Coffee Bars Energize Any Room

Becky Harris I think a coffee bar upstairs with an automatic timer on the machine would definitely motivate me to get out of bed!

Denise Vilim My little coffee bar is similar to the one in the fourth image: same 24" dark brown cabinets enclosing a 2 ft wide nook, with the same Cuisinart from the third image. The only difference is my oven is to the right of my nook. I keep a sugar castor next to the coffee maker and coffee cups in the cabinet above. Although the sink is a few steps away, it is nice having all the rest of my cup o' joe supplies all in one place.

Charmean Neithart Interiors, LLC. Sounds like a great spot Denise. It's about time for a cup right now. Thanks for your input. Charmean

Charmean Neithart Interiors, LLC. Right Becky, you gotta go with whatever works. I know that just the smell of the coffee roasting in the kitchen will wake me up in the morning. It's the coffee smell alarm. My husband leaves very early in the morning, so I have found I wake up to his pot of coffee rather then the alarm. Thanks for your input.

dotknot I really love built-in coffee makers- especially plumbed in. I am not sure about food or drink prep in the bathroom though, sort of squeemish about that(except a glass of wine in the tub of course).

Charmean Neithart Interiors, LLC. Hi dotknot. Yeah that's a hard call. If I had any extra space in my bathroom I think I would opt for more shoe storage. Maybe it's just me. Thanks for your input. Charmean

Samantha Jayne The owners of kitchen 2 are true aficionados - a beautiful espresso machine and most likely Illy coffee... A kitchen with designated areas for preparation is essential - wether you have a special nook or not - with the appropriate electric supplies to support it. So many kitchens are designed with the power supply in the wrong spot or not enough of it!

franki7 Gotta have my coffee...black...and close by! franki

Charmean Neithart Interiors, LLC. Hi Samantha. Indeed the owners of kitchen two are serious about their coffee. It's really one of the things I love about residential design, the customization of one's needs and wishes in their home. Thanks for your input. Charmean

Charmean Neithart Interiors, LLC. Hi Franki7. I know so many people who feel the same way you do. Thanks for reading, I appreciate your input. Charmean

jenniferstanley Really like the idea of a separate spot in the kitchen for the coffee pot. It's a dream to be able to confine the coffee mess--grounds, water drips, etc...

mmsalg I'm usually not picky about where I drink my coffee as the beverage trumps the space, but these spaces may just change my mind :-). Thanks Houzz!

marcie
http://custm.co/hz/49

Julie Earnest Must have fresh-ground - it makes such a difference! - but dislike the noise of the grinder and waking up the kids & the puppy, so the grinder stays in the garage....but everything else is on my counter a few steps from the outside patio overlooking the creek, which is where I ENJOY my morning coffee. :-)

bernicasey Wonderful examples. My favorite is the 7th one down, so charming. I need a new coffee maker, but I'm holding out for a nicely designed one from a good brand with functionality that you actually use (ideally, not stainless steel, preferably white).

Charmean Neithart Interiors, LLC. Hi Bernicasey. We have had luck with this one from Williams Sonoma...
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/cuisinart-12-cup-programmable-coffee-maker/?pkey=e%7Ccoffee%2Bmaker%7C32%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C5&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-Top_Wide_Agrarian%20-%20copy-_-

Thanks for reading and your input. Charmean Neithart

Charmean Neithart Interiors, LLC. Hi Julie. Coffee by the creek sounds lovely. Glad you enjoyed these ideas. Thank you for reading and your input. Charmean Neithart

Charmean Neithart Interiors, LLC. Hi mmsalg. Let me know if you do create a space for your coffee. Keep us posted on what you come up with. Thanks for reading and your input.
Charmean Neithart

CAROLE MEYER Hi Charmean......Thanks for using part of our kitchen in your idea book. It is the last photo on the post, with the chocolate black cabinets. We call it The Coffee Shrine! Carole

photogirl333 @jenniferstanley - is that your coffee nook photo you posted? If so, where did the table come from? I love it! (If not, does anyone know where I can find one that's similar?)

ltcroucher Hi Charmaine, thanks for this article. So timely for me. We gutted a 1974 split level and are now in the last throes of rebuilding. Yay! One of the 'gifts' from our contractor is a 75" long space in the lower level with plumbing for a sink. His vision is a bar for alcoholic drinks. We don't drink, alcohol, that is, but we are coffee drinkers. Love this article and the great ideas. But with the whole house remodel, I don't want to spend more than $500 on this little space that we didn't budget for in the first place. Any ideas? My husband wants a compact fridge, which would eat up about $200 of the budget already.

Charmean Neithart Interiors, LLC. Hi ltcroucher. Sounds like you just need some simple cabinetry to accommodate the fridge and sink. Get the specification for the fridge your husband wants and give it to your contractor. Ask him for a bid on the plumbing, electrical and cabinets, you will need to find something reasonably priced for a faucet and sink. I suggest dumping the used coffee grounds in a nearby trash can, you can avoid having to install a garbage disposal this way. Try to find a remnant of slab material at a tile store or slab yard. You might want to think about where you will get the water to make your coffee. If your tap water is good, you can use your sink. If not, you might consider a filter for your tap or keep water bottles near by. Hope that helps. Let me know if you need further information. Charmean Neithart

ltcroucher Thanks, Charmean. The water quality is a bit of a problem where we are (waterfront). I'm glad you made me think of how to deal with that. We have old cabinets we pulled out from the kitchen now sitting in the shed. If I can find the right sizes I think I may be able to use a couple but will have to invest some elbow grease. I also looked at Ikea cabinets, but even with the cheapest model, the price will not be within my budget. Open shelves instead of wall cabinets are also an option. I plan to install the newish microwave that came with the house on one of these shelves. What do you think of my options?

calkelley loved the article!
Carole - what a warm kitchen vibe! jennifer - love your spot, just what I need. Put that on castors and you can wheel it outside most mornings here!
With kitchen counter space less than my last house, I put the espresso maker on the bar, along with all my bar things and it's right next to the breakfast table. Would love a little fridge as I drink lattes but I would probably have the milk spoil before I used half. And really! I can use the exercise of walking 15 ft to the big fridge!
If I was a big coffee drinker (don't hate me because I only drink decaf!), I could see having the set ups that are pictured in the bathrooms (also a little squeamish about that) in a spot in the bedroom. Next to the french doors for a quick exit to a cafe table outside? Oooohhh.

gmailkub AS i saw, I know that just the smell of the coffee roasting in the kitchen will wake me up in the morning.The only difference is my oven is to the right of my nook. I keep a sugar castor next to the coffee maker and coffee cups in the cabinet above.Sounds like you just need some simple cabinetry to accommodate the fridge and sink. Get the specification for the fridge your husband wants and give it to your contractor.

CAROLE MEYER Hi Charmean....Thanks for including my "Coffee Shrine" in your post. It is indeed a great place to sit beside the kitchen fireplace and read the paper while enjoying that special cup of morning coffee! Carole

mommamidget we never thought of this idea until we saw it on here--my husband is a BIG time coffee drinker and this will (hopefull) fit very well into our new kitchen design--thanks so much for the idea!!

mattbult We converted our dining room into a "coffee house" style room. It does indeed move all the mess and action from the kitchen, and provides the opportunity for a larger machine. We have has this room for about four years now and it is probably the second most active room int he house. Morning bustle, midday tea, evening homework and chatting, entertaining, guitar sessions with the kids. No regrets, this is my favorite room in the house.