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Whether you’re home from college, miles away from your favorite cafe, or the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented the long homework-and-coffee afternoons you love, missing the feeling of walking into your favorite coffee shop can hit hard.
Getting your caffeine fix before going about your day, or lolling and basking in the comforting aroma of coffee beans and the always-fitting coffeehouse music may just be a distant memory. But it’s a struggle felt by many, and if you feel like you relate to it a little too well, here are three steps to take to set up your very own at-home coffee corner, which might just cure you of your coffee shop FOMO.
- The set-up
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When putting together your own at-home coffee corner or coffee station, there’s a lot of options for storing and organizing your set-up depending on your space and the vibe you’re going for.
A rolling kitchen cart is your best friend for a simple, yet effective and functional, coffee station. They are easy to find and are available in a range of shapes, sizes, prices and styles to suit your at-home coffee corner needs. This bamboo-wood framed cart (Urban Outfitters, $39) is the perfect minimal and modish storage unit to store and organize your mugs, a coffee machine and everything in between. You can also opt for a slightly larger, more versatile bamboo-wood cart (Urban Outfitters, $169) in a similar style to accommodate more items. It even includes a removable tray for when you want to take your coffee “to-go.”
What makes rolling carts great is how compact and portable they are, so you can make yours work whenever and wherever you’d like your coffee set-up.
However, rolling carts don’t have to be your only option. You can make use of any free counter space in your kitchen, in your cabinets or any free shelf space to set up shop and even repurpose furniture pieces you already own such as a hutch, side table or dresser. You could also take it a step further and spruce up your space by painting your storage piece for a fun DIY.
If space is limited, another way of keeping your coffee station compact and portable but still functional and cute is a coffee tray (Etsy, $30). With a coffee tray, you can store and display all your items and set it wherever you want. Trays are also a great option if you’re in a dorm room, as you can set up your coffee station tray anywhere that works for you and your space, such as on your micro-fridge or on top of your dresser.
- Display and organization
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Once you have your preferred set-up ready, the next step is putting together the pieces that’ll make up your at-home coffee corner.
You can use items you already have on-hand, but one basic at-home coffee corner essential can be an easy-to-use, single-serve mini coffee maker (Target, $60). The coffee-brewing options out there are seemingly endless, from fairly simple to bordering what you’d find in a science lab, so a small and compact coffee maker won’t take up too much space, and will work perfectly in your coffee station.
To complement your coffee maker, you’ll need something to store your coffee pods—preferably something convenient that doesn’t overwhelm or clutter your space. You can even have a little fun with your storage with a rooster shaped coffee pod holder (Walmart, $15) for a quirky touch, or go with a simple storage basket carousel (Amazon, $15) that also doubles as a mug holder.
If coffee pods are not a part of your coffee-making routine, you can opt for aesthetically pleasing ceramic canisters (Urban Outfitters, $18) to store your coffee, coffee beans, sugar, creamers and even loose-leaf tea. To keep your space even more organized and compact, three-tiered stackable jars (Amazon, $40) are a great and functional storage and display option.
- The vibe
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Creating your own at-home coffee corner and emulating the true feel of a coffee shop goes beyond just setting up a coffee maker and a couple of mugs.
Coffee shops involve all five senses, so you can take your coffee corner to the next level by lighting a café-inspired scented candle (Grounds and Hounds Coffee Co., $33) and enjoy the coffee shop vibes from the comfort of your own home.
There are endless coffeehouse playlists specially put together to go with your morning rise and that much-needed cup of Joe, or to make your long work/study sessions a little less dreadful. Spotify has a wide array of coffeehouse playlists for every mood and music genre, from country music to even a Parisian café inspired playlist, so whatever your mood or favorite music genre, you can find the perfect soundtrack for your coffee corner.
Your at-home coffee corner should also incorporate your personal touch to really make it your own. You can add decorative coffee-themed wall art or even go with a classic coffeehouse staple, a hangable chalkboard sign (Target, $7) that you can customize however you’d like.
Additional items you can personalize to truly make your coffee corner your own is a vintage rustic-inspired burlap throw pillow (Zazzle, $36) that you can customize with your own coffee brand design. This line of products also offers coasters and trivets that you can personalize and use as well.
Your at-home coffee corner should be a space you can look forward to enjoying, so brew some coffee in your favorite mug and turn on your favorite coffeehouse playlist and have fun with it!