Coffee Station – Wall Art Edition

My Latest Obsession – Setting up my coffee station

Ever since I finished my Navy Blue Buffet and moved it into my kitchen nook, I’ve been itching to transform the space into a coffee station. And that sexy cabinet makes a great base for it. Over time, I collected “a couple” of things I would need – plants, containers, appliances, decor,… Let’s just say, I am very good at collecting. But once I was dangerously close to becoming a hoarder, I figured it was time to evaluate what I truly needed to make this coffee station a reality. The conclusion was that I had to decide on some wall art to make the space. And go from there.

Obviously, as one does, I started by creating a Pinterest board and found many great examples. Although, I re-pinned a lot of Farmhouse style coffee stations, I want mine to go in a more modern direction. Those pins will serve as a checklist, so I do not leave anything out.

In general, my plan is to focus more on incorporating my home accent colors – navy, light blue and blush pink (including mauve).

Also, I didn’t want shelving on the wall directly above the buffet to store jars or coffee mugs. I actually like that idea of additional wall storage a lot. But, I felt that that solution would draw the eye away from the buffet.

Large wall art, however, would create a perfect balance.

Seeing this photograph was love at first sight. It is a serene beach photograph with clear azure water and pink sand. I always stayed away from coastal art, because I did not want to cross into beach decor. There is nothing wrong with beach decor, but living in Kansas, it just does not make a lot of sense for my home. However, I feel this photo is just the right dose of beach without the coastal decor vibe.

And those colors!

Not only are they perfect from my home’s color palette, but they just have such a pleasant balance of light and vibrant parts. And it is so simple and beautiful – a wall art print just right for the buffet.

I looked around on the interwebs and found a great deal on the biggest print I could find – a 32″x24″. I ordered it and was beyond excited. Honestly, I didn’t know what kind of quality to expect. But when I opened it, all doubt disappeared. Print was done on thick high quality paper and colors were just as pretty as they were online.

The service I used to order the print was Society6. And if you are looking for a nice print and would like to save a little bit of money, you can use our referral link to save 20% of your first purchase.

I already had a picture of the frame in my head – a dark stained wood frame, modern and simple and with heftier depth. And then…

I realized that 36″x28″ is not a typical frame size you could just pick up at your local craft store. And I tried! I looked online, too! I found two options – one frame was too expensive and one was in another galaxy from what I wanted.

Naturally, I moved to plan B – custom framing. Until, I got a quote for it, that is. I planned on using a 65% coupon and even with that I was looking at anywhere from $200-$400. Hard pass! And I am still shaking my head.

Hence, on to plan C – thrifting!

Considering I spent about two weeks searching for a frame online and getting framing quotes, I expected a similar timeline with the thrift store. But luck was on my side. I found pretty much what I was looking for in perfect measurements at the first store! However, it needed some work.

Matting overload

My almost perfect frame included matting – four layers of it to be exact – ranging in color from light pink to burgundy. Luckily, I only needed the one with the biggest opening, just not in pink.

I looked around and found a can of white spray paint that I got for a quarter at our local hobby thrift store months earlier. A couple of layers and it was perfect.

Once the paint was dry, I carefully aligned the print with the opening and taped them together (with packing tape).

Frame

The frame was originally painted gray, but I really wanted it dark walnut. After sanding, I stained it. And when it wasn’t soaking up the pigment, I stained it again and then a couple of more times. Obviously, the old sealant did its job and sealed that wood shut!!!

After playing with a couple of other options, I ended up painting it gray. I know, I know – I was back where I started, but not quite. I used a much lighter hue that gave it a fresh and modern vibe.

And I LOVE it!

The photograph and the whole wall art setup are slightly smaller than I initially imagined, but I like that it complements the buffet without taking any attention away from it.

I can’t wait to put it all together and finally have my coffee station!

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