Cafécore with an Italian twist
Café-inspired paint palettes, hand crafted ceramics, slow morning rituals and my go-to coffee spots here in Milan
There’s nothing quite like spending a Saturday morning in your favourite café, catching up with friends or family over good coffee, is there? Cafés are the hub of a community, where we come together to relax, work and reconnect with our loved ones.
I first heard about Cafécore, the 2024 Pinterest Predicts trend, while listening to The Great Indoors (my favourite interiors podcast!) with
and . Now I’m not one to follow trends, but I can’t deny that I got excited about this one…mainly because it gives me an excuse to talk about my favourite hot drink! I’ve always dreamed of opening a coffee shop (I even created one for my final project at college), so this topic feels totally indulgent and for me, less ‘swanky coffee machine’ and more ‘morning rituals over a cup of coffee’.
Weekend coffee dates in Milan at The Bar at Ralph Lauren
We’ve seen lots of talk in the interiors world over the last couple of years about embracing the style of (laidback) luxury hot spots in our homes, from hotel style bedrooms and spa sanctuary bathrooms. So Cafécore feels like a natural extension into our kitchens and living spaces and the key to this trend is adapting it to you and the way you live.
Here are a few dreamy details from my favourite cafés and morning ritual, that might just encourage you to turn this everyday beverage into a moment of mindfulness.
Colours
Warm and cosy are the words that come to mind when I think of my favourite coffee spots. Warm beiges, sage and smoky greens, terracottas, new neutrals and plaster hues. These colours might come in the form of exteriors, colour drenched spaces, painted ceilings, furniture or bold window frames.
Get the look with this gorgeous selection of paint colours…
Lick Beige 02 - a rich earthy beige
COAT Weekender - a warm stone neutral
Bauwerk Barley - a neutral plaster with notes of pink
COAT Nomad -a deep olive green
Farrow & Ball Red Earth - a warm terracotta blend
Bauwerk Bungle Bungle - a rich blend of grey and brown
Lick Teal 03 - a rich teal with charcoal undertones
A cosy corner painted in Lick Beige 02 by Phoebe Lily
Murals
Mural walls create the wow factor and really celebrate that feeling of going out somewhere new. But why not incorporate this extravagant feature at home too?
Charlotte Beevor, an artist & designer, combines the perfect colours to create gorgeous murals across the UK. Here is one of my faves in a cocktail bar in Glasglow. The mural has become the hero piece in this interior scheme and a great starting point for building your colour scheme.
Mural by Charlotte Beevor for 63rd+1st cocktail bar and restaurant in Glasgow. Photo by Alice Gordan.
For more gorgeous mural inspiration, check out Queenie Ingrams, Tess Newell Studio and yours truly!
Italian-Inspired Objects
While Pinterest are talking expensive coffee machines, I’m taking this back to basics thanks to life here in Italy. My favourite coffee (a latte for me) is the coffee we make at home with the Bialetti moka pot. Dario’s mum introduced me to this traditional coffee making method and I’m never going back. If it’s slow living and new rituals you’re looking for, then this might just be for you. Find yours here (I have no affiliation, just really recommend!)
Now let’s talk ceramics. Ooo I just can’t get enough of them. Coffee cups have turned into my go-to souvenir when we’re travelling, much to Dario’s delight. I collect coffee cups and drinking glasses, so that our every day rituals at home turn into small reminders of our travels.
Italy, the home of pottery and ancient crafts, is the perfect place to source your elevated coffee cups. Some of my favourite artisans and brands include Di Lunedi, Studio Riviera, Artemis Deco and Mediteranea.
Hand made ceramics by Mediteranea
Pockets of Interest & Moments of Connection
Create screen-free pockets of interest in your home to encourage moments of connection over a warm cup of coffee. Perhaps you have an open plan kitchen, big enough to fit an armchair by the window, styled with a floor lamp: the perfect spot to curl up with a cup of coffee. Or perhaps you want to create a pocket in the living room with adjacent armchairs divided by a small side table to encourage coming together with your guests.
Your coffee corner might be as simple as a corner on the kitchen worktop. One of my recent clients, who I was sourcing homeware for, asked for a coffee station. Space was tight so she wanted to curate a coffee corner in the kitchen to encourage her to take time out when making a hot drink. We chose a tray, framed artwork and some gorgeous coffee cups to stack next to the coffee machine.
Mug from Artemis Decor, jug by Harlie Brown, artwork by Olivia Sewell, brass sun from One Off Piece, tray from IKEA & rattan lamp from Lights & Lamps
Café Interiors I love
The best place to find inspiration for your coffee corner is simply, your favourite coffee shop. Here’s a list of café interiors I love in Milan:
Eutopia - an artisan tea and coffee house
Ofelé - a cosy bakery that feels like a living room away from home
Gelsomina - a pastry shop with swoon-worthy signature interior tiles
V Maison Hotel - a boutique hotel open for coffee and lunch in design district, Brera
Fuorimano - a restaurant, bar and remote working coffee shop with a moroccan exterior terrace
The Bar at Ralph Lauren - one of my favourite hidden spots in the city, especially in the summer months with an outdoor terrace covered in wisteria