Most home coffee stations start with a machine and end with mugs creeping across half the counter. Modern Bungalow has another idea: a 77.5-inch-tall hardwood cabinet with a pullout appliance shelf, enclosed storage, glass doors, and a price just shy of $4,000.
The Denver boutique that focuses on American- and Amish-made furniture announced its first in-house collection earlier this month. Its first pieces include the $3,969 Overton Coffee Bar, a $4,239 cabinet designed for wine and liquor storage, and a coffee table inspired by a century-old Dutch design movement.
The company says all three are made by Amish woodworkers using solid North American hardwoods. The traditional construction is being applied to decidedly modern habits: elaborate coffee setups, home bars, and the desire to buy new furniture that does not feel disposable.
A Coffee Station the Size of an Armoire
The Overton Coffee Bar measures 42 inches wide, 19 inches deep, and 77.5 inches high. A shelf slides forward to hold a coffee maker, while the upper cabinet, drawers, and lower storage provide room for mugs, beans, filters, and all the other accessories that tend to multiply around a serious coffee habit.
Buyers can order it in red oak, maple, cherry, white oak, quarter-sawn white oak, or walnut. Each one is made to order, with a current estimated delivery time of 10 to 12 weeks.
The Oakland Wine Bar follows the same general idea. It stands 66 inches tall and provides dedicated storage for bottles, glasses, liquor, and serving accessories. Instead of disguising everything inside a kitchen cabinet, it turns the home bar into its own substantial piece of furniture. Think of it as an old step-back cupboard redesigned for cocktail hour.
The Amsterdam Coffee Table is the simplest piece in the group. Its geometric base was influenced by the Amsterdam School, a Dutch art and architectural movement that emerged during the early 20th century. Modern Bungalow’s table is a bit more restrained, with a chunky base, strong horizontal top, and minimal ornamentation.
Is the Furniture Really Heirloom Quality?
“Heirloom” has become one of the home industry’s favorite words. It can describe a hand-built walnut cabinet, a floral sheet set, or almost anything a company hopes you will keep longer than one decorating cycle. Businesses like GreenRow and now Modern Bungalow use past design and building principles in the hopes of winning over antique lovers. But perhaps the more useful question is whether the construction actually gives a piece a reasonable chance of surviving long enough to earn the title.
Modern Bungalow provides more details than many brands making the claim. According to its product listings, the new furniture is made from kiln-dried solid hardwood using traditional joinery. Customers select the wood and finish, and the completed pieces receive multiple rounds of sanding before a post-catalyzed lacquer is applied.
The company also promises a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects, including covered splits and cracks. (Natural variations, color changes, and the normal movement of wood are not considered defects.) Those details make the heirloom claim more plausible, but the price is still pretty steep for many antique collectors.
About the Company
Modern Bungalow was founded in Denver in 2004. Current owners Danielle Sandusky and Matt Hubbard bought the business from its founders in 2017 and now operate it from the former Washington Park Theater, a neighborhood movie house that opened in 1925. The company says bedroom furniture, dining pieces, and additional occasional tables are planned as future additions to its new in-house furniture collection.
The smartest part of the launch is that it does not expect anyone to live like it is 1910. It asks whether the construction and designs of that era can accommodate a coffee machine, a collection of wine glasses, and everything else vying for space in a modern kitchen.
Whether anyone will inherit the coffee bar remains to be seen. At nearly six and a half feet tall, your family will certainly notice it.
