Hello friends! It’s finally a rainy and chilly day over here in the PNW. “Finally?” you say, “Isn’t it always rainy in Seattle?” Surprisingly, it’s not! We actually have very beautiful and often times hot summers here in Washington state. It’s been in the 80s and sometimes reaching 90 for the tail end of summer (which is really hot for us PNWers!) and even though it’s supposed to be trending towards fall, we have still had a lot of hot summery days. I’m ready for fall, people! So today God answered my fervent prayers and gave me a beautiful chilly, cozy, gray, misty fall day. Ahhh, just what I’ve been needing! Fall is my absolute FAVE season as you can tell from my Fall Favorites post.
To continue the trend, I thought I would post about one of my favorite corners in my house which definitely provides me a pick me up on these blanket-wrapped days. My tea and coffee bar! When we first started looking at houses one of my biggest requirements and plans was that there had to be room for a tea and coffee bar. HAD to. I’m a HUGE tea addict and my hubs loves his coffee fix so we knew that having a station in which to prepare these cozy drinks had to be a permanent fixture in our home.
I started with the Hemnes Sofa Table from Ikea and added four Knipsa baskets to the bottom. Right now the baskets just hold books and other odds and ends, but, knowing how much I’m addicted to tea, they could very well turn into large tea holding containers. You know, for all my back up tea.
For the tiny shelves above the baskets, I displayed all of my fave beverages. We got the hot chocolates as a house warming gifts, and The Queen Mary teas are from my FAVORITE tea shoppe in all of Washington. They even do little afternoon teas with all the sandwiches and nibbles and real china. If you are ever in the Seattle area you HAVE to go. Just saying. The glass jars I put regular tea bags in are actually old Bath and Body Works candle jars! Here’s a tutorial showing you the best way to get rid of old wax and transform the glasses into adorable storage jars!
I’m a MAJOR Doctor Who fan (any other Whovians out there??) and so my hubby bought me a delightful TARDIS teapot and tea diffuser (seen in the wooden box) Two. Of my favorite. Things. Tea + Doctor Who. It’s so perfectly British! I’m thinking about instating regular afternoon tea times at my house. Who wants to join? I also picked up those adorable little white ceramic pieces separately at different thrift stores, but they look like they are made to be together, don’t you think? The little one with the spoon holds my sugar!
Of course with all this tea love I couldn’t leave hubby and his coffee adoration out! We just got a Keurig machine and it is magical. Who knew that making delicious coffee could be so easy?? Before we got this wonderful coffee machine we used to make French press since we didn’t have a conventional coffee maker. And while delicious, it was time consuming, and I never could finish the whole thing. So, yay Keurig!
I picked up a cute little wooden box from Target a while back, that is originally used for papers and files and things. But I decided that it would make the perfect tea and coffee bar accessory holder! It conveniently holds all the little K-cups, some extra mugs, and all of my tea diffusers quite nicely. I also picked up a handy little mug rack from Ikea which really makes organization a snap! The ‘Bar’ print above is actually another postcard from our wedding!
There’s a few other fun details that I’ve thrown in to round out my coffee and tea bar. A new addition is my “Keep Calm and Put the Kettle On” print – it’s so Britishy and perfect. I love it! I also added a little wine corner with all my saved corks which I put into my DIY Glitter Vase and couple of cool wine bottles that I couldn’t bear to throw out. And of course a wedding photo adds that final loving touch. He may like coffee, and I like tea, but we both work together in perfect harmony 😉
My rehabbed garage sale corkboard even gets in on the love and is the perfect place to store all those save-the-dates and important reminders! It rounds out and completes the space nicely, methinks.
And there you have it! My perfect little tea and coffee bar nook. It’s definitely one of my fave spots in the house, and I feel so adult making a hot drink before I start work. What do you think?
Totally been thinking about doing this! Was thinking of getting a 2 person sized coffee pot for the area for when I just have a friend over for tea/coffee and then a separate little mini electric tea kettle or something too! Love your hanging mugs!
Thanks, Rebecca! 🙂 A cute little 2-person coffee/tea bar would be so perfect for you guys – I’d love to see pictures if you end up putting one together!
This is such a cute little space! I wish I had room in our apartment for something like this 🙂 It would probably be my favorite spot too! Have a great weekend 🙂
D’aww thanks! It’s definitely my go-to spot on chilly mornings! Have a great weekend, too, friend! 🙂
funny, I always end up clicking on your projects at linkup parties, we must have similar taste! 😉 I love your coffee bar, we have a smaller version I created in our kitchen mainly because the coffee maker had no where to go on the counter so now it has it’s own little spot, complete with a grinder and white mugs! Have a great weekend Erica!
Haha, we really must have similar taste, because I always end up clicking on yours, too! Your projects are always the best 🙂 Love that you have a mini coffee bar! Even the smallest of spaces can be functional 🙂 Love it!
How lovely, Erica! This is such a perfect space. I love all of your accessories, especially the mug rack.
Thanks, Sarah! I really do adore it, too 🙂
LOVE this Erica! I’ve always wanted a coffee bar too! It’s now my mission in life to find a perfect spot in our kitchen for one too! Thanks for the inspiration my friend!
Thanks!! You should totally put in a rustic one to fit the rest of your house! I can totally picture it 🙂
I am too in love with how beautifully you put together your bar! <3
Aw, thank you so much! I really enjoyed putting it together and it’s become one of my favorite corners of our home! 🙂
This is so lovely, Erica! I wish I had space for a coffee bar – it would make drinking my Folgers so much more glamorous!
Thank you! Folgers would totally be glamorous if you had a special place to prepare it! 😉 haha. Some days I just do instant too – it’s just so much faster – I’m not always patient enough to wait for tea to steep!
Love this! I need a coffee and tea bar. Our coffee pot causes daily kitchen traffic jams.
Coffee pots can totally cause major traffic jams! Having the bar has been so nice to just do my thing and have a dedicated space for it 🙂 If you end up putting one together I’d love to see it!!
SUCH a great space, Erica!! You almost HAVE to have a coffee bar living in Seattle, right? 🙂 So wish we had room for a mini coffee bar in our house, we’re big fans!! Someday. 🙂
Haha, it’s so true! We would probably be shunned and cast out of society if we didn’t regularly indulge in some coffee 😉 Drinking some right now, in fact! Hah. And yes! Someday you totally should! It’s made my life so much more cozy 🙂
Hi Erica!
I love that you dedicated such a lovely space to tea and coffee! Please share your favorite tea shop- the one you refer to that sells the Queen Mary teas. I live in the Seattle area and would love to try it!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Julie! Here’s the link to the Queen Mary Tea Shop’s webpage: http://www.queenmarytea.com/ You should be able to buy their teas through there or you can visit the shop in person – it’s behind the University Village in the U-District! Such a fun little spot for afternoon tea 🙂
What a brilliant idea, you now have me running the plans for my new house through my mind to see where I can fit a tea and coffee bar.
Thank you so much, Carrie! It was definitely a requirement when we were house shopping that there was a good place for a tea & coffee bar! I hope you find the perfect spot for yours 🙂
Really lovely, Erica! I’m currently working on a mini coffee bar for my eat-in kitchen area. I am also a lover of fiestaware so I will be hanging mine above my bar as well. Thanks for the tips! Oh, we also had post cards at our wedding! Love it!
Aw thank you, Sara! It sounds like we are two peas in a pod – great minds think alike! 🙂
Love your tea & coffee bar! I also carved out a special place in our home for a caffeination station & it has been the BEST decision. It makes getting coffee in the morning feel like I’m at an inn. Your house is adorable:)
Aw, thank you SO much, Brittany! I love that you call it a caffeination station – that’s totally what it is!! 🙂 It definitely feels like I’m at an Inn or hotel or something when I get my tea in the morning 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by!!!