How do I design an integrated coffee bar in my kitchen? : 4 Top tips

Figure 1: Coffee. Source: 4 S Architecture.

Quality Coffee, Brewed at Home

If you were asked to picture your perfect morning, chances are that your favourite coffee would be a part of this image, its aroma infusing an early morning with a sense of anticipation for the day ahead. A fresh cup of coffee can also make a quiet weekend morning feel warm, cosy and familiar.

Having the ability to craft high-quality coffee in your own home can transform the ritual of those mornings – whether fast-paced or relaxed. You might have found yourself wondering, how to create an integrated coffee bar at home? If you are thinking of renovating your kitchen, an integrated coffee bar might be the perfect addition to elevate your morning routine.

At 4 S Architecture, we are experts in designing around your specific lifestyle and needs. With our experience of designing highly personalised spaces, such as the multi purpose kitchen-dining-play space with its integrated coffee and appliance station in the Zig Zag Roof House in South London, we have compiled these 4 tips if you are thinking of designing a coffee bar for your kitchen:

1 - Robust, waterproof finishes

Our first piece of advice for your new coffee bar is to specify robust, waterproof finishes that extend around the backsplash and sides of the coffee station area – not just the counter itself.  Figure 2 shows our design for the coffee station in the Zig Zag Roof House, with pale grey reconstituted stone protecting the sides and back from potential coffee stains, while also creating an elegant contrast with the rest of the wood joinery. Other robust materials that could be considered for this purpose are ceramic or porcelain tiles.

Figure 2: 4 S Architecture's Integrated Coffee Bar Design for Zig Zag Roof House. Source: 4 S Architecture.

2 - Sockets out of sight

As many coffee-makers, kettles and bean grinders are electric, considering the number of  sockets you need at the start of the design process is advised, especially if the coffee bar may be doubling up as a place for your toaster or other small appliances. Our top tip is to place the sockets 50mm from the corner so they can be hidden behind the coffee maker itself, with cables tucked neatly away out of sight. It is important that the base of the socket is at least 150mm above the counter so that the socket can be easily accessed, especially if the plug is large.

3 - Adjustable Shelves

We suggest open shelves above your coffee making area to store all the attractive necessary accessories (mugs, beans, sugar etc.) so that they are easy to reach and see, with drawers below to hide any associated clutter.  Making the shelves adjustable will allow you to position them to fit a tall coffee-maker or a lower stack of mugs or teapot. The position of the shelves won’t likely change once they go in, but this gives you flexibility on the first day to set them precisely as you need to make best use of the space,  and allows you to change them to suit a new set of glasses or mugs.

4 - Slide away cupboard doors

If your space and budget allow, consider locating the entire coffee station behind slide-away cupboard doors that when open, don’t project into the space where they might interfere with circulation. Having doors allows visual clutter to be quickly hidden away, instantly transforming the space into a clean panelled zone. This was our solution for the integrated coffee station in the dining area of the Zig Zag Roof House – which is one of our client’s favourite spots in their home!

There is a lot to consider, so get in touch if we can help you design your perfect dream home.