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How to design the lighting for an indoor-outdoor café

Creating the perfect mood for every corner of your coffee shop is easy when you know the basics of lighting design. Like mixing general, accent, task, decorative and mood lighting to meet needs and get the right feel. This simple guide can help you plan indoor-outdoor illumination for an inviting café – morning to night, all season long.

A coffee shop with an indoor and an outdoor space with trees, mood lighting and SUNDSÖ bistro sets in a warm sunset light.
A coffee shop with an indoor and an outdoor space with trees, mood lighting and SUNDSÖ bistro sets in a warm sunset light.

General lighting

General lighting illuminates a larger area uniformly. Ceiling lamps, several spotlights, or large pendants provide a comfortable lighting level for guests – and your staff when cleaning up.

Video: A video showing different lighting situations and lamps throughout the day in a café with natural light from a window.

Accent lighting

Accent lighting illuminates and draws attention to specific areas or objects, like a wall menu, your logo, a piece of artwork, or products for sale. These business-approved NYMÅNE ceiling spotlights emit a bright, directed light that creates contrasts between light and shadow and adds life to your rooms in an instant.

See the NYMÅNE series
White NYMÅNE ceiling spotlights with 4 spots highlight wall-mounted PLATSA open shelving units displaying home deco objects.
See the NYMÅNE series

Decorative lighting

Decorative lighting is all about bringing charm and personality to your space while lighting it up. LED candles, battery-operated LED lighting strips attached to shelves, chandeliers, stylish pendant lights, and string lights are easy additions that make your café special.

A café with VARMBLIXT LED pendant lamps in white frosted glass and open shelving units displaying bright home deco objects.
Wall-mounted white PLATSA open shelving units display colourful home deco objects. There are LED candles on the white tables.

Task lighting

Task lighting is a bright, focused light designed to help people see better what they are doing. In a café, wall-mounted or floor lamps help customers read, work, and talk to each other. Make sure that your staff’s workspaces are well-lit with pendant lamps over counters and LED strips under cabinets and shelves.

A barista is pouring coffee under white plastic ZEBRASÄV pendant lamps at a café bar next to serveware and croissants.

Mood lighting

Mood lighting does more than brighten up the space – it sets the scene for a memorable experience. Help your guests read the menu with ease while enjoying a comfortable, intimate glow with carefree, sun-powered lamps of various sizes at different heights.

See all outdoor lighting
An outdoor cafè at sunset. Groups of SUNDSÖ outdoor bistro sets in dark blue and orange with cosy SOLVINDEN LED table lamps.
A café with an outdoor space in a warm evening light. Three SOLVINDEN LED solar pendant lamp hang in a tree.
See all outdoor lighting

Play with light and make your place stand out

With mindful, creative lighting ideas, your space becomes more than just a place to eat or have coffee – it becomes a place where people love to be. Why not play with a few wall-mounted lamps to create a unique decorative feature?

An outdoor evening café lounging area with SEGERÖN outdoor conversation sets under GRÖNSPRÖT wall up/down outdoor lighting.

Before you buy

These solutions contain a mix of articles developed for domestic and non-domestic use. Please verify that your purchases are compliant and suitable for the intended use in your area. Contact IKEA for Business for more information about the range.

Looking for more ideas for your business?

An outdoor lounge area with a two-seat SEGERÖN outdoor sofa and extra cushions. Near it are a cafe table and a coffee table.
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