There is a reason why you visit your local cafes that feel like such a treatment moment. With soft and gentle lighting, the warm aroma of freshly brewed coffee, and artistically designed seating, the coffee shop is the perfect space to relax and meet up with friends.
This is why Cafe Core is pop-up as one of the latest interior design trends of 2025. Whether you’re falling for a coffee shop down the street from your Portland home, someone who’s fallen on a trip to San Francisco, or picking me up in New York City, we’ll talk to interior designers and home decorating experts to help you bring the Cafecore concept into your living space.
Bring the coffee shop atmosphere to your home for a relaxing retreat.
What is Cafecore?
Cafe Core is about evoking the atmosphere of your favorite coffee shop, just like it’s about aesthetics. “Cafe Core is more than just a design trend,” says Kassandra, author of the popular Home and Decor Blog Shabbyfufu. “It’s an emotion, a place where you can run away and breathe for just a few minutes.”
According to interior designer Marie Flannigan, Cafe Core creates a space that is easy, layered and deep inhabited. “It’s the comfort of the corners in a quiet morning, the charm of patina, and an invitation to spend a little longer,” Flanigan says.
Ultimately, Cafe Core encourages space for connectivity as much as it is a solo moment, says Annie Diamond, a home and fashion blogger. It’s as much a space to slow down and enjoy your morning coffee process as you would with the experience of drinking it.
Cafe Core Key Features
Naturally, Cafe Core is about bringing in details about a beloved cafe and making home life romantic. “Think about soft linen cushions, ambient lighting to settle your mood, and natural wood elements that bring warmth and texture to the space,” says Cassandra of Shabifuh.
When you welcome your seat, you ask to sit and stay for a while. “It’s a little bit: the rug worn underfoot, the soft jazz in the background, and the green that softens the room,” shares Vert Nook’s home staging expert. Are you ready to adopt Cafecore in your own home? Here’s how to incorporate the appearance:
1. Focus on cozy seats
Banquets add something cozy and maximize your seating, whether your space is big or small
To establish a Cafecore atmosphere, we recommend decorative and DIY blogger Christine Sullivan, starting with a sit-in area made from comfortable chairs, or a coffee corner with a small table. “On the TV show ‘Friends’, they gathered in a group of comfortable chairs and sofas,” Sullivan Winks. “And at ‘Gilmore Girls’, Luke’s diner has a small table and a counter that welcomes customers. ”
“I love the built-in banquet with luxurious cushions, and in the evening I pair it with a table suitable for morning coffee or tea,” reveals Flanigan.
But whether you choose a small, intimate kitchen nook or table or chair designed for conversation, complete your seat with a side table for a mug, a basket filled with throws, and a nearby bookshelves that hide your favorite readings.
Read more >>Create the perfect reading corner
2. Tactile, texture and color are important
Contrasting textures, warm worn forests and rustic color palette keep the space soft and attractive.
All of our experts were constant. Text, tactile experiences and colours play a major role in bringing the atmosphere of the cafe’s core design to your space. Vert Nook homestagers recommend starting with warm, grounded tones. It’s a green, clay, oats, soft gray, like a movement.
“The key to Cafecore is sensory detail,” adds Matt Bishop, owner of San Francisco furniture hub maker & Moss. “Think about a comfortable seating that invites you to drink a hot drink in a homemade ceramic mug, calm down with a good book, or interact with your friends at thoughtful Tete and Ariteto.”
Flanigan “is a material that feels incomplete in the best way,” she says, “warm neutral, soft wood, aged brass, old ceramics, by hand.” “I’m drawn to a palette of tones that creates a natural linen, matte finish and a calm, authenticity.”
Choose paint colors with warm undertones and pair with organic patterns and gold or brass finish @Jaclyn James
Cafe Core can also be leaned more modern when done intentionally. We share home decor expert Jaclyn James to tie things together with warm brass and gold pulls, taking advantage of a contrasting colour palette weaving with organic elements. “My top pick in Cafecore aesthetics must be a marble counter,” James says. “In addition to the cool and crisp feel of marble, there’s something about the natural etching that is used over time. It has a distinctive look like this. Combine it with a dark cabinet.
Tip: All-in-cafe core focuses on natural materials such as wood and leather that develop characters with age, says Bishop. “Textures are very important. They must be eclectic and incomplete.”
3. Create a dedicated coffee station
The home espresso machine is a great addition to incorporating a cafe-style atmosphere into your living space. @Marie Flaigan Interiors
“There’s nothing to go home like a coffee bar,” Diamond said. Find some space at the kitchen counter or start using a bar cart or sideboard. Fill in your home coffee bar with your favorite coffee maker, decorative spoons to mix sugar and cream, and various syrups, Housewife Brenda Pruitt is recommended.
“The built-in coffee bar with hidden storage and open display feels very café-core. It transforms everyday rituals into design moments. There is space to invite connections and quiet pauses, paired with custom banquets covered in cozy textured fabrics.” – Marie Flanigan
“We’ll show everything in one place and create spaces to enjoy the moment,” Diamond says. Open shelving, showing off cups, saucers and mugs, is a luxurious yet sure-fire way to get that coffee shop aesthetic in your kitchen. “Nothing screams for a cafe or bistro than a rail to showcase your favorite kitchen essentials,” James smiles. “It’s these little details that make the kitchen feel like it has its own story.”
4. Finish your look with lights, artwork and decorations
Relaxed wall colours, contrasting textures and task lamps set this living room corner as the ideal place to sit with drinks.
The final touches on Cafe Core were in the details. “Think from a comfort and rhythm perspective. It’s a place where light falls in the morning and you’ll sit and gather naturally,” suggests Flanigan.
“A comfortable layer of objects: ceramic tumblers, throw blankets, calm fragrance. Then add life to the greenery,” says the Vertnouk team. Overlapping the lights can also help define the space, Bishop adds. “Soft ambient light complemented by focus task lighting can be achieved with uprights and floor or table lamps.”
“You can also personalize your space by adding cafe-style artwork,” shares one Kindesign. “If your favorite cafe has local artists on display on the wall, this is a great way to bring the atmosphere of your cafe with you.” To further enhance the sensory atmosphere, we recommend a team behind the trendy swing cafe doors, wearing subtle background music such as acoustic and indie genres. “For an additional layer of authenticity, you can include elements like double action cafe doors and chalkboard menus. These thoughtful details can transform the space into a space that feels more appealing than just your favorite cafe.”
The gorgeous worn in leather adds an attractive touch to this bright corner. Pair it with greenery, accessories and cafe style stools to settle in.
Pruitt has a gentle touch that closes the cafe core with soft, wave curtains that invite nearby windows and browsing. “Everyone can take a small space in their home and create this environment for themselves and their visitors,” she says. “The trick is to create a cozy space with all the details and make the atmosphere feel like a warm embrace.”
So why should we embrace the 2025 Cafecore trends? “Cafecore is one of the trends that allow you to abandon the ‘rules of design’, giving you the freedom to create your own cozy atmosphere by bringing elements that evoke a quiet feeling.”
“The cafes create all the sensations so it feels good,” Flanigan concludes. “The warmth of the lighting, the texture of worn wood and linen, the quiet ham of conversation and music in the background. We design it with comfort and rhythm in mind to bring that feeling home.
