Having a coffee bar is a big deal these days. I’m a dedicated coffee fan so I knew when I was building my kitchen (thank you Ikea) I would be adding a DIY coffee bar to one wall. Given that it’s one of the smallest kitchens you’ve ever seen, I knew adding that spot just for coffee was going to be a challenge.
I started with just a simple IKEA shelf with cubbies, but I found that was on the low side and I was filling up the cubbies with pointless junk. My next choice was an antique cabinet, but with space at a premium in this kitchen, the cabinet, although pretty, wasn’t going to cut it as far as storage was concerned.
Instead I opted for more Ikea cabinets, this time with glass doors, and I purchased some in half the depth of a normal cabinet. That gave me enough space to put my Breville Espresso Maker and my Keurig, but it didn’t obstruct the normal flow of traffic in what is essentially a galley kitchen used by six people.
Once I had my cabinet, I opted to add open shelves to the 9 foot wall. That meant I could put all of my coffee-related accessories somewhere within easy reach. Instead of using shelving from a store, we cut strips of the ship lap we removed from the house when we were renovating. I think it adds a nice touch to the wall, and there are even a few nails sticking out.
Thanks to my coffee bar I finally had a place to put the antique coffee grinder I picked up at an auction before we moved in, and I was surprised at all of the coffee knick knacks and other items I had stored.
But my favourite addition to the coffee bar is a old hose attachment. I found it in the bushes when on a walk on the property, and I thought it would look perfect popped up on the wall.
This is where I keep everything coffee-related in my house, and it’s nice to have it all right on my counter because I go straight there every morning.
If you have any DIY coffee bar tips, share them here.
