DESIGN Audrey Bernier-Perron of AUB&CO Intérieurs
PHOTOGRAPHY Steeven Berube

Coffee bar stations that are as elevated as the ones you find in beautifully designed hotel rooms are popping up everywhere from our kitchens to our social media feeds. We love our coffee along with all its rituals and want the same personalized and excellent quality we find at our favourite coffee shop at home. It’s easy to understand why the at-home chic coffee and beverage nook is a design trend on-the-rise.

The coffee and beverage station designed by Audrey Bernier-Perron of AUB&CO Intérieurs is dark, moody and totally gorgeous. It’s equipped like a fine dining restaurant, but here, the perfect cup (and cocktails too!) can all be made from the comfort of home.

While the coffee station is separate from the kitchen, the nearby Bosch 800 Series double wall oven ensures that warm pastries, baked goods, or other treats can be prepared and easily brought over to complete the café-style experience.

As Audrey describes on her Instagram feed, this custom beverage bar makes for a dreamy "place to breathe, create and savor every moment.”

Thinking of adding a coffee and beverage bar to your home?

Let’s get some inspiration from Audrey’s design and take a closer look

Though this satellite café and bar is an extension of the home’s kitchen, “it’s located on the dining room side,” says Audrey.

She situated the station close to the windows to capitalize on the home’s natural light, making it a wonderful space “to work, drink coffee, chat or read a book,” she says.

“There’s also plenty of seating at the dining table and nearby sofas that are used as benches, which is ideal for entertaining,” says Audrey. At large gatherings with family and friends, the location of the coffee and beverage bar allows guests to serve themselves and keeps everyone away from the hustle and bustle of the kitchen.

I also love that a coffee and beverage station is a great place for guests to chat or meet one another. Making a coffee at brunch or dinner for someone is a great way to meet other guests. It’s fun to bond over favourite beverages! Plus, if you’re like me as a guest, you love to help out and give the host a break by serving up coffee and drinks.

DESIGNER TIP: Plan your perfect coffee set-up. Whether you want your coffee station on your kitchen counter, inside a butler’s pantry or in your home office, consult with your contractor and be sure to have a detailed design plan to create your coffee bar in the optimal spot!

Of course, if you are going to have a cafe-style coffee station at home, you’ll need a coffee lover’s dream machine. The Bosch 800 Series Built-in coffee machine seen in this bar can be linked to the Home Connect app, allowing you to choose from a variety of 26 coffee beverages from around the world. Just like at a cafe, this machine can make two coffees at once. The app also lets you program personalized coffee and tea beverages for all your guests. While you’re busy entertaining, your gourmet coffee maker is brewing the perfect cup. When it’s finished, the coffee machine will alert you in the app.

Of course, you can set up a free-standing machine on your counter. Check out the Bosch 800 Series VeroCafe. Once you have the right machine, all you need is a place to store your coffee essentials and ideally a spot that’s located near your fridge and sink.

There are so many luxe details to love about this coffee and beverage hub. The matte black cabinetry is as dark and rich as the java made here. The handleless doors and drawers give the space a modern vibe and allow the showstopping sink to shine. “It’s quartz in Markina—a soft black with warm white veining—and a textured and matte leather finish,” says Audrey. The modern apron front sink is custom made and integrated with the counter and backsplash. Notice how the sink lines up perfectly with the top drawer.

The soft black of the sink connects with the dark cabinets, and the subtle white veining connects to the brick wall.

The painted white faux brick adds character and warmth to the space, as well as “depth and texture,” says Audrey.

DESIGNER TIP: Dark and glossy cabinetry or wall colours such as navy, forest green and terracotta will add enveloping colour and sophistication. Also consider a scrubbable wallpaper or bold backsplash!

Other luxe touches include the mirror behind the shelves that visually expands the space and bounces light around the room. The modern light fixture adds quiet drama and casts a soft warm light with its gold interior shades.

Additionally, Audrey’s combination of recessed and integrated lighting brings major wow factor.

“There’s lighting in the drawers and display case, under the cabinets, along the kick plate and above and on the sides of the cabinets. There’s also lighting integrated into the cabinetry,” says Audrey.

The lighting in the drawers and cabinets allow you to see and find coffee and beverage accoutrement in a blink, while also adding ambiance and sophistication.

When planning your coffee station, be sure to consider storage of coffee, tea, pods and all your favourite coffee gadgets. Even the placement and size of your recycling and compost bins are important.

In Audrey’s design, there’s a large cabinet beside the coffee machine to store snacks, dishware and linens.

“Drawers allow for easy access to extra mugs, cups of varying sizes and spoons, with compartments to keep everything organized,” explains Audrey.

The rounded shelves in front of the mirror provide a space for modern porcelain mugs, cups and saucers and bowls.

“The shelves are rounded on the window side. It adds an organic feel to the composition, which is quite modern,” says Audrey.

DESIGNER TIP: The mirrored glass cabinets keep the dust away from sculptural stemware, while open shelves are perfect for mugs that are used and washed daily.

An eco-friendly designer for the last 20 years, Audrey sources local and environmentally friendly materials as well as local artisans. In this space, she also kept the home’s original dining table and worked with the home’s existing hardwood floors.

DESIGN TIP: The best way to take an ecological design approach to your space is to work with what you have. Refinishing floors or refurbishing furniture will give your home character and a sense of history.

Happy decorating and designing!

Sam