DIY Black Pipe Coffee Bar Station. Don't spend several hundred on a table like this when you can make your own!

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A Note From Kristin: When we first started Live Simply our intent was to strictly share real food recipes and homemade products. Products I was inspired to share based on our journey to simplify our natural lifestyle. Over the past two and half years Live Simply has remained pretty much a food and DIY natural product related blog, but our life also extends beyond this realm.

Early this year, Dustin started making a few furniture pieces for our home, starting with a headboard from old wood planks. I just had to share his handiwork on Instagram. The response from Instagram readers immediately started pouring in, “I need that!” We decided to post the tutorial on the blog. Since then, many of you have expressed interest in Dustin’s projects, so from time to time we’ve decided to include them here on Live Simply. After all, life is about more than just burrito bowls and homemade laundry soap, sometimes. 

This edition of “Dustin Made Something Amazing” features a tutorial for a DIY Black Pipe Coffee Bar Station. To guide you through this project I asked Dustin to share a complete step-by-step tutorial.

Dustin MarrDustin, they’re ready!

Hey, it’s Dustin here! I’m excited to share another DIY tutorial with you. We love coffee! In-fact, my brother owns a coffee company that supplies local businesses with freshly roasted quality beans and equipment. Coffee-making can be a very comprehensive and scientific art. It’s far from the days of Folgers in my parent’s home.

You must invest time and energy into brewing the best cup of coffee possible. We have a higher end coffee maker by Bonvtia. This makes several cups at a time and is perfect for guests and parties. For smaller quantities and a more “perfect” brew, we have our Chemex (ideal for 2-3 cups). For more fancy tastes we have a KitchenAid Nespresso maker for special occasions. Finally, no true coffee snob would be without a burr grinder for fresh ground coffee every morning.  With all our coffee-making tools, we really needed a beautiful coffee station to make our morning magic.

How to Build a DIY Black Pipe Coffee Bar Station

Step 1: Measure and Plan

First, measure the size you’ll need for your coffee station based on the size of your area. You can make the coffee station any width or height you desire. I decided to make our coffee station the same height as a normal kitchen countertop (36 inches).  The width we needed in order to fit the station in our dinning room area was 6 feet. We chose a depth of 17 inches, which is the width of three 2×6 boards (I used pine boards in the photos but ended up using cyprus for the final product. Yea, I had to make it twice). We didn’t want it too deep to interfere with walking room around the dinning room table. 

After a lot of planning of the design and construction, I came up with a cost effective and durable framework for the black pipe layout. It includes 3/4 inch pipe, and flanges to secure to the top and bottom wood shelves and a center brace to secure swaying.

DIY Black Pipe Coffee Bar Station. Don't spend several hundred on a table like this when you can make your own!

When planning our recent kitchen remodel, we didn’t want a microwave hanging above the range or have it stored in a cabinet (yes, we still own one–we’re working on that phase of natural living). We wanted to move it out of the kitchen and have it sit on the middle shelf of the new coffee station. Perfect!

Black pipes don’t come in every size unless they are custom made. We choose a 12″ pipe for the bottom shelf and and 18″ pipe for the middle shelf to fit the microwave.

Step 2: Materials

DIY Black Pipe Coffee Bar Station. Don't spend several hundred on a table like this when you can make your own!

  • ¾ Black Pipe
  • One 60″ pipe
  • Four 18″ pipes
  • Four 12″ pipes
  • Four 4″ pipes
  • Six Straight Tee Joints
  • Eight Floor Flanges
  • Nine 2″x6″x8′ Wood Boards (We started with pine but ended up rebuilding in rough cut cyprus wood.)
  • Kreg R3 Jr. Pocket Hole Jig System (where to buy)
  • Kreg 2-1/2-Inch Coarse Screws (where to buy)
  • circular saw
  • clamps
  • stain in desired color
  • oil-based paintbrush
  • 80 grit sandpaper
  • hand sander
  • wood glue
  • wood screws

Step 3: Build the Shelves

I found this life-saving tool, Kreg Jig System, to secure the 2×6 boards together. I was going to try dowels or wood biscuits but this came in so much handier and easier.

First, set up the jig system to the width of the wood per the user manual. Clamp down and drill out the holes 1 foot apart. Next, glue the sides and clamp together. Then, place screws in each hole and secure. I let the clamps hold for at least 2 hours until moving to the next shelf assembly.

DIY Black Pipe Coffee Bar Station. Don't spend several hundred on a table like this when you can make your own!

DIY Black Pipe Coffee Bar Station. Don't spend several hundred on a table like this when you can make your own!

DIY Black Pipe Coffee Bar Station. Don't spend several hundred on a table like this when you can make your own!

This is a cross section I made to show you where the hole gets drilled out and where the screw is placed. I highly recommend the Kreg Jig System when joining boards together.

DIY Black Pipe Coffee Bar Station. Don't spend several hundred on a table like this when you can make your own!

Start assembling the pipes with the long middle brace and work out to the side legs, but stop with the straight tee’s and bottom legs. Use the top side of the straight tees for a template to mark out where the holes need to be for the middle shelf.

DIY Black Pipe Coffee Bar Station. Don't spend several hundred on a table like this when you can make your own!

I wanted to maintain one continuous pipe framework for durability, so I decided to run the pipe threw the middle shelf. I had to bore a hole out of the wood for the pipe to slide threw. I took it a step further to add a larger opening for the shelf to fit over the straight tee.  The center hole for the pipe needed to be 1 1/8″ and the size of the straight tee’s lip is 1 1/2″.

DIY Black Pipe Coffee Bar Station. Don't spend several hundred on a table like this when you can make your own!

DIY Black Pipe Coffee Bar Station. Don't spend several hundred on a table like this when you can make your own!

Step 4: Cut and Stain

Next, cut to order. We started with 8 foot boards and had to cut about 1 foot off each side to get our 6 foot desired length. This gave a 5 inch over-hang from the pipe legs.

Choose a paint or stain that you desire. We stained the pine boards I made but didn’t end up liking them. We wanted something more rustic and natural-looking so we rebuilt the station in rough-cut cyprus wood. We did not stain or seal, it’s been 7 years and still love the results. We love it!

Step 5: Finish Assembling and Level

You can finish assembling the pipes by securing the bottom flanges with wood screws (make sure they are not longer than the wood boards; you don’t want them poking through the shelves), slide the middle shelf over the straight tees, slide the upper pipes threw the middle shelf and screw onto the straight tees. Secure the top shelf to the final flanges with wood screws.

DIY Black Pipe Coffee Bar Station. Don't spend several hundred on a table like this when you can make your own!

DIY Black Pipe Coffee Bar Station. Don't spend several hundred on a table like this when you can make your own!

Leveling the top shelf is important; you don’t want things rolling off your coffee station. The pipes may be off-level due to many factors. Mine was slightly off in the left front corner. You can make adjustments by simply unscrewing the bottom flanges. Start with the flanges completely tight on each leg, then unscrew (making the leg rise) the flange until level, the threading on the flanges will give you about 3/8″ of play.

Then sit back and enjoy the brew and view.

The Final DIY Coffee Station

DIY Black Pipe Coffee Bar Station. Don't spend several hundred on a table like this when you can make your own! DIY Black Pipe Coffee Bar Station. Don't spend several hundred on a table like this when you can make your own!DIY Black Pipe Coffee Bar Station. Don't spend several hundred on a table like this when you can make your own!   DIY Black Pipe Coffee Bar Station. Don't spend several hundred on a table like this when you can make your own! DIY Black Pipe Coffee Bar Station. Don't spend several hundred on a table like this when you can make your own!

DIY Black Pipe Coffee Bar Station. Don't spend several hundred on a table like this when you can make your own!

We are still enjoying our coffee bar, six years after this bar was initially built. It’s endured plenty of coffee spills, kid mishaps, and rearranging/redecorating. Here’s what our coffee bar looks like today. It functions as kitchen storage, a microwave shelf, coffee station, and wine/cocktail bar.

DIY coffee bar

DIY coffee bar

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47 Comments

  1. Hi I was wondering if plans can be adjusted to custom make a tv stand bookcase combo. It would look like your coffee bar but a little longer in length. I also am thinking of a tall kitchen storage unit. IKEA has what I want at 199$ but it’s out of stock

  2. Hi,
    My husband and I are in the midst of our own coffee bar based on your directions!
    A couple of questions: What did you seal it with to keep the lovely natural look? We are using pine. Also, it says be sure to level it? How did he level it? Thanks! We are thankful for you sharing this spectacular project!

    1. Hi Laura, So glad you’re enjoying the project. We first started with pine wood but after the stain we used we didn’t like the results. In Step 4 we mention that we ended up rebuilding the table with cyprus wood. We bought the cyprus in rough cut form (un-sanded) at Home Depot and didn’t end up staining or sealing. The finished product shots are cyprus and the step-by-step photos are in pine. Sorry for the confusion. As far as leveling, you can make adjustments by simply unscrewing the bottom flanges. Start with the flanges completely tight on each leg, then unscrew (making the leg rise) the flange until level, the threading on the flanges will give you about 3/8″ of play.

  3. Hello! Thanks for great ideas and beautiful work. My husband was thinking of making a similar coffee/book shelf. 6’ long, 7’tall, and 18in deep. But when he went to look at pipes shown at Home Depot, he said they were so greasy and would need to degrease and paint them to get the look you all have. Where did you all get your pipes?
    Thank you for your help
    Sara

    1. You can use a degreaser to remove the grease. It is on the pipe to prevent rusting. I suggest cleaning it up, cut to lengths for assembly then paint with a flat black or whatever color you prefer. You can also leave natural. Also, you can buy pipe a local welding supply shop supporting small business. I only know this because my hubs is a welder and home depot, lowes etc are not available in all locations across the nation.
      Best of luck!! I have a tv stand very similar to this and love it that the hubs built several years ago. Very sturdy and built to last.

  4. Hi Kristin!

    Love this so much. The links that you used for the pipes are not working link anymore. Do you have any suggestions on where to buy those supplies at a low cost?

      1. Were you able to find the links for the pipes again? I’d love to be able to make this coffee station.

  5. Hi… my wife has been wanting a coffee bar for some time, and after looking at tons of DIY plans I decided to use yours! It seems very simple, however I decided to modify it just a little bit. I want a mini-fridge, so the middle section will have roughly half of a shelf while the mini-fridge takes up the other half. I also plan to put sliding rail doors on the front. I will be starting as soon as I get home from offshore, and I hope it comes out as intended. I will definitely share pics when it is complete! Thank you for sharing your ideas!

  6. Hi there, Great tips by the way and thank you. I did have a question though.
    I’m hoping you can answer it for me since you seem to be pretty knowledgeable about DIY. I would be keen on knowing where the pipe with snares for the containers came also.

  7. Thank you so much for his tutorial! My grandfather and I wanted to make a piece of furniture together and this is what we decided on 🙂

  8. We followed this tutorial and we love it! It’s so functional, saves so much space, and is so pretty! We get compliments on this ALL the time.

  9. Where did you get the pipe with the hooks for the cups? We are having a hard timing finding anything like it.

    Thanks,
    Casey

    1. That’s awesome, Beth! If you have an Instagram profile you could take a photo and share it over there and then tag me (@livesimplymom) and use the hashtag #livesimplyblog.

  10. Hi this is awesome! I want to give it a go, but I don’t need it to be 5 feet. What adjustments would I need to make to have it 4feet? Also what size screws were used to attach the flanges? Oh and that was a pocket jig? Thanks!!

  11. I love this! My husband and I are planning on building something very similar here soon. Did you guys end up staining the cedar wood or leaving as is? Thanks.

  12. 5 stars
    I love your coffee bar. Did you paint your pipes? I have found that different sizes have different sheens to them. Yours all seem to look uniform. Thank you for sharing!

    1. Hi Susan, No we didn’t. You are right I have also noticed that different sizes do have different sheen’s. Ours are slightly different but not noticeable with the shadows and light difference.

  13. How cool! I am just venturing into the world of Chemex and LOVE it! I have one that I use every day for just myself, hubby doesn’t drink coffee. Right now I am using a hand burr grinder…thinking I will have to get the electric one you have 🙂 I’m curious about what you have underneath your Chemex, is it a warmer? I have a hard time keeping my warm if I don’t gulp down my coffee, that’s the only bummer about it. Also, I haven’t been weighing my beans, but after reading your notes on the coffee creamer site, I’m sure that will result in an even better cup. Do you have a resource on how to make the best coffee with a Chemex that you can share? Thank you for your site!!!

    1. Hi Erin, It’s Dustin, the holidays got to us, sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Hope your having a great new year. We love our Chemex too! Underneath the Chemex is a digital scale to measure out the beans and water (it is the same scale you will find in most high end coffee shops). Brewing coffee has many variables and there is a scientific method to brew the best cup. Intelgencia has an iOS app with a timer for all the different styles of brewing to achieve the optimal brewing combination. And I would highly recommend watching Stumptown’s video on how to brew with the Chemex. We use the Bonavita digital kettle to achieve the optimum departure (202-205 degrees) for brewing. I know exactly what you mean about the coffee getting cold and going to waste. I am not aware of a warner, but to reheat according to Chemex “The Chemex can be placed directly on a glass top stove or over a low gas flame to be kept warm. If you have an electric stove with exposed coils, you may purchase the wire grid (TKG) which can be placed between the coils and the Chemex to protect the coffeemaker. The coils should be set to a low temperature.” http://www.chemexcoffeemaker.com/faq#Q7

      1. Awesome thank you so much!!! I do have the Bonavita kettle, need to bump it up a few degrees now though. I will definitely check out the app and the video. Thanks again for all the wonderful information!

    1. Hi Tessae, The black pipe was $110 + shipping, Cedar wood was $120 and I also needed the screws and jig system. I had all the other tools and supplies. So for me it was about $275 when said and done.

  14. What a great idea! Love the industrial feel. I’m going to show my husband to see if he can build a two-tiered version to use as a bench in our entryway. I also love the Chemex… we just purchased one about a month ago. The coffee tastes so good and I was so glad to ditch the plastic coffee maker!

  15. I love this-it’s beautiful!
    I’m not sure if you’ve read this already but here is a great article on microwaves-http://chriskresser.com/are-microwave-ovens-safe/
    Took the pressure off of me to get rid of mine, and use my cellphone less instead. ?