likened to the stage of applying make up where you use a darker shadow to contour your cheekbones, and make them a highlight of your face.

Used within a cafe setting, accent lighting can be used to highlight certain feature areas of your cafe. For example you might want to use a rack of LED lighting above your snack counter, highlighting the ‘specials’ of the day. Or you might use spotlights to show customers where they can find cutlery and condiments. There are lots of possibilities for this type of lighting.

Decorative lighting

This is a bit like the jewel in the crown and is used to complement your interior as opposed to creating an ambience. In instances like this you could use a large chandelier to showcase your lounge area or a series of pendant lights to draw customers’ eyes to the dining area. For example you could use numerous pendant lights of different sizes hanging at different lengths from the ceiling both for decoration and for definition. This could work over a large buffet table where customers help serve themselves with coffee and food.

Natural lighting

Natural light benefits the layout of your cafe the most since it can make an area packed quite tightly with tables and chairs seem more open and breezy. To gain the most from natural light, you can install large skylights which flood the space below with light or, as most cafes tend to do, use floor to ceiling glass windows or doors along the pavement edge of your venue. This allows natural light in and also lets your customers engage in a spot of people watching.

Here at Cafe Chairs Sydney as well as giving away free advice, we also sell a wide range of cafe furniture and pendant lights to enhance the ambience of your cafe and give it the wow factor that keeps customers coming back time and time again. Why not browse our online store or drop by our showroom to try our furniture out for yourself. Meanwhile if you need more information on any of our products please give us a call on (02) 8379 7737 and our friendly staff will be happy to assist you.

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