Who doesn’t love a tea or coffee station!! All the goodness of your favorite café right in your own home.
I know I do but I don’t have the biggest kitchen so building a tea/coffee station there and losing some counter and cabinet space was not an option. It’s neither practical nor functional.
So here comes my IKEA KALLAX. I used it for storage purpose before and last year it already got a mini makeover with wallpaper and knobs. And it was the perfect fit for my tea station.
Before jumping into how I built it, I’ve listed 5 of my best tips on how to do it in a smaller space here.
Here are the things I did…
1. Since it is an extension of the living room, I wanted this space to blend with the rest of the area and not become the focal point. So I chose the color palette, décor items and other finishes accordingly. I kept it quite neutral, minimal and purely functional
2. I wanted mainly a functional area that would look classy and elegant at the same time. I’ve incorporated the modern clean lines of IKEA KALLAX with the glass and wooden pieces to give the timeless look. I personally love glass cups and mugs and I think they will never go out of style.
3. To give this space personality, I’ve put a wallpaper; it’s a peel and stick and it is a perfect backdrop to my tea station.
Then comes a pair of sconces, these are not hard wired and I used battery operated lights with a remote and it worked like a charm. The linen shades add softness and detail.
No place is complete without an artwork and here I chose a vintage downloadable print from Etsy keeping in mind that it does not clash with the whole setup.
The cup rail is from IKEA too which got a makeover with some dark bronze paint and silver and gold wax.
4. I kept everything else that were essential but I do not want to display, below. Just had to invest in some good organizers, baskets and trays.
And I’m really happy the way everything turned out; it looks beautiful, functional at the same time and so much more organized now.
Here are my top 5 tips on how to build a tea / coffee station outside a kitchen
1. Paint a wall nook/corner or put up a favorite wallpaper like I did here. Adding some floating shelves which would not only be functional but will also serve for displaying vases and artworks. It’s everything about adding your own personality to the space.
2. Look around your home, if you have a piece of furniture like a sideboard or bar cart which you can use here. There are some sideboards which are specially built for this purpose; I’ve listed a couple of them here . I personally like anything that has drawers and storage and preferably has a working surface.
3. Make sure there is enough lighting. We don’t want to fumble for a cup of bedtime tea at night. The light could be a pair of sconces, pot lights or under cabinet lights if there are cabinets. Talking of lights building a tea station around electrical outlets is important as there would be appliances and of course lights.
4. Invest in some pretty cups/mugs, pots and canisters. Some good trays, baskets, tea bag organizers, syrup bottles always come handy. I’ve listed some of their links here . Then some artworks, books, candles and vases help to put the place together.
5. Keep it cohesive with the rest of the space. Since we’re building it outside the kitchen; it’s generally in the dining area, living area or wherever you want. So keeping it cohesive with the rest of the space is important.
Last but not the least I’d like to add that tea/coffee station is all about personal preferences, some might like one thing more than others so there is no right or wrong about it and just make it fun and what suites you and your family