A Practical, Lovely DIY Coffee Bar
We take our coffee pretty seriously around here -- it's the caffeine fuel that helps us get all those gift baskets packaged and to your doorstep! But we've also learned the hard way that sometimes a boring old pot of coffee in the dark corner of the kitchen doesn't quite do the trick, and no one has the time or the funds to pick up a $5 latte from that overpriced cafe on the corner day in and day out.
So if you want to bring that hometown coffee shop feel right into your home, consider setting up a DIY coffee bar in your kitchen, dining room, or living room. We've put together a couple suggestions to help you keep it practical, as well as some fun decor tips, all with both efficiency and style in mind. After all, if you're going to be stumbling groggily up to this station every morning, or intend to serve guests regularly, it should be well thought-out, easy, and relaxing.
So take a look below and give it a shot, and feel free to tag us in your photos so we can see how they turned out!
(Please excuse our friendly photo-bomber – our kitty invader clearly wants to be famous!)
We've kept the decor here simple, since there's already plenty on the table with the coffee fixings! To make this set-up fit seamlessly into your home, try to coordinate the colors you select with the colors already in your house, or with the color of your coffee maker. We like keeping the colors fairly neutral, with whites, greys, and just a touch of silver and gold, so that we can dress it up for every holiday or party. But before you get started hanging signs and putting everything out on the table, be sure to lay down some kind of cloth to protect the table from coffee splatters, cream drips, and crumbs. This will make cleaning so much easier!
Your single-serve coffee pods don't necessarily need to be stored in one of those Keurig brand towers or shelving systems, so if that isn't in line with your decor or your budget, don't fret! Black metal organization systems tend to get dusty and dirty fairly quickly, so consider using a wicker basket or a fun crate. Save table space by hanging your coffee mugs from a rack, shelf, or hook board. Here, we simplified it and hung S-hooks from a metal basket to hold our coffee cups.
Set out a couple of decorative glasses or vases to hold your stir spoons, or your plastic or wooden stir sticks if you prefer those to spoons. Remember to also leave out a small dish or bowl upon which you can set your dirty stir spoons to avoid getting coffee on the table.
Empty your sprinkle-able toppings, like cinnamon, sugar, and cocoa powder, into decorative shakers. You can do the same thing with any sweet syrups you decide to offer, like caramel, vanilla, or pumpkin syrup -- just pour them into glassware that's in line with the decor of your coffee bar.
This one often goes overlooked, but be sure to include a trash receptacle of some sort for your stir sticks, napkins, empty coffee pods, and anything else you might need to dispose of while you're up there. We've used an old well bucket from a local antique store here, keeping it in line with our neutral, country-chic decor theme.
No coffee bar is complete without a little something to nibble on, especially if you're entertaining company. We highly recommend keeping some fun and flavorful biscotti on hand, like the almond chocolate biscotti pictured here. If you're setting something up day-of, keep an eye out for an upcoming recipe on our blog, Quick & Easy Cinnamon Coffee Cake, to serve for breakfast or brunch.
Add some fresh cut flowers, and voilà! You're ready to caffeinate! So what do you think - is it about time to set a coffee bar up in your own home? Let us know what your plans are by sharing on Facebook or Twitter!
