  We investigate the equilibrium properties of a colloidal solution in contact
with a soft interface. As a result of symmetry breaking, surface effects are
generally prevailing in confined colloidal systems. In this Letter, particular
emphasis is given to surface fluctuations and their consequences on the local
(re)organization of the suspension. It is shown that particles experience a
significant effective interaction in the vicinity of the interface. This
potential of mean force is always attractive, with range controlled by the
surface correlation length. We suggest that, under some circumstances,
surface-induced attraction may have a strong influence on the local particle
distribution.
