I hate coffee! I‘m talking about straight, black coffee. I remember as a child, my mom would sometimes (very rarely) let us have ‘coffee milk’‘, a mixture of milk and sugar mostly with a splash of coffee for color. I remember it being so bitter, even with all the sugar, but at the time, I felt so grown up drinking it. Everyone drank coffee it seemed, especially adults.. People met for coffee. When we visited friends, they always asked mom and dad if they’d like a cup of coffee. Social gatherings typically offered tea or coffee. It was a staple of American adulthood. And I imagined one day, a flip would switch and it would become my favorite drink. Well, it never really panned out that way.
Don’t get me wrong. My son, Garrett, can make some impressive, delightful, sweet treats that involve coffee; iced coffees with brown sugar syrup, cappuccinos with whipped topping and chocolate shavings or peppermint bits, but none that I just have to have again and again and again. And I definitely am not the gal that needs her morning cup of coffee, but a coffee bar, now that is something I just need! I kid. Need may be too strong a word, but after visiting my son and daughter-in-love, Tess, I knew I wanted one.
I remember after they married visiting them for the first time in their new home. Tess has great taste in decorating and homemaking. Her home was beautiful and I remember thinking how happy I was for the two of them as they began their lives together sharing their home as a couple with friends and family. And as we toured their little corner of the world, admiring her choice of artwork or lamp or home decor item, we entered the kitchen.
Aha moment right now.
There it was in all it’s glory. The coffee bar. It was beautifully decorated and complete with every gadget you could imagine. Keurig, foamer, some sort of press, I don’t know what the names of it all is, but I loved it! They had selections of coffee and homemade syrups and creamers of all kinds. The idea of a coffee bar seems so thoughtful to me. To offer selections for your guests to make them feel more at home is such a gracious thought. It was so welcoming and homey and you just wanted to be a coffee drinker. I knew I wanted one.
As you know from my previous post, we have just moved into a new home and believe me, the wheels have been spinning for some time before we moved in that I would have a place in my kitchen for a coffee bar. And it worked perfectly. There was a little nook beside the refrigerator that was perfect. It does have a window which does limit decor a touch on the wall, but eventually, I will have it decorated. Right now though, I just needed a piece that would fit and blend in with my decor.
After Mike and I moved in to the new house and I began searching our local marketplaces online, I just wasn’t having much luck finding a piece I liked. By chance, I called Garrett as they have several pieces of furniture in their house that were remaining from his Grandma when she lived there. He told me they had a couple dressers from a bedroom set nobody had claimed which I was familiar with from visits. I was pretty sure it wouldn’t work and it was too bedroomy. He kept telling me it was the perfect size and would work great. (Just a side note, all of my children have creative juices flowing through them and vision... What vision they have! All of them.)
Well, I’m glad I listened to him. He and Tess loaded the dressers (two of them) and brought them to Colorado for Thanksgiving. I still had my doubts, but was excited to get my hands on them to make them work. I was sure I could come up with something great. Here is a picture of the piece before the makeover.
So it looks like a bedroom dresser, right? Maybe it was the location or the decoration on it or just memories of Grandma’s house, but I just had trouble seeing it. When Garrett delivered it, I was pretty apprehensive that it would ever not look like a dresser, but was still excited to have it serve as a coffee bar. It would still have all the cool gadgets and choices and decorations, just look more like a dresser. I’m not that fussy about things, so I anticipated it being fine.
Well, here it is in our home.
And I kid you not, it was the easiest makeover I have ever done. If you read my previous post, I used the Trench Coat Tan my daughter picked out to cover the greenish color it was before. It is solid wood and it was still in really good shape finish wise. There were a few nicks and scratches, but overall in terrific shape. So I decided to just do the dry brush approach and see where that got me. Well that is all I did. One coat over already finished surface. The paint is a trim paint in semi-gloss, so it still has some sheen. Here is a close-up of the finish.
I know the look isn’t for everyone, but I certainly love the way it looks in this house. And it does lend itself to a farmhouse feel, in my opinion. Here is the paint I used.
I haven’t completed the actual decorating of the piece, but the makeover literally took me one hour if that. The decorating will develop over time and season, but I had it ready in time for Christmas! Here is one last look of the piece as it fits in the home. I love, love, love it and will enjoy decorating it and stocking it for guests and family for years to come.
I’ll keep you posted on the decorating. Hoping to find some vertical cup holders in a iron look for either side of the window. Keeping my fingers crossed. And don’t you think it has more of a buffet feel rather than a dresser? I like to think so. Anyways, hope you enjoyed reading with or without a cup of coffee!! Come back and visit again and please let me know if you have any questions or comments. I would love to hear from you.
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