Keeping the toys under control

If you want to add an interesting and eco-friendly vibe to your new cafe, it can be fun to use recycled materials for some of your cafe furniture. Here are some cool ideas that you can adapt for your own unique cafe furniture and decor.

Wooden pallet tables

As your large equipment often arrived on wooden pallets, these can be transformed into cafe furniture including tables and benches. If you don't have enough pallets arriving at your store, you can ask nearby business if you can use pallets from their deliveries or purchase some secondhand from the classified. The handy thing about wooden pallets is that they are a self renewing resource for cafes as you'll get pallets of supplies in regularly. These can be varnished lightly for a bright and modern look or repainted in a single coat of new enamel to match your decor.

Doors as tables

If you are starting your cafe in an area that is undergoing urban renewal, you'll often find vintage doors available for rubbish collection. The older style of doors are often made from stunning hardwoods, although this is usually buried under several layers of paint! You can try stripping doors back to the wood and repainting or varnishing to give the doors a new life as a table top. You might want to lay a sheet of polycarbonate over the top of the door if it has an interesting carving or step design, so that it becomes a practical surface for people to lay down their coffees and plates of food.

Milk crate chairs

While milk crates aren't the most comfortable of surfaces, having a stack in the corner can be very convenient for patrons who come in with children and want to expand their seating capacity. You can offer a selection of cushions to sit on the chairs, so that the rough surface is not as noticeable for a seat. Milk crates can also come in handy as foot rests and bag rests for your other patrons. Even better, they are easy to come by as they get delivered with your daily milk order!

If you are not able to find the time or inspiration to create your own cafe furniture from recycled materials, then it can make sense to head into a furniture supplier and see what recycled material cafe furniture they stock. With a growing trend towards eco-conscious design there are more and more attractive commercially made furniture ranges which are constructed with recycled materials.