How To Style a Coffee Bar

photo credit: Fixer Upper

Looking for techniques on how to style a coffee bar? Maybe you’re curious about what it is? Either way, you’re in the right place.

This article explains what a coffee bar is and shows you how you can set up and style one at home.

What is a coffee bar?

Simply put, a coffee bar is a section or area in your house that's mainly used for making coffee, storing related items (sugar and sweeteners, for instance), and placing cups and utensils.

Certain coffee bars consume a large amount of space, such as an entire section or corner of a room or kitchen. Smaller coffee bars, on the other hand, may be set up in a specific spot on the kitchen counter. You could also utilize a cabinet or sideboard as a coffee bar.

Regardless of its size, each coffee bar will entail the following basic coffee-making items and contents:

• The coffee maker
• Coffee grounds or pods (and a grinder for ground coffee beans)
• Water bottles or jugs (you need this to fill the coffee maker's tank)
• Sugar and sweeteners
• Coffee cups
• Trays and containers

Styling and creating a coffee bar in your house is straightforward. This is the case whether you want to set up in a large or small area, alike.

How To Style a Coffee Bar

By getting the items above, tapping into your creative side, and following the steps below for how to style a coffee bar, your setup will be reliable and convenient with minimal after-cleaning.

1. Pick Your Spot

Pick a spot that you can conveniently access. For example, a suitable location for your coffee bar could be across the hallway from your bedroom, study area, or home office.

To keep messes under control and avoid spilling coffee grounds on the floor, you may want your coffee bar to be near a trash can. Alternatively, consider buying a small, around hand-sized bin that's made for discarding old coffee grounds and pods.

Lastly, but certainly not least, find an area that fits the coffee maker, grounds or pods, cups, water, and other contents while giving you enough room to seamlessly prepare your coffee.

2. Add Your Coffee Makers

Now that you found the right spot, you can begin to place the items that you need in your coffee bar, starting with your coffee and coffee maker.

If you're thinking about buying a coffee maker, here are a few of the popular machines:

• Cold Brew Makers: This coffee maker is small and among the types that take up the least amount of space. Some designs can be refrigerated.
• French Press Makers: Just as with cold brew machines, french press makers are light and small in size. 
• Drip Makers: Drip makers have a big water tank, and the majority of them come with a detachable coffee pod or carafe. 
• Espresso Machines: Espresso machines are relatively large and heavy. Moreover, because you have to replace the portafilter's coffee grounds each time you make a fresh cup, it is helpful to style your coffee bar in a way that helps you manage the messes.
• Pod Machines: Most pod machines are nearly as large and heavy as espresso makers. Yet, when it comes to the cleanup, pod machines are much more manageable since they rely on disposable coffee pods instead of coffee grounds.

As you try to find a suitable place for your coffee maker, you want to consider an area that would also fit other products and items.

3. Use Trays and Containers

Containers with sealed covers will keep your coffee grounds and sugar fresh and prevent them from getting stale. Putting the containers on a tray makes it easier for you to clean up any coffee or sugar that drops.

With pod makers, you can organize the unused pods on a tray (rather than in the manufacturer's box) to reduce clutter.

If you're using a big tray or small cups, think about arranging your clean cups on the tray and placing the dirty ones in another location.

4. Lay Out the Cups Nicely or Hang Them

The layout of your cups could complement or enhance the style and design of your coffee bar.

For example, you can sort them out to form a pattern or shape. Alternatively, you may hang them on a corner or a wall that's beside your coffee maker.

5. Label the Containers

Labeling your containers is important for many reasons, including:

• It prevents your household members and guests from getting mixed up between products that have similar colors (for instance, brown sugar and light or medium roast coffee).
• Labeling containers can help keep their contents separate, which is vital if a family member, roommate, or friend has allergies.
• It makes it easy to distinguish between new and old ingredients, such as fresh and used coffee pods.

Once you label your containers, you may start decorating and adding your personal touches to the coffee bar.

6. Put Décor to Fill the Space

Here a few potential décor ideas for styling your coffee bar:

• Chairs or bar stools
• Coffee Tables
• Paintings
• Posters
• Small pictures
• Key hangers
• A calendar

These visually-appealing and practically-beneficial decorations, when combined with a fresh cup of coffee, will allow you to focus your energy on the things that matter and, at the same time, enjoy a smooth and hassle-free morning.

To boost your motivation, consider decorating your coffee bar with signs.

7. Add Signs

Addingsignswith motivational and positive messages is an excellent way to begin your day.

Alternatively, many people style their coffee bars with signs that have humorous quotes, particularly those about their need for coffee.

Ideally, you want your sign to fit in well (both design and size-wise) with the rest of your coffee bar's elements, including the surrounding area in your home, the coffee maker, and, when possible, the tray, container, and cups.

This allows you to practically and visually enjoy your at-home coffee bar.