8 inspirational Coffee stations...

...from the www.

I hate to break it to you guys, but summer is coming to an end...

...and that means, it is back to routine for most of us: Busy mornings, school-runs and work.

It can be hard to keep your home looking it's best with hectic long days and busy schedules, let alone to find the time to enjoy it. So, as I mentioned in my previous post, I am going to be investigating how we can keep our homes looking good....even if you've not had a chance to tidy, and how good design can improve our lives, as well as our homes.

 And this is my first post in this new series, called Beautiful utility.

So, first thing's first: 

Coffee!!

Image from Me and Alice

I don't know about you, but for me, every day starts with coffee!

In fact, without coffee, the day is a complete non-starter!

So, coffee is VERY important to my everyday life.

But, I felt like my experience of reaching for that sleepy first cup of morning coffee could be improved upon.

Admittedly, having to reach into cupboards to pull out the percolator and cups, is not a hard task, but in a bid to maximize my enjoyment of this first, quiet half hour of my day, I want to A) Make it a more aesthetically pleasing experience and B) Make it a better quality experience!

Like I said: Coffee is VERY important to me!

After all, a good start to the day sets you up for success...right??

So, I've decided to create a little coffee station in my kitchen, and upgrade some of my basic coffee-making essentials.

Image from Desire to inspire

What is a coffee station? And is it not a bit indulgent to have one in your home??

Well...yes, perhaps it is a little indulgent, but after all the hard graft I've put into redecorating out home, it is a luxury I deserve...

...and so do you!

A coffee station is what you make it....Chances are you've already got one in your kitchen:

It is basically where you keep your kettle, ground coffee,teabags and any other hot drinks paraphernalia you may use on a daily basis.
A Coffee station is just a more luxurious and practical way to organize this area.

Image via Pinterest

My aim is to make this area more pleasant to use...

...make it an easier "I can do this in my sleep" experience (which is often the case, LOL)

...make it a more attractive area of my kitchen, but in a very functional way

...And last, but not least, Improve the quality of my morning coffee!

Image from Dust jacket attict

I've been investigating good looking, high quality coffee makers...and although I'd love to have a barista style frappuccino machine extraordinaire with bells on...I have to consider the limited space I have available to me on the worktop, so my new coffee station will not be quite as pro-looking as some of the ones pictured in this post...

Image from Le ButikSofie

But, never the less, these images represent my ideal coffee station, and will be my inspiration as I create my own, that I will share with you all next week.

Image via My Scandinavian home

I love the idea of a good coffee station:

Keeping all your coffee-making essentials in one place makes sense, but more than that, this is about quality design and making it an attractive display: I am talking about beautiful electric kettles, coffee makers, storage jars and cups here.... Making the coffee making experience as enjoyable as the coffee itself...

Image via SFgirl by bay

...setting you up for a good day....right from the start! To see more inspirational images of those perfect coffee moments, check out photographer Cindy Loughridge's tumbler page 365 days of coffee

Back to basics....

....A pretty, useful mess

But as anyone posting images of their homes online will tell you: Behind every lovely picture, on the other side of the lens, there is a pile of mess: A bed filled with dirty washing, a floor strewn with toys, a sink filled with washing up or a desk covered in paperwork...As an interior blogger, I am constantly sharing images of my home online, whether it is here on the blog or on social media, such as instagram or pinterest ...And I also love seeing pictures of other peoples beautiful homes: Perfectly styled corners of a room, all tidy and clean...or close ups of details, beautifully curated items grouped together in a thoughtful way...
...life online can seem pretty perfect!

Real life could never be that picture perfect....

...or could it??

Image from My Scandinavian home

When I visited Copenhagen, I stayed with an old school friend....and even though his home was far from perfect, with signs of daily life everywhere: his 1 year old son's toys strewn across the living room floor, and a constant pile of dirty dishes in the sink, it always looked stylish!

It took me a day or two to work out what it was that made his un-styled, messily real apartment always look like it was instagram-perfect, then I realized:

It s all about design!

Danish people inherently know that good design is paramount to good living!

From the people friendly infrastructure of Copenhagen to the architectural layout of their homes and the way even the cheaper housing, like the block of flats my friend lived in, is built around a communal backyard, with a playground and a landscaped garden that provides the residents with accessible outdoor space and invites them to socialize.....All aspects of Design is well thought out ,and with daily life in mind!
This emphasis on design is of course extended to the Danes approach to interiors, but way beyond the Arne Jacobsen chairs and the Louis Poulsen lamps commonly associated with Danish interior design...

Image from Daniella Witte

It is all in the details: from The coffee maker to the washing up brush in the kitchen, the laundry basket to the dust pan and brush....even the kids toys: Everything is beautifully designed....functional , but beautiful....
....and when your everyday necessities look this stylish, your home will ultimately look stylish as well!

Image from Avenue Lifestyle

So, over the next few weeks I am going back to basics here at Nostalgiecat, showing you how good, functional design can elevate your interiors, and make your everyday life a bit more stylish.
Introducing my theory that if your everyday mess looks good, your home will look good....but more than that: Your quality of life will be better....that is the power of good, functional design!

I will be looking at everything from kitchen utensils to housekeeping essentials, sharing my picks of beautifully designed products with a purpose, storage and organisation.... even kids toys....as well as, of course,  the odd useful DIY!



I call it BEAUTIFUL UTILITY.
An if you'd like to have a sneak peek on what sort of thing you can expect me to be posting about here on the blog, why not check out my Pinterest board of the same name.

Image from An angel at my table

Thanks for popping by, and hope to see you later this week , when I start this series of posts by looking at how to make ,perhaps THE most important everyday essential, THE MORNING COFFEE, a more beautiful experience!