Hello, :) I happen to think it's pretty awesome and I Love coffee and I like tea. I do happen to think the comment/photo that Groveraxle posted with your picture raised a bit looks good. I think it gives the art a bit more prominence.... which is a good thing if you enjoy it! ;) Your home looks very comfy and welcoming.... I'd gladly have coffee .....or tea there any day! :) Good luck... with whatever you choose to do. :)

grover...I didn't even notice that you had raised the picture until zaz..pointed it out. Thanks for doing that to save some nails in the wall. Much appreciated. I do like it better.

Not sure if I agree with anyone after reading through all these posts because I can't tell for sure who thinks what .... but I do think raising the art just a smidge will help and if you think it's too cluttered...perhaps you could send your interloping males somewhere else and have them leave your tea bar alone!

@Margo - didn't miss the comment nor did I miss the many others. You might think you are funnin' but it doesn't come across that way. You poked fun at someone's suggestion repeatedly - and exclamation points doesn't change that. I rarely see this sort of exchange here- this one isn't as benign as you'd like to think.

(You know the mean girls table where they make fun of someone and then say don't go away mad, we were only kidding? Giggle, giggle...)

And I have a great sense of humor, if something is funny.

Oh heavens...

Dlfrun 66, you could take what you have started there and run with it. It looks bohemian to me. Maybe some bright patterned china?

If you can and do actually use this bar as is, then it is certainly not too cluttered. If the rest of the room were cluttered, perhaps, but it doesn't appear to be.

Could everyone stop arguing! Someone is trying to get helping advice on their home and Margo and deco and Columbia are fighting! Just stop!

Fighting? Not me. Not deco. I was merely trying to point out that constructive comments should be welcomed and poking fun should not. Margo's childish response merely confirmed it.

Don't the jokes about coffee machines go all the way back to the machine that cost tens of thousands of dollars, and DCLostboy? Maybe 2013.

Go big or go home! Own that coffee bar and go all the way with it, take down the picture and use the wall above for coffee accessories and storage. Shelves, hooks, etc.

For now I've decided to raise the picture and tone down the gold frame with a little black. Rearrange and declutter the bar as much as I can. If I see something I like better, I will change at the point.

If you all see things you like, keep the ideas coming and Thanks!

I'm sure the shelves and hooks would be a great addition to the coffee bar, but I never have open shelves anywhere. Even my lockers have cabinets because I don't want to see that much stuff. I'm sure that's why this bar is bugging me a bit. I feel like for me shelves and hooks would just make me feel more cluttered.

Don't forget to show us pictures of your changes!! ; )

Few changes

I notice that the dark items on the shelves blend in more, and don't read as clutter. So if you could possibly replace the lighter items like the white teapot with darker ones, that would help lessen the feeling of clutter. But overall it looks great!

I totally agree. I'm going to look for new teapots. I removed the white teapot from the bottom shelf.

I love the idea of having a coffee bar at home! I read some of the other suggestions and I agree that your art work above the coffee bar is too large. I would put up shelves or something to hang coffee mugs on...that way it frees up some of the space where the coffee makers are. Keep us posted on how this evolves.

Great changes dflrun looks very nice. I would love a nice earl grey thanks!

I think the whole setup looks charming, painting and all but I'm wondering if it would look less cluttered if the two coffee makers were grouped together in the middle with the teapots on the sides.

Love it! Floating picture and all! Put on a pot! All of us will be right over for coffee!

Paint every other room Sherwin Williams Mainstream Grey, get rid of the gorgeous cabinet, buy some cheap junk by Exploitation Hardware, then don't even put the coffee there; put it in the kitchen then put an empty bowl serving no function on the junk furniture. Then you simply close in that wall of windows, hang a massive projection screen that you can project images into for "pops" of color.

Oh. And paint all the doors black and replace all the tile work in the house with white subway.

And yes, I was joking :)

I'm having a cup of morning tea. Come on over and join me.

I'm posting the rest of the room in case anyone is confused. The coffee bar is in my kitchen. I also have a coffee closet in my basement family room.

Forget all the debate about the coffee bar, your home is gorgeous! I love the wall of Windows.

In my very humble opinion, since this WAS the question asked, I think it is too cluttered. I would have spilled grounds and drippy water spots and I'd be knocking things over. And dusting would be a nightmare. That being said, you made some great improvements and if it works for you, super!

I visited Japan and had that tea that they make with the whisk and powder. I see that on your shelf. More power to you if you can drink it! We thought it was yucky. You are a true tea lover, for sure!

Yes , Moxie.. I love green tea including Matcha!

It was fascinating to watch the pomp and circumstance with which it was made. A real procedure, to be sure.

Great job, dlfrun66. Tipping my morning coffee cup to you. Cheers!

Btw, not all of us are minimalists. I love layers and lots of details. Makes life more exciting for me. :D

Absolutely. I'm great at leaving things laying around and my emerging minimalism is an attempt at being less messy. Also, at being able to find my stuff, which I lose constantly! It's obvious that our poster is very neat and tidy, which makes it work. The fact that the composition is all about something that she loves makes it better yet.

i read an interesting piece in the nytimes that says our *efforts* to declutter are wasted, we always return to the same state of clutter, just as our weight returns as soon as we arent ferociously starving ourselves. if we give away half of our stuff, we'll just replace it with more stuff, if we are a stuff-lover.

mostly, i think its about self awareness, and self forgiveness when the stuff (and weight) returns.

My philosophy is I only keep what I need or use. If not it goes to someone else charity or trash. Also every item has a home and I can find it when I need it.

ooh I'd love to be like that! Things walk around by themselves sometimes.

Moxie..That's my intention anyway. lol

I love your home, your gorgeous windows, your art and your coffee bar. I agree that moving the painting up a bit so there's breathing room between the appliances and the art is an excellent idea. If you can move a few pieces (you already have, actually) to a nearby space that's good. I like the simple white teapots, though; I can't see what might be an improvement on those.

There is nothing wrong with wanting the pieces you use all together, ready when you want them. They aren't clutter; they're things you need, use and love. They're lovely. Enjoy!

mrsstem, you have figured out the system! You are so, so right!

It would be fun to make out a schedule showing the outgoing "dated" and the incoming "trending" with a timeline showing when "must-haves" suddenly morph into "ticky-tacky" to be gutted and replaced.

Love your picture:) I am glad you moved it up a bit if only to protect it from steam, heat or one of those spills that goes everywhere.

Dlfrun, go back to the third comment and follow erinsean's advice...perfect. By the way, I think you have a great great room!

i love it

Cozy, comfy, mmm...coffee.

moving the pic up for sure gave this area some breathing room. my first impression was a need for a vertical pic verses the horizontal. your piece of furniture is very traditional as the current art. i think a small gallery of coffee pics could be interesting. some of these pics are nice.

last comment: looks like it is all figured out by not, : ) , wondering if a square tray in the center would be a better use of your space or a rectangular side ways to give a bit of table space. coffee lover here. wish i had a spot to do this.

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/magnolia-l-diane-johnson.html

optional magnolia pic

I believe you are making good use of the buffet, which is a beautiful piece of furniture. The picture is gorgeous, but I agree with other posters that you should put it on the wall opposite the dining set. If it is too small for that wall, flank it with matching framed mirrors. Another poster suggested a vintage beverage sign, like the restaurant type that would say "Coffee 5 cents" to put over the bar. If you cannot find such a sign, maybe you could get a framed blackboard and make a sign with chalk or white paint. You might find stencils of a coffee cup, coffee plant, and bag of coffee beans to add a graphic to the scene. The internet does have clip art patterns from which you could make stencils. When you do put something on the wall, have the bottom edge three or four inches above the highest item on the bar. You have created a lovely and functional space in this room, and the suggested changes will make it even more beautiful.

Oh dear, way too cluttered! It looks like a hotel self service area.

Leave the white pieces, but get rid of all the dark stuff on the bottom four shelves. It looks cluttered and doesn't stand out due to the darkness of the items. I would clean out the drawers and place the most used items there, then place one item on each shelf in a light color. ONE. The pic is a bit big but the style goes with your home. The rest of your home is beautiful!

Older post....

I love it as it is ! It is so warm and inviting. The magnolia picture says Southern hospitality to me. Wouln't change a thing.

I wouldn't put coffee machines on the furniture. I would put 3 cups with saucers with various patterns, a chocolate pot by Prussia, creamer and sugar and a lovely vase with some greenery.