Europe
There are many ways to find inspiration for furnishing your bar or do a full modern and captivating restyling.
Furnishing magazines and fairs, like the advice of an expert, are essential, however, even on the social media sites that we use very day, we can find interesting ideas which are often quite easy to implement.
Here’s why we have dived into the thousands of photos posted every day on Instagram to find and bring you six ideas for furnishing your bar in “Instagram-friendly” style. The advantage?
Your clients will not be able to resist the temptation to take photos and publish them, thus making their friends curious and triggering a virtuous word of mouth that will almost certainly have a good effect on your business!
6 ideas for furnishing your bar inspired by Instagram
Before we look at the six up-to-the minute tips, accompanied by many examples of cafés and bars around Italy where these ideas are put into practice, it would be a good idea to start with some general considerations.
In the past when we talked about how to renovate your bar , we focused on the importance of image in a bar these days and how useful it is to always keep an eye on what’s happening and the latest trends.
The quality of what you offer should always be the reigning factor in your bar, but if your gourmet coffees are served in a more welcoming space, they will seem even more attractive.
Instagram, from this point of view, is useful for understanding what your potential customers like.
Used by an ever growing number of people also in Italy (19 million users active in September 2018) it has become, as research from the University of Florida has revealed, the social network where coffee is the star of 80 million posts, a figure that guarantees coffee the prize for most shared food&drink subject.
So what do bar and café clients like, according to Instagram?
The best-loved places are those where in general, there is a division of space: the bar as an area where you choose what you want to eat and drink, the tables for enjoying what you have ordered, a separate smaller room, a relaxation area where you have armchairs and sofas (and you can take your photos any time).
Let’s not forget also to dedicate the same attention to the bathrooms: clean and functional, sure, but also with attention paid to the details and in tone with the rest of the café.
One single color to give character
So now we come to the advice taken directly from Instagram. Have you ever thought about decorating your bar by using all the different nuances of one single color?
Many bars around the world have done this and the trend has arrived in Milan, too, where, among the new openings in 2018, two places stand out where we can find armchairs, little tables, serviettes and all details in pink.
There is a high level of temptation to stop off at one of these bars to get a coffee and take a photo; there are more than 21,000 photos accompanied by the hashtag #pinkcafè.
Wallpaper not to be forgotten
Colors, plants and patterns on the walls can transform a corner of your bar or café into the perfect set for taking photos.
Among the most appreciated trends are patterns based on a botanical theme with palm trees, leaves of various shapes and colors and brightly colored flowers.
Geometric shapes and bright colors are also a winning combination provided that they are balanced and limited to just one area of the café. You just need one corner with a table to transform your bar into a honey pot for Instagrammers.
Vintage details for excitement
The fact that anything vintage has come back into fashion, is certainly not news. An old jukebox, or a television, but also plates, wicker chairs and other furnishing elements from the 1950s onwards can help lend character and charm to your café.
Carefully selected vintage details well-placed in your bar, even in a modern setting can make the difference and make your bar remembered.
Plants on the walls, hanging from the ceiling, plants everywhere
Sustainability and nature, even in the heart of the city center.
How can you create a bar which incorporates these sensitive themes and at the same time attracts social media users?
Never forge to use plants when furnishing your establishment.
Some people choose to decorate an entire wall with vases and small jars, whereas others prefer to position their arrangements directly on the tables.
In any case, the effect created is that of a welcoming and eco-friendly place, a place which attracts customers and makes them happy to stay for a while.
Lights and lamps to make room for creativity
Much of the atmosphere created in an environment comes from the type of lighting used.
Therefore it is preferable to have many small areas of lighting, even better if they are each full of character and matched with light-bulbs which emit a warm and cozy light.
Everything can be transformed into a lamp, including bottles, demijohns and strainers.
Christmas lights are always very effective, and now acceptable for use all year round, both inside and outside, while one of the very latest and most interesting trends concerns neon lights.
There is an ever increasing number of bars using neon lights as part of their furnishings which display descriptive or inspirational phrases.
One way of paying homage to the artist Mario Merz, who became famous thanks to his neon lit reproductions of slogans from 1968.
Books and bookcases to conquer the intellectuals
We wrap up our handy hints on furnishing your bar or café in “Instagram style” with a classic piece of advice and with guaranteed success: dedicate one wall of your bar to a bookcase.
Naturally it depends what kind of space you have in mind, but an area packed with books of every type always attracts attention and it’s that small detail that turns a table for drinking a good cup of coffee into a very photogenic place.
There are some establishments that want to define their own style somewhere between books and coffee break; but you don’t have to be a “BookBar” to be able to enrich your furnishings with a few books or magazines.
It will help your customers to feel a little more pampered like at home, and it will probably make them feel like staying a while and then coming back with their friends.
Have you already given some thought to some of these ideas for furnishing your bar?
Tell us which you think are the best or most interesting and if they will help get you noticed on Instagram!
