How to Set Up a Coffee Bar in Your Kitchen

Want more coffee in your life? Use these tips and tricks to create a kitchen coffee bar storage area for coffee and supplies.

Originally published January 15, 2018

Thank you to World Market for providing the Everett Foyer Table for this kitchen coffee bar project. All opinions on this gorgeous piece are my own, you can see my disclosures here!  

Anyone who has followed this blog for any length of time has probably deduced that between the original cabinet painting project and the breakfast nook, my kitchen is by far my most well-known project.

The Problem Wall

One thing that a good deal of may not have noticed is that there is a wall next to the pantry that I almost never show. I’ve long called it “the problem wall”, it used to be the home of a random kitchen desk and a doorway to the dining room that we deemed extraneous.

We covered over the dining room doorway soon after we moved in and added a coffee bar cart and a nicer desk to the area. While I loved the concept of a coffee area, the desk quickly became a catch-all for kitchen piles, where paperwork went to stagnate.

It was an eyesore. It remained an eyesore for way longer than it really needed to. However, when I agreed to participate in the local housewalk this past Christmas, I knew enough was enough.

We ripped out the upper cabinet and repurposed the desk, bar cart, and shelves. I patched up the wall and painted it with a fresh coat of Benjamin Moore Gray Owl.

The Solution : Kitchen Coffee Bar

To fill up this space, I found this perfect long foyer table from World Market. It’s gorgeous and plays off of the other weathered wood finishes in the room perfectly. I accented the bottom shelf with some of my taller decor that is always floating around looking for a home.

I love how functional this space has become! No more clutter, and it’s much more restful visually. The coffee filters and other odds and ends have a place in the semi-hidden drawers.

I struggled with artwork, but I eventually went with a giant clock (sold out, but there’s a similar linked). It was actually a bit tongue-in-cheek, Mack had complained about not having a clock in the kitchen. I feel as though I solved the problem in spades.

For the winter months I decorated with a little chalkboard art and a mitten garland. (Looking for more winter decorating ideas? Check out this post!)

Now, this is likely a temporary solution until we embark on a full kitchen renovation. If you have a large, empty wall in your kitchen or dining room, consider adding a kitchen coffee bar like this for storage and functionality.

How to Set Up a Coffee Bar in Your Kitchen

Here are the steps you need to create a coffee station in your own home.

1. Choose an Area for Your Coffee Station

You don’t need an entire wall to create your own kitchen coffee bar. It may just be a small nook or corner on your countertop.

For example, when we later tackled our full kitchen renovation in 2019, I created a coffee bar on the kitchen counter.

2. Add Some Essentials

Here are some ideas of what to include:

• coffee maker or espresso machine
• french press
• your favorite loose coffee or beans and jars to store them in
• an electric kettle
• tea
• mugs
• hot chocolate
• hot chocolate toppings in jars
• coffee syrups and other fixings

3. Add Decor Touches to Make it Your Own

If a kitchen coffee bar is as well-trafficked as mine is, there should be some pretty things to look at. Whether you display your mugs on a cake plate or add a cute little plant, it helps to have an accent to make the space personal.

There you have it! I hope that these tips help you to create your own coffee station. With these ideas you can enjoy warm beverages and have whatever you need right at your fingertips.