I finally have space for a coffee station after years of dreaming of one – these are the clever buys my Editor has persuaded me to invest in to curate the perfect drinks corner
What I'm working with and what I hope will be the result
A dedicated coffee corner has been high on my kitchen wish list for years. As Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliances Editor I have the privilege of poring over pretty pictures of coffee stations every week, but I've never had the chance to curate one myself.
After moving into a new flat a few weeks ago I've finally found a space that I can sit my bean-to-cup coffee machine and all of its fixtures on. Now space isn't a problem; what I can consider to be the real challenge is actually making it look good.
Luckily, I have the Ideal Home team for inspiration, whose ideas I'm raiding as inspiration for my own coffee corner. Here's everything I'm going to buy to spruce up my space.
1. Coffee mat
The foundation of my coffee corner is a wooden unit, which is situated under built-in shelves. As the wood is prone to getting marked or stained, the first thing on my shopping list is a practical one: a coffee mat.
When I lived back with my family I bought this mat from Amazon (£12.99) to sit under my Ninja Luxe Café and it worked really well to protect my worktop from leaks. I'm switching from stripes to this checkerboard design this time around with this similar pick (£9.99 from Amazon) but the aim is the same: to keep from any stray water from causing long term damage.
My everyday coffee machine, the Sage Barista Express Impress, has an assisted tamper which saves me much complication. If you have a standard espresso machine where you have to tamp those grounds yourself, you might benefit from a tamping mat instead. ProCook's £6 version can sit on the edge of your coffee station and will help you to apply even pressure to your portafilter. It has a handy groove for your tamp, too.
This mat is well-regarded by hundreds of reviewers, which has inspired my confidence to invest in it for my new coffee station. There's multiple colour options too.
This small mat creates dedicated space for those with standard espresso machines to tamp their grounds to avoid mess.
2. Organised extras
Ideal Home's Editor Heather Young offers us endless inspiration with her gorgeous kitchen, including her newly-organised coffee station hidden away within her pantry.
The first thing she's employed in there is this Lazy Susan from Amazon (£17.99) which she's using to display her 'bowl of sugar, pot of teaspoons and collection of syrups' so she has everything she might need for a caffeinated treat when she opens up her pantry.
The second is her newly installed set of mini shelves, which you can find for £19.99 from Amazon, which Heather says has made everything 'much more accessible'. This organiser has a great height to it, which allows for tall jars to be stored alongside coffee beans and tea bags.
Having a dainty little sugar pot, like this one from M&S (for £6) is definitely something I'm going to be copying, as well as the Lazy Susan idea for my new pantry. It's going to make it so much easier to get my coffee essentials in the morning.
M&S never miss but the brand's new wooden kitchenware collection is too good to overlook – this ribbed spice jar set would make the perfection companion piece.
I'm not the only one thinking a Lazy Susan could be a genius way to get organised before autumn. Our Cleaning Editor Lauren is putting one to work underneath her kitchen sink!
3. Curated shelving
The biggest problem I have to solve is how to style the shelves above my coffee machine. Open shelving is a divisive topic at the best of times, but my Editor Rebecca's piece on why she had to get rid of her display pantry made me realise this is definitely not a trend I can buy into.
I find styling shelves difficult enough without worrying about accumulating dust or collecting clutter by accident, so I'm aiming to keep the space above my coffee station as curated as possible.
On my wish list, inspired by a kitchen from the pages of the magazine, is a classic Roberts radio in a pastel colour (like this one from John Lewis, £150) so that I can listen to music while I potter around on the weekend as well as a glug jug (like this one from Oliver Bonas, £45) and some artwork. I've got my eye on this handpainted trio from Dunelm (£45) but I also like the idea of something personal like this gorgeous pick from Papier's new collection from Glassette (£26).
4. Matching mugs
Building a strong mug collection is key to a coffee station that gets compliments. I've started strong with the addition of Fable's espresso cups (£52), which fit so neatly on the top of my espresso machine, but I'm looking to add multiple pairs of mugs that share a similar feel.
I've loved these Night & Day mugs from Our Place (£47.99) for many a year, so it might be time to finally take the plunge. Dunelm's new-in section, particularly with these playful resin coasters (£12) is also calling my name...
My love for butter yellow in kitchens isn't going anywhere soon and this mug makes for a soft touch of sunshine.
I'm hoping this low profile mug will add a nice height balance to my coffee station too – I love the marbling.
With these upgrades, I'm hoping my coffee station will soon start to take shape. Do you have any non-negeotiables for your morning brew?
