It’s been almost half a year in quarantine here in DC. One of our favorite things to do in the city before lock-down was to traverse the District for new coffee shops. To sit for hours in cafes. To people watch and enjoy the sounds of patrons hobnobbing over caffeine. Here’s how to virtually support some DC coffee shops right now. During COVID-19, we can all re-create a coffee shop aesthetic at home.

During quarantine, how can you create your favorite coffee shop aesthetic at home?

Start with your coffee and brew method

• A great cup of coffee begins with great coffee beans, the perfect grind, clean filtered water, and a solid brew method of your choice. Practice perfecting each step in this process to make a delicious cup of coffee worthy of your favorite cafe.

Add in cozy, hygge elements to the scene

• Quarantining at home offers a chance for many of us to decorate and make our home a one-stop-shop for work and life. Hygge (pronounced hoo-gah), or “creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people,” can help. Adding in comfortable blankets, a soft chair to curl up in, and even lighting a candle can all perfectly set the scene and slow down the pace. Lighting is a key element to your coffee shop aesthetic!

Bring in nature

• Do plants, wood, or beige colors remind you of sitting at your favorite coffee shop in Paris? Or does a black mug and a croissant remind you of grabbing your cappuccino from a coffee bar in NYC? Try to find any of these objects in your home. If you have a plant or fresh cut flowers, bring greenery into your room as you sip on your coffee. Explore how using different mugs makes you feel and try sitting on different chairs.

Play music to set the coffee shop ambiance

• Some coffee shops are quiet whereas others are bustling and loud. It’s all about the coffee shop aesthetic that you’re missing right now. Choose music or ambient noise based on which cafe style you want to re-create in your home.

Stage your coffee tray or coffee table

• If you’re hoping for a social media post through this journey, now is the time to bring everything together. Stage your coffee brewer, your mug of coffee, a small plant, some books, your glasses or jewelry, and any other elements that add to your scene in one place. In other words, place everything on one coffee tray or on the main tabletop. This is your space. Which coffee shop did you re-create?

Have a coffee date

• Lastly, drink your coffee. Enjoy the experience that you have created by staging your apartment or home as a coffee shop. Now it’s time to invite a friend to set up a part of their home in a similar way (forward them this article)! Be sure to video conference call each other for a “coffee shop date.”

Stay safe! Until soon. Enjoy your new coffee shop, time cupsoul