Kitchen Beverage Bar {with New Tile and Shelves} Reveal

December 09, 2021

Reveal of our beverage bar with thick floating shelves and hanging wine glass storage in the kitchen. 

How I tiled a wall in our kitchen the easy way and the reveal of our coffee/beverage bar! This spot has become a hub in our kitchen and is a MUCH better use of this space. 

Remember that little wall next to our fridge that I've wanted to address for years? I left it open on purpose when we built (instead of having an upper cabinet hung).

I hung some wood shelves with metal brackets soon after we moved in:
metal brackets wood shelves in kitchen

But after awhile, we realized we'd love to have some more storage space. My first plan was to hang a couple skinny cabinets, but it was way more than I wanted to spend. 

We would have had to add the regular cabinets, but also the upper cabinets with glass, plus trim. And then we would have to have electric run for both the upper and lower cabinet lighting. 

It was more than we wanted to spend for just a little bit of storage. All we really wanted was a spot to hold some our nicer wine glasses. 

Plus I have a big project in mind for our kitchen, and the cabinets would have been in the way of that. I'm hoping to make that happen next year. :) 

So I came up with an idea to beef up the shelving in that spot and add some wine glass storage. Here's another view of what I started with: 
wood shelves with metal brackets

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I figured I'd eventually do something a little more permanent later, and that's just what I did last month: 
long thick DIY open shelves

So much better!! 

I built super strong and substantial floating shelves on that wall instead, and it immediately looked SO much better. 

My husband just started to get into drinking coffee this year, so I created a little coffee bar with all of the items he needs every morning: 
beverage station tray in kitchen

But I wasn't quite done yet! 

I really wanted to make this feel like it was all there from the start, and I knew tiling the whole wall would do just that. 

It would have been fine to stick with just the lower part tiled, but I always prefer to have the backsplash go up higher to the ceiling where possible. It feels more finished to me. 

We had a good amount of tile left from our build, but I had to purchase a bit more of our ceramic subway tile. It has a handmade look that is a beautiful alternative to basic subway tile. 

Last time I tiled was in our mud/laundry room and I used a new method that worked SO well: 
Blue base cabinets cream tile backsplash


Last time I used a tile mat that I had held onto for years. It worked perfectly and I loved how easy it was to install the tile. 

This time I used a brand called Musselbound, and it's very similar but has some differences: 
Musselbound tile mat

It's basically a roll of super sticky foam. It's really thin and adheres to the wall very fast. 

It is much harder to adjust than the brand I used in the laundry room!

It also doesn't "give" as much as the other version when it comes to adjusting the tile. With the last one, I had a few seconds to wiggle the tile exactly where I wanted it. 

This time, not as much. 

It was fine, but you really need to get the tile placement right the first time! :) 

Overall it worked well, and it is MUCH easier than spreading mortar on the wall. I liked that it came with a few tile spacers in three different sizes: 
how to use tile spacers

Unlike mortar, where the tile can slip as it dries, you don't have to have a spacer between each and every tile when using this mat.

They provided just enough so I could place each tile and then reuse the spacers as I went. I used the smallest spacers for under the tile and on the sides, and an 1/8th inch spacer between each one. 

I used the same easy tile cutter as last time and it is so much quicker and cleaner than the wet saw. 
I may not have to use a tile saw again!  

After I was done with the grout, some final caulking and then major clean up, it was time to decorate! 

Perfect timing to add some Christmas decor in the kitchen: 
wood Christmas decor on shelf

Christmas decor under cloche

Christmas decor on open kitchen shelves

Those wine glass holders have already been SO efficient and are easy to use. 

We love having them out for easy access, and they just look pretty!:
decorating open shelves Christmas

This is our wavy subway tile and the grout is the color Silverado by TEC. 

As you could see in the before pics, I used to keep large glass jars full of dry ingredients like sugar and flour on this small counter.

This new set up is so much more functional, but I think looks a ton better too: 
DIY heavy duty gray floating shelves

floating shelves tile wall and sconce

It looks like it should have always been this way, which is a sign of a great project in my eyes!

I LOVE this area now...it's so much more custom looking. 

It's made a big difference in here: 
long floating shelves next to fridge

subway tile to ceiling with shelves

white cabinets wood floors and counters

We keep all of our wine tools and openers in one drawer, and the coffee pods in another. 

This new beverage bar is one of our favorite spots in the house right now!

These projects were time consuming, but not difficult. It always surprises me how much simple updates  make in a space. :)

Here's a before pic of this spot in our kitchen: 
open shelves next to fridge

And here it is after I added the custom trim to the side of the base cabinet, installed cabinet feet, spray painted the cabinet hardware and built those heavy duty floating shelves: 
white tile backsplash to ceiling

Love it!! 

Have you attempted a tile project? That tile mat makes for a much quicker and cleaner installation, that's for sure! 

Now if they could come up with non-messy way to grout! :) 

You can find sources for the items pictured here: 

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Comments

  1. You can try wrapping your Keurig cord in a white yarn or jute twine. I have done this where it is not possible to hide the cord when in use. It works well

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  2. What a difference! So beautiful and I love that tile.

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  3. That is gorgeous! What a difference the tile to the ceiling made and the thicker shelves!

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  4. As always, Sarah, your vision is remarkable. Yours is the only blog I have stuck with after all these years…and you never disappoint!

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  5. You have no idea how much I love you, oh and utilize your ideas!

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  6. Looks great! I love the wooden snowflake; where did you purchase that?

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