Cafécore: The Kitchen Trend That Makes Your Space Feel Like A Cozy Café

When you think about your favorite café, what comes to mind? Perhaps it's the open shelves displayed behind the coffee bar, comfortable seating with spacious tables, or the inviting nature of warmly colored walls — but what if there was a way to make your home as cozy as your favorite coffee shop? Beyond their name, coffee shops provide a welcoming environment that, in recent years, has been replicated in our own homes to create the same effect (without breaking the bank on an expensive iced latte). If you haven't turned your kitchen into a quasi-café yet, consider hopping on the cafécore trend to enjoy your favorite coffee shops right at home.

Whether you're a remote worker, stay-at-home parent, or are generally a homebody, there are a number of reasons why you may want to establish a productive office at home, and one way to do so is by transforming your kitchen into a café. Further, guests are often drawn to an aesthetically-pleasing kitchen that also offers you the opportunity to showcase your stylistic choices. When it comes time to move out of your house, this simple idea can improve your home's resale value and have home buyers flocking to your self-made café kitchen. If we haven't convinced you yet, let's break down the cafécore trend and how to incorporate the design in your own home.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, those working from home were quick to turn their at-home workspace into an environment that offered something along the lines of a normal workday experience. Enter cafécore: a welcoming aesthetic of open floor plans, an array of seating arrangements, and a DIY coffee bar. For example, quintessential cafécore entails redesigns like placing a few tables across the kitchen, investing in a luxury coffee machine and fancy mugs, and adding a cushioned corner sofa (Central Perk style). Essentially, you're taking your favorite aspects of a well-designed coffee shop and finding attainable ways to bring them to your home.

Additionally, sober curiosity has proven to be popular among Generation Z and Generation Alpha, putting the traditional bar out of style. Rather than decorate your kitchen with shelves filled with alcohol and wine glasses, consider replacing them with a healthier alternative: Coffee and tea. Oftentimes, the urge to drink alcohol is rooted in the desire to drink a delicious beverage, and achieving the cafécore aesthetic can encourage you to reexamine your drinking habits and curtail them with caffeine instead. Now that you've understood its purpose, it's time to dive into how to easily DIY the design trend at home.

While we've covered the stylistic guidelines of cafécore, there are a few actionable ways to start incorporating the trend into your own home. Start by either revamping your current coffee bar or investing in a new machine. If you already own a well-functioning coffee maker, consider cleaning it thoroughly, putting your mugs on display, and setting aside a jar filled with your favorite coffee beans. If you're a fan of both coffee and tea, you might benefit from setting aside all your tea products in their own corner to achieve the ultimate cafécore look.

According to Howey Gill, coffee connoisseur and owner of Grind Coffee, the next steps include creating an environment that could calm and inspire 'patrons.' "Set the vibe for your coffee station by paying attention to lighting, music, and overall ambiance," he tells Livingetc. "Even aromatic candles can transform your coffee zone into the perfect place for this amazing ritual." Consider curating a playlist to shuffle all day long, spraying a refreshing scent across the room, and stepping into your role as an organized barista or productive coffee addict.