Cafés
Work-Friendly Seating Storage Design for Cafés
Plan storage around frequency of use and the route between use and return. Measure the actual items, including handles and cases.
Explore the ideas
Plan in this order
- Sort items into daily, occasional and surplus stock, then measure each group's largest pieces.
- Place daily items at the point of use and reserve a separate area for overflow or refills.
- Choose shelf spans, pull-outs and closures only after checking how items are loaded and removed.
Worked example
Imagine a designer who needs active samples, a laptop and reference books in daily reach, while archived project folders should not occupy the worktop.
Give current samples a shallow tray beside the desk and move archives to labeled closed storage. Keep the laptop's charging point near its normal parking place, and test retrieval without blocking the chair.
How to test it
Put the largest item into a mock-up and remove it with the adjacent doors or work surfaces in use.
Apply it to this space
- Layout
- Group a few laptop-friendly seats along a wall, away from the order queue and loud espresso equipment.
- Detail
- Provide reachable outlets and task-friendly light at select seats; use surfaces with room for a cup and device.
- Trade-off
- Work seating encourages repeat visits but can slow turnover.
- Test laptop use with a drink and bag
- Check sockets are reachable without trailing leads
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