Coffee Station – The Final look (for now)
My coffee station has been a long time coming. After finding and painting the buffet, choosing art and upcycling a rotating condiment caddy for my nook – it was time to put the finishing touches to the space and reveal the final look of my hot beverage station. The process took months and it was somewhat on purpose. Yes, many of the perfect items took a while to find and upcycle. However, I am a big believer in adding things slowly and making sure all items are not only my style and pretty, but chosen purposefully and with a specific need in mind.
Here are the rest of the elements I used to make this coffee station mine, that weren’t covered in previous posts.
Creating more storage by adding a Mug Rack
I love mugs, as I often like to exclaim. But with limited cabinet space, my love was starting to hit its limits. I was facing two choices:
- throwing out the plates to make room for the mugs, or
- creating additional storage for the mugs without compromising the plate count.
Figured I’d try with the second option first, before practicing for a potential participation in a Greek wedding. Also, I like the idea of having a few favorite cups displayed and handy at the coffee station and thought a mug rack could be a great idea.
Mug Rack #1
As it often happens for me, I found a wooden mug tree in white from Target for a couple of dollars at a nearby thrift store. So, I brought it home. And because I was (and still am) in my gold period – I spray painted it gold. And it turned out nice!
But, at the end of the day, it could only hold 6 small to medium mugs and I needed more space. Also, because of its light construction it was a bit wobbly. I just could not risk my precious drinking vessels.
Although it didn’t work for me it is still a very good option for smaller spaces or as a jewelery stand.
Back to the drawing board I went.
Mug rack #2 – this is it!
As usual, I spent way too long ruminating over the perfect mug rack. However, I really started liking the idea of wall-mounted one. Early on, I decided to go for a simple design in black metal. I liked the elegance and versatility in its simplicity, and focused on that.
Here are some of the options I considered initially.If you like any of them, you can click on the image and the affiliate link will take you to where you can purchase the item.
I liked this one A LOT! BUt 27 mugs just seemed excessive for my somewhat limited space.
I was so close to ordering the round mug holder, but the space between the rods seemed a bit too small for my mugs. ( I like big mugs and use them for water! Yes, I know it’s a little backward.)
They were great options, and, in all honestly, either would’ve been a great choice. In the end I made a decision based on a few factors.
For example, I didn’t want to display more than 15 mugs, because it would’ve been too colorful. Also, more mugs would require a large contraption and I just didn’t think a big rack would look good with my wainscoting. On the other hand, I needed a solution that had more spaced out hooks to accommodate my heftier mugs (so most of them).
After taking all of these parameters into consideration, I ended up getting Pottery Barn’s Vintage Blacksmith Wall Mug Rack – Small
From time to time, I still wonder if I could’ve squaz (yes, I made up a word) the bigger mug rack, but then I look at my cute collection grouped in a smaller area of the wall and I know that I’ve made the right choice.
Coffee Maker
I have to admit, choosing a coffee maker took me a ridiculously long time. This is because making this decision turned into an internal philosophical discussion.
I wanted a single serve coffee maker but without pods. Apparently, there are NOT a lot of those on the market. The reason I don’t want pods is purely environmental. I did the research on the recyclable pods and concluded that it was more work I wanted to commit to, especially if I could avoid them completely.
Also, I know there are reusable/refillable pods, but that didn’t work for me either. I just don’t want to support companies that only produce pod-dependent coffee makers. I just feel that even if I am using reusable pods, I’d still be purchasing the machine and perpetuating its existence. And I did not want to support unnecessary trash creation in any way I could for as long as possible.
Now that that’s all cleared up, here is what I finally decided on – Hamilton Beach Scoop Single Serve Coffee Maker. But let’s make one thing clear. I am far from a coffee connoisseur needing a fancy coffee maker. And this one does the job. A fresh cup of coffee, some cream and honey and I’m a happy camper.
Electric Kettle
Out of all items in the coffee station, this was the very first one I purchased. I use mine on a daily basis, especially in the winter. Hot chocolate, anyone?
There are so many gorgeous percolators out there. And if I were buying one today, I would definitely look for the most beautiful one. But when I moved into my home, I just needed a kettle. This coffee station was not even a thought yet. But if Smeg starts producing pod-free single-serve coffee makers, I’ll gladly get one of those and pair it with a matching kettle.
I just knew I wanted one that was either metal or glass to make sure there is no BPA to worry about. And I found it in a very simple (and coincidentally), Hamilton Beach one.
Putting it all together
Both the coffee maker and percolator sit on a marble slab. I think marble is an ageless material and I try to incorporate it as much as I can around my house. This beautiful pastry stone is from WorldMarket, one of my favorite places in the world to find kitchen items I adore.
I always wanted a marble slab, but wasn’t quite sure of where it would go. After finishing the buffet, pieces just fell into place. I felt that by placing it in the middle of the buffet provided a great color contrast that separated three distinct areas of the station so nicely. Just as importantly, it protects the wooden surface from droplets of hot liquids.
To the right, I placed the Lazy Susan caddy with goodies I like, but don’t use often. I filled glass jars on the top tier with ingredients like cacao powder AND nibs, cinnamon and macha, while I used the center cubby for stirring spoons, coffee scoop and some honey straws. Oh, and there’s my grandmother’s coffee grinder.
On the left side, and closer to the wall that houses the mug rack, I have supplies that I use all the time. So, I can grab a mug off the rack and choose my flavor of the day. The two pink containers sitting on an olive wood board contain coffee – regular in one and hazelnut-flavored in the other. Behind them is a silver server to add some height to this section of the buffet and to house a couple more containers. I filled the large white one with tea bags of Chamomile and Orange, while the third blush canister has delicious loose-leaf mint tea.
And, of course, I added some greenery! I used a modern pot from a local nursery and added a little arrowhead plant. So far, it’s doing pretty great. Apparently, I finally found a plant that is ok with lower light in that corner. Let’s hope it continues to thrive.
Right in front of the plant, I placed two more of the glass jars I used on the caddy. I did this to tie both sides of the buffet together and to add more options. I filled one of the jars with honey that I out in my coffee and tea. In the second one, I poured sour cherry preserves.
Just like my grandmother’s coffee bean grinder, contents of these jars, serve as an homage to my Serbian heritage. There is a custom in parts of the Balkan peninsula where hosts welcome their guests by offering them preserves (or honey) and water. “Slatko i voda” is a sign of hospitality and a sweet one for sure. Although, I don’t do that these days living in the States, I like seeing it displayed to feel comfort and warmth of home. Sour cherry is pretty common, but my top two are fig preserves and quince preserves with walnuts. YUM!
Coffee Station Final look
My coffee station is done for now and rounded off with a $20 pendant light I won at a local auction. I got it, because it follows the hammered metal look of my dining room fixture. More importantly, this pendant casts a warm cozy light in the nook, just the way I like it.
Future updates will most likely include new paint and a rug would be a nice addition, right?
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