Coffee Corners

A small spot that feels like your own café

You don't need a big kitchen. These ideas fit on a tray, a cart or a single shelf, and most work in a rental.

About 12 × 16 inches of counter

The smallest coffee corner there is. One tray keeps your brewer, beans and a mug together, so the counter stays tidy.

About 18 × 30 inches of floor

A three-shelf cart gives you a full coffee station you can move from the kitchen to the living room. Ideal when counter space is tight.

One short wall above a counter or table

Lift your coffee things off the counter with one shelf and a row of mug hooks. It turns an empty patch of wall into a little café corner.

One shelf of a bookcase, about 30 inches wide

Give one shelf of a bookcase to coffee. Books, a few jars and your favorite mugs make a calm corner that fits any living room.

One cabinet or a small hutch

Turn a kitchen cabinet or hutch into a closed coffee station. Open the doors in the morning, close them when you're done.

One small bedside table or dresser top

A tray, a flask and a favorite mug make a slow-morning coffee spot for a bedroom or small studio.