A Changed-Up Coffee Corner

Last month I spotted this gray-brown metal card catalog at a local thrift for $2.95. Even though I didn't have a specific use for it, I loved its look and character and I just had to bring it home with me! 

For a few weeks it just sat patiently on the floor, looking good but awaiting its purpose. Then one day I was looking at the little coffee station I have set up on our island, and it hit me--wouldn't the card catalog make much more stylish coffee pod storage? 

As a refresher, here's what I was working with previously:

This little patch of wall/counter space on our island accomplishes many tasks, and these K-Cup storage drawers I purchased a few years back were certainly helping increase the area's productivity, but they weren't exactly aesthetic showstoppers. 

Since I already have an eclectic mix of vintage/industrial type items and modern pieces in my kitchen, I thought that the metal card catalog would be a great candidate to replace the old coffee pod storage drawers. I especially liked that the drawers already had a way to affix labels, so that I could separate my coffee pods from the cocoa and apple cider ones. A couple of printed labels later, and whoop, there it was:

For anyone wondering, even though it's deeper than the drawers, the card catalog holds fewer K-Cups than the previous two stacked drawers did, so I stored the extras in our pantry (I'll be sharing some updates I made to that space soon!) I also have a K-Cup carousel that picked up some of the slack.

The carousel and those two cannisters (both originally from Target, but scored at Goodwill) sit to the left of the card catalog and coffee maker. I keep tea and my mocha packets in them.

Since the card catalog has more surface area, I had a little more room to stash things next to the coffee maker. Hot cocoa, sugar, more tea and sweetener packets, some spoon-straws, and a bright orange ceramic votive all made the cut.

The little milk bottle was an antique store purchase I made back in Kansas City--funny because the bottle is originally from Missoula! 

Here's a head on shot:

But that's not all. I also added a chalkboard to the mix!

This came about after I purchased a large glass-less frame for a project that just didn't pan out. It only cost $4.99 at a thrift so I wasn't too torn up about wasting money on the frame, but still I knew I could so something else with it. So I grabbed a bottle of Martha Stewart chalkboard paint in gray, gave the back of the frame a few coats, primed it with chalk, and I had a kitchen chalkboard!

I wasn't crazy about the lighter wood tone of the frame at first and planned on spray painting it a teal or goldenrod, but then I realized that it matches our cabinets exactly. Thus, once I attached it with velcro command strips, it almost looked built in! Sweet. I still need to perfect my chalk penmanship, but for now it'll do. I wrote a quote from a reading at our wedding at the top of the board, then divided the rest into "To Do" and "To Buy" lists.

I really love the whole look of the island now, from the memo area to the Pyrex display to the coffee station to the bunting to the chalkboard to all the art on both sides.

For kicks, let's take a final look back.

Before:

And after:

Small changes, but they make me happy! I'm excited to share more home updates soon :)