Coffee Bar Ideas: How To Create a Cozy Nook


Coffee bar with Ridgeway Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet - Brushed Gold/Matte White, Bauman Cabinet Pulls and Knobs - Champagne Bronze Coffee bar with Ridgeway Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet - Brushed Gold/Matte White, Bauman Cabinet Pulls and Knobs - Champagne Bronze

Turning an unused countertop into a coffee bar is an excellent way to give your home warmth and function. Perfect for both espresso enthusiasts and Airbnb Superhosts, coffee bars are great for entertaining or giving your family a space to enjoy their morning pick-me-up. With the following coffee bar ideas, you can put your barista skills to the test and start brewing your favorite chai right from home.

What Is a Coffee Bar?


Much like a wet bar or dry bar, a coffee bar is a space designated for making your favorite espresso drinks in the home. These nooks are a great alternative to their boozy counterparts, perfect for those who would rather reach for a mug than a wine glass. Additionally, coffee bars create a cozy, inviting ambiance for families and guests alike and truly imitate the feeling of a “warm welcome.”

Coffee bar with Solid Bronze Textured Sqaure Knob

How To Design the Perfect Coffee Bar


Your perfect coffee bar depends on your everyday needs (and the amount of space you’re willing to dedicate to it). While you may want to take a more extensive approach—installing sinks, faucets, and other permanent fixtures, you can still achieve a completely functional coffee bar setup with a few cabinet hardware upgrades and a place to put your coffee maker. While there is no rigid guide to creating these versatile spaces, certain essentials will elevate your plans, no matter your personal style.

Coffee bar with Rennes Cabinet Knob, Klein Cabinet Pull, Barwell Vanity Sconce - Antique Brass

For inspiration surrounding an at-home cafe of your own, check out the following coffee bar ideas for small spaces and large ones.

Welcome Home: On-the-Go Coffee Bar Accessories

Making space in your mudroom, breezeway, or entryway is a great way to integrate your morning coffee routine into your home’s layout. Perfect for busy families, placing coffee bar essentials in your home’s entrance will ensure you never leave without your precious cup of joe.

In this functional entryway, for example, a coffee machine joins the Holcomb Undermount Sink and our all-new Ridgeway Faucet in matte white and brushed gold. This design lets you quickly fill the water reservoir and wash used cups. Surrounding hardware like our Mariline Double Hooks and Bauman Collection keep coats, towels, or other essentials organized and within reach.

Ridgeway Kitchen Faucet - Brushed Gold/Matte White, Bauman Cabinet Pulls & Knobs - Champagne Bronze, Barwell Sconce - Aged Brass Ridgeway Kitchen Faucet - Brushed Gold/Matte White, Bauman Cabinet Pulls & Knobs - Champagne Bronze, Barwell Sconce - Aged Brass
Holcomb Undermount Sink
Mariline Brass Double Hook
Bauman Round Cabinet Knob
Ridgeway Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet
Bauman Cabinet Pull

Midnight Coffee: A Dining Room Spread


There’s nothing better than having a late-night coffee after a big meal. Perfect for extending holiday chatter or warmly sending loved ones on their way, a coffee bar setup within your dining room is equal parts convenient and inviting. Because the dining room is designed specifically for entertaining and serving, coffee bars built into unused china cabinets or hutches are a great use of space that offers additional functionality.

Coffee bar with Rennes Cabinet Knob, Klein Cabinet Pull, Barwell Vanity Sconce - Antique Brass, Kunin Chandelier - Matte Black

As seen here, our Rennes Cabinet Knobs and Klein Cabinet Pulls allow residents to keep syrups and other coffee bar accessories behind closed doors.

Rennes Cabinet Knob, Klein Cabinet Pull - Antique Brass
Rennes Solid Brass Oval Cabinet Knob
Rennes Solid Brass Oval Cabinet Knob
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Klein Solid Brass Cabinet Pull
Klein Solid Brass Cabinet Pull
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More is More: Maximalist Must-Haves

Calling all eclectic design lovers. If you’re looking to experiment with design styles that fall outside of your comfort zone, coffee bars allow you to play with fun patterns and fixtures with little commitment. Because these spaces often occupy less square footage, you can still exercise your love of color without enlisting a similar treatment to the rest of your home.

While letting your Signature style shine is paramount, utility should never fall by the wayside. If you plan on using your coffee bar to entertain, installing a small sink, like our 15” Atlas Stainless Steel Prep Sink, will give guests a place to discard used cups and keep them out of sight. A bar sink setup will also allow you to rinse or wash used spoons and other silverware without transporting them to the kitchen.

Coffee bar with 15" Atlas Stainless Steel Undermount Prep Sink - Gunmetal Black

Design Tip: Think About Wet Bar Versatility


A prep sink and faucet will give you more adaptability in your space, allowing you to quickly convert it into a wet bar, complete with everything you need to craft a tasty cocktail.

Coffee bar with 15" Atlas Stainless Steel Undermount Prep Sink - Gunmetal Black
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Aged Brass Details: A Cozy Kitchen Nook


Not all coffee bars need miles of countertops to add flavorful function to your space. In fact, small coffee bars are a great way to put limited counter space to work. Instead of using butler’s pantries or tight corners as a spam mail graveyard, use their compact footprint to your advantage by creating an all-inclusive, home-brewed hub.

Coffee bar with Cipullo Solid Brass Round Cabinet Knob - Antique brass

In this cozy space, coffee essentials take up the open countertops, while cream, sugar, and other ingredients stay behind the spacious fridge and floor-to-ceiling cabinetry. As for the details, our Cipullo Round Cabinet Knobs add a hint of aged brass variation to a simple, off-white scene.

Cipullo Solid Brass Round Cabinet Knob - Antique brass
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We’ll Take A Warm-Up: An Autumnal Escape


Coffee and fall weather go hand-in-hand. If you want to amp up your autumn decor while bringing heightened performance to your kitchen, consider adding a simple at-home coffee bar.

Coffee bar with Belfast Cabinet Pull, Brass Round Knob with Beveled Round Base Plate - Satin Brass

In this farmhouse kitchen, our Belfast Cabinet Pulls and Brass Round Knobs with Beveled Base Plates offer easy-to-grasp access to all essentials. Additionally, our spacious Torun Firclay Sink and Southgate Faucet match the room’s warm and welcoming demeanor while allowing you to rinse used utensils.

Southgate Single-Hole Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet - Polished Brass, 33" Torun Fireclay Farmhouse Sink - White

Design Tip: Consider Open Shelving

Keep your favorite mug within reach (and on display) by using open shelving to create additional storage. While this space here features built-in open shelving, our wide selection of shelf brackets allows you to install your own without the help of a contractor.

Belfast Cabinet Pull
Torun Fireclay Farmhouse Sink
Brass Round Knob with Beveled Round Base Plate
Southgate Kitchen Faucet

Hidden Treasure: A Coffee Bar Cabinet


Sometimes, we keep the best things in life to ourselves. Like a secret library or a hidden cubby, this unassuming kitchen features a clever small coffee bar cabinet. Behind a single cupboard, a coffee maker resides with a built-in pot filler. Not only does this keep countertops clear and uncluttered, but it also offers a unique detail that will be appreciated whenever used.

Kitchen with 33" Grigham Reversible Fireclay Farmhouse Sink - White

Featured in a stunning polished nickel, our Vivan Retractable Wall-Mount Pot Filler Faucet extends from the back of the cabinetry. Its easy-to-use design streamlines filling the coffee maker’s water reservoir, eliminating unwanted spillage and overfilling.

Coffee bar cabinet with Vivan Retractable Wall-Mount Pot Filler Faucet - Polished Nickel
Vivan Retractable Wall-Mount Pot Filler Faucet - Polished Nickel
Vivan Retractable Pot Filler Faucet
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33" Grigham Reversible Fireclay Farmhouse Sink - White
Grigham Fireclay Farmhouse Sink
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For more ideas & inspiration, check out these articles:
Farmhouse Sink Buying Guide
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Cabinet Hardware Buying Guide
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Essentials Of Mid-Century Modern Interior Design
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Farmhouse Sink Buying Guide
Cabinet Hardware Buying Guide
Essentials Of Mid-Century Modern Interior Design