I love having a dedicated kitchen coffee station. I savor the ritual of making morning coffee, and in every home we’ve had I’ve created a pretty spot specifically for that purpose.
As we designed our new kitchen, we gave careful thought to where the coffee station would go.
For the first time, we decided on a closed pantry-style cabinet to house our coffee station.
You might be surprised—I’ve usually kept our coffee setup out in the open. In this house, though, a closed cabinet made the most sense for the space. Here’s why.
Our kitchen and dining area are still a work in progress. We’re waiting on casing trim for the openings between rooms, crown and base molding for the cabinets, hardware, and a few other finishing touches. But I wanted to share a sneak peek of how it’s coming together!
This kitchen has a different layout than our previous homes, so we planned the design and function to suit this particular space.
We treated the kitchen and dining rooms as a combined area when planning cabinetry. That approach let us create dedicated task zones and floor-to-ceiling storage where they fit best while keeping the overall look cohesive.
The upper glass-front cabinets help the area feel lighter and less closed in by reflecting light. I’ll share more about those glass cabinets and other built-ins in a future post.
If you missed it, I shared our kitchen floor plan before and after in a previous post.
Our new coffee station cabinet sits in the dining room, just left of the built-in bookcase and bench in the living room. It will sit across from our new dining banquette.
Placing the station here moves a task and storage area away from the main cooking zone, which is helpful when entertaining or when family is over in a smaller home like ours.
We designed part of the cabinet specifically to hold our coffee maker and supplies, with pull-out pantry drawers for additional storage. The cabinet can easily double as a breakfast station for cereal, a toaster, or other morning needs. There will be an interior light for evening use, making the space practical as well as attractive. Flexible storage is important—this cabinet can evolve beyond a coffee station as our needs change.
The double doors are pocket-style, sliding into the cabinet sides so they don’t interfere with interior shelving. Pocket doors let us leave the cabinet open when family or guests are serving themselves, and when open they improve traffic flow between the living room and kitchen.
When closed, the cabinet keeps the area looking clean and streamlined. Our main floor is compact and the primary rooms are visible to one another, so minimizing visual clutter is a priority.
We’ll place our Berkey water filter in a pull-out pantry drawer on the left for easy access to filtered water. It’s not a built-in system, but it suits our needs. I debated adding a faucet or plumbing to this cabinet—it would be convenient, but we have two sinks just a few steps away, so we saved that expense. During a remodel it’s tempting to add every convenience “while we’re at it,” but we stuck to built-ins and prioritized what fit our budget.
Below are a few items we use for making and serving coffee that will likely be part of the new coffee station:
I’ve used a mug rack in previous kitchens, but this time I’m planning to store most mugs on the shelf or in drawers inside the coffee cabinet. If space allows, I may still add a mug rack.
Although we’ll have an espresso machine in the cabinet, I still plan to make coffee with my stovetop espresso maker like I have for years. The cabinet will hold all the supplies we need.
Two of our past coffee stations:
You can see more of our past coffee stations and styling in an earlier post showcasing cozy sip stations.
Related posts and renovation updates:
A Tiny Backyard Cottage: progress on the addition for my parents.
The Beauty of Soapstone Counters: why we chose them for our kitchen.
Kitchen Renovation Update: floors, cabinets, sink, hardware and more.
Kitchen and Dining Room Renovation Update: projects have begun.
Our New Kitchen Design Mood Board and five questions that helped me decide.
Adding Character in a Kitchen Remodel: the story of our new range and faucet.
My New Kitchen Floor Plan, parents’ addition, and exterior elevation.
Five design books I love for remodel inspiration.