Hey guys! Today I am sharing how I was inspired to make an antique dresser coffee bar!

I have been dreaming about creating one for my kitchen for a while now. There is so much inspiration on Pinterest! But I was really inspired by my aunt Kim’s coffee bar set up in her kitchen. Her home is really warm and inviting. She has a style that is a cozy blend of antiques and country, with little touches of contemporary. She put her coffee bar together with an amazing butcher block top. It was purchased from an old butcher shop in Ohio, then placed on top of a dresser. The shelf above was built by her son out of old barn boards that she collected from my cousin’s barn in Ohio.

I love furniture pieces with a sense of history and story. Her antique dresser coffee bar definitely speaks of her love of family and friends. She definitely has an eye for finding unique treasures for her home!

(Check out some more coffee bar inspo on Pinterest here, here, and here.)

Inspiration: Check!

So, I had my inspiration! But I had in my mind that I wanted a coffee bar that could be incorporated into my cabinets. My goal was to create a built-in feel with the look of a piece of furniture. The plan was to find an old antique dresser or chest of drawers. That would serve my built in piece of furniture vision really well. I looked for the perfect antique dresser for months and months.

My advice is to keep a piece of paper in your purse that has measurements for your specific space. You will also need to keep a small tape measure on hand. You never know when you might come across the right piece when you’re out antiquing/junking! It really helps to know exactly what size you need. The good thing was that I didn’t have to rush to find anything. I had a bookshelf in that spot holding my cookbooks and my Kitchen Aid mixer. Remember, two keys to frugality are time and patience!

Now To Find a Dresser!

One day my husband and I were shopping on antique alley and we stopped by Southern Style Antiques. Mr. Larry owns that shop and is the friendliest man! So sweet! I always feel like I have been transported to New Orleans when I walk in. The air is always filled with the sultry sounds of Jazz and the southern drawl of friendly conversation. It is an undeniably “Louisianian” atmosphere that will immediately put you at ease and make you feel at home.

In the back of his store, he has a lot of really beautiful old doors. We were actually there to buy a couple of doors to build our boys some new headboards and beds.  (I will definitely have to write about those soon. They are so cool! I LOVE them!) There are also a lot of “project” pieces in that back corner. Soon my eyes landed on an old dresser with some truly amazing wood working details. It was missing some pieces and the shelves were badly warped. But I really loved the Art Deco design typical of the 1930’s. It just needed a little restoration, a little life breathed back into it, and it would be perfect for my dream coffee bar.

Performing a Little Surgery!

Thank goodness, my husband was willing to do a little surgery on it! The top was completely missing. Additionally, we had to cut off two boards from the frame on the top and the side in order to fit it to our space. That was a little scary! However, I’m proud to say that we managed to cut them without completely destroying the whole thing! Ha! We found some pre-made table tops that were really reasonably priced at Lowe’s. It worked perfectly for the counter top.

We also had some leftover trim pieces that were just sitting on the shelf when we bought the dresser. I’m not even really sure where they were originally placed. But my husband was able to re-purpose them as a baseboard. That helped to disguise the new side piece that we added. It blends in so perfectly, you would think it was designed that way!

I still haven’t figured out what to do on the wall above it. A shelf might be nice, but for now, I just have some antique trays propped up behind my coffee maker. Again, it might take a little time to finish up those last details, but for now, I think my antique dresser coffee bar is just lovely!

Have you ever made an antique dresser coffee bar? If so, we would love for you to share your project pics with us in the comments! God bless! ~Shanna

Check Out The Transformation Below!