It’s Kylee here with another update from our Seattle townhouse. When I last showed the coffee station, it was perched on a wine rack — a handy temporary solution during those first hectic days of unpacking. It served us well, but the wall behind it is large and called for something sturdier that could also add storage. We considered display cabinets, but when my grandparents moved they gifted us a beautiful John Boos kitchen cart. It was a perfect, cost-free answer to our need for more kitchen storage, so we moved the wine rack elsewhere (I’ll share where in a future post) and set up the cart instead.
To make the most of the space, I installed a floating shelf from Ikea above the cart to hold our bulk pantry jars. We don’t buy much packaged food and lack a formal pantry, so jars are our go-to for staples. Having them all on the counter started to feel cluttered and ate up precious prep space, so the wall shelf freed up the surface and created a neat, visible display. Some less-used jars live in a cupboard and a few are tucked into the basket on the cart’s bottom shelf. Since we use these ingredients often, the arrangement is always shifting — a casual, colorful rotation. The utensil bar we use for hanging mugs is also from Ikea and keeps things organized and within reach.
My favorite morning ritual is heading downstairs to make coffee at our little cart. On weekdays we usually use a Nespresso for its speed and convenience, while weekends are reserved for the Bialetti or a French press when we have more time. Someday we might replace the cart with a larger display cabinet to store more dishes, but for now we love the flexibility and charm the cart provides.
As for coffee gear, we keep it simple. While there are endless lists of must-haves for an elaborate coffee station, our routine is pretty straightforward: black and strong for the first cup, sometimes milk, and occasionally a touch of vanilla for subsequent cups. Living in Seattle has made us particular about our coffee, though we aren’t consumed by every trendy brewing gadget — no Chemex or Aeropress in daily rotation yet. We enjoy good espresso-to-milk ratios for lattes and appreciate quality, but our setup prioritizes function, quick mornings, and the small pleasure of a well-made cup.