Coffee is king in the mornings around here. If you've ever attempted to speak to me before I've had my morning coffee, you may know that the conversation to ensue will be jumbled, incomprehensible, and quite possibly grumpy.
While brainstorming ideas to create more counter space in the row house, we opted for a coffee bar along the brick wall in our kitchen. Moving the coffee maker would free up both counter and cabinet space. We needed a narrow console that would fit behind our counter bar stools and still allow foot traffic, and we needed shelving for our mugs, tea, coffee, and other accessories.
In the end, we opted for a rustic yet industrial styled console for the bar. We stopped by our architectural salvage yard and picked up two old 2x10 boards to reclaim and use as floating shelves. I found an assortment of vintage tins on Etsy and at the Cleveland Flea, while the mid-century modern tea set was a Christmas gift from my mother in law.
This little bar area has become the perfect space to quickly make a pot of coffee or a cup of tea, and has also doubled as extra storage space for our other indulgences-- beer and wine. The bottom shelf of the console serves as a bookshelf for our many cookbooks as well. This tiny little transformation of such a small space is a huge win for overcoming the problems faced when living in a narrow row house. In addition, the bar has been a fun way of putting some of my favorite items on display.
Do you have a coffee bar or a favorite nook in your house?