French Cafe Interior Design: Get the Parisian Look

Picture a Paris café on a slow morning: bentwood chairs, a little marble table, a coffee and a croissant, a mosaic floor, an old mirror catching the light and the hum of conversation. French café interior design is about bringing that relaxed, timeless feeling home, whether that's a whole kitchen, a breakfast nook or one corner of a living room.

In this guide I'll explain where the look comes from, the key elements that make an interior feel like a genuine Parisian café, the colours and materials to use, and 25 French café interior design ideas for kitchens, dining rooms, small spaces and gardens. You'll also find a shopping checklist, ideas on a budget, and how to get the look without your home feeling like a themed restaurant.

What Is French Café Interior Design?

French café style, also called Parisian café or bistro style, borrows from the cafés and bistros of Paris. It's warm, lived in and practical, with hard-wearing materials that look better as they age. Think classic rather than trendy: dark wood, brass, marble, mosaic tiles, mirrors, simple lighting and a few fresh flowers.

A Little History

Two pieces of furniture define the look, and both have long histories.

• The bentwood bistro chair. Michael Thonet's No. 14 chair was introduced in 1859, made from steam-bent beech. According to Wikipedia, around 50 million were sold between 1859 and 1930, and it's still often simply called the bistro chair.
• The woven rattan terrace chair. The colourful woven chairs on Paris terraces come from French workshops such as Maison Drucker, founded in 1885, and Maison Gatti, founded in 1920, as France Today explains. Most are now woven from Rilsan, a hard-wearing synthetic fibre, rather than natural rattan, so they can cope with the weather outside.

Famous cafés such as Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots in Saint-Germain-des-Prés show how these elements come together: dark wood, mirrors, brass, banquettes and small tables close together. If you love the architecture behind them, my guide to the types of architecture explores the classic styles of Paris and beyond.

French Café Colours

A warm white is the perfect starting point. My guide to Farrow & Ball Wimborne White explains why soft whites work so well. For a classic bistro green, see the best green paint colours, or try a deep navy like Dulux Ink Well on kitchen cabinets.

25 French Café Interior Design Ideas

Seating

1. Bentwood bistro chairs. Black or dark wood bentwood chairs are the single quickest way to get the look. Mix in a few secondhand ones for a relaxed, collected feel.
2. Woven rattan bistro chairs. Colourful woven chairs bring the energy of a Paris terrace. Use them around a kitchen table or in the garden.
3. A banquette. A built-in or freestanding banquette in leather or velvet, in green, oxblood or tobacco, makes a breakfast nook feel like a corner table in a Paris café. It also seats more people in less space.
4. Bar stools at the counter. Bentwood or woven stools at a kitchen island or breakfast bar look like seats at a café counter.

Tables and counters

5. A small round marble table. A marble top on a cast iron or brass base is the classic bistro table, and it's perfect for two.
6. A zinc-topped counter or table. Zinc develops a soft patina over time. Traditional French bars were known as "le zinc", and a zinc top on an island or table brings the same character.
7. Several small tables instead of one large one. In an open plan space, two small bistro tables can feel more relaxed than one big dining table.

Floors and walls

8. Mosaic tile floors. Small white hexagons with a black border or pattern are a café classic. Mosaic or chequerboard tiles work beautifully in kitchens, hallways and bathrooms.
9. Metro tiles. White or cream bevelled metro tiles behind the hob or sink are practical and look the part.
10. Tongue and groove or panelling to dado height, painted in a deeper colour, adds warmth and protects the walls.
11. A large antique mirror. An aged or foxed mirror on the main wall reflects light, makes a space feel bigger and is one of the most recognisable café details.
12. Café wallpaper. A classic stripe, a small floral or a toile on one wall adds charm. Use our free wallpaper calculator to work out how many rolls you need.

Lighting

13. Globe pendants. Opal glass globe pendants are a simple, classic café light. Hang a row over a kitchen island or a single one over a bistro table.
14. Brass wall lights. Swing-arm or picture lights in brass give a soft glow and save table space.
15. Candles and table lamps. A small lamp or candle on the table makes evenings feel like dinner in a bistro. Choose warm white bulbs.

Textiles and details

16. Café curtains. Half-height linen or cotton curtains on a slim brass rod give privacy while letting light in, exactly like a café window.
17. Checked or striped linen. A red and white or blue and white checked tablecloth or napkins add instant bistro charm. Use them sparingly so the room doesn't look themed.
18. A chalkboard. A small framed chalkboard is useful for shopping lists, the week's menu or a dinner party.
19. Vintage posters and prints. Old travel posters, botanical prints and café advertisements suit the look. My guide to famous flower paintings explains how to find free, high quality prints.
20. Fresh flowers. A small vase of flowers on every table is a Paris café habit worth copying. See my guide to decorating with fresh flowers.
21. Open shelving with café crockery. Display white crockery, glass carafes, coffee pots and copper pans on a simple shelf with brass brackets.
22. A rug under the table. A flatweave or vintage rug softens a tiled or wooden floor. My rugs for living room ideas include a size chart that works for dining areas too.

Outside

23. A bistro set on the terrace. A folding metal bistro table and two chairs on a balcony, patio or deck is the easiest French café idea of all. My deck railing ideas and cheap garden fence ideas can help frame your outdoor café.
24. An awning or parasol. A striped awning or a simple parasol over the table brings a terrace feel.
25. Planters and window boxes. Geraniums, herbs and trailing ivy in window boxes and pots finish the look.

French Café Style Room by Room

If you're short on space, a café corner is perfect for a small living room or a small studio apartment, where a bistro table can double as a dining table and a desk.

French Café Style on a Budget

Bistro chairs and old mirrors turn up regularly at flea markets, auctions and online marketplaces. My guide to upcycled furniture has ideas for giving secondhand finds a new life.

How to Avoid a Themed Look

The difference between a beautiful French café interior and a themed restaurant is restraint.

• Choose a few real materials such as marble, brass, bentwood and tiles, rather than lots of decorative "Paris" accessories.
• Skip the Eiffel Tower prints and slogan signs. A real Parisian café is about atmosphere, not souvenirs.
• Mix old and new. Combine vintage chairs and mirrors with a modern kitchen or sofa.
• Let things age. Patina on zinc, brass and wood is part of the charm.
• Keep the palette calm and add colour in small doses.

French Café Interior Design Checklist

• Bentwood or woven bistro chairs
• A small marble, zinc or wooden table
• Mosaic, chequerboard or metro tiles
• A large, slightly aged mirror
• Brass or black metal details
• Globe pendants and warm lighting
• Café curtains in linen or cotton
• A chalkboard or vintage posters
• Fresh flowers on the table

Frequently Asked Questions

What is French café interior design?

French café interior design is a style inspired by the cafés and bistros of Paris. It uses bentwood or woven bistro chairs, small marble or zinc tables, mosaic tiles, large mirrors, brass details, globe lighting and fresh flowers to create a warm, relaxed and timeless feel.

What colours are used in a French café interior?

French café interiors usually have warm cream or putty walls, dark wood and leather in tobacco, chestnut or oxblood, accents of bistro green, navy or black, and brass or zinc metals, with small pops of red, mustard or blue.

What chairs are used in French cafés?

Two styles define French cafés: the bentwood bistro chair, made famous by Thonet's No. 14 chair of 1859, and the colourful woven terrace chair made by French workshops such as Maison Drucker and Maison Gatti.

How do I make my kitchen look like a French café?

Add metro tiles, open shelving with white crockery, globe pendants, a marble or zinc surface and bentwood stools or chairs. Finish with café curtains, a chalkboard and a vase of fresh flowers.

What is the difference between French café and French country style?

French café style is urban and Parisian, with dark wood, brass, marble, mirrors and mosaic tiles. French country style is rustic and rural, with painted furniture, pale washed colours, linen, toile and distressed wood.

Can I get the French café look in a small space?

Yes. A small round bistro table with two chairs by a window, a mirror and a pendant light create a café corner in even the smallest kitchen, living room or balcony.

Bring a Little Paris Home

French café interior design is about simple, beautiful things that get better with age: a bentwood chair, a marble table, an old mirror, warm light and flowers on the table. Choose a few real pieces, keep the palette calm, and your home will feel like your favourite café on a slow Sunday morning.

If you'd like help bringing French café style into your kitchen, dining room or whole home, you can book a one-hour online interior design consultation with me. For more ideas, browse my interior design articles.