Staff Break Room — Coffee, Comfort & Connection
A warm place for the people who pour into our kids all day to refill their own cups.
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Teachers and staff give everything they've got, every day. This is the room where they catch their breath — a real coffee station, a comfortable place to sit, good light, and a couple of café tables for lunch or a quick conversation. The bones are already done: the floor, cabinets, and paint are in. This project is about making it feel like a place people want to be — cozy, encouraging, and unmistakably Harvest Academy. It's one of the most appreciated projects on the list, because the people who benefit are the ones who serve everyone else.
Fitting a wood countertop over the existing cabinets, setting up a coffee and beverage station (with a mini fridge), assembling a café table and chairs, arranging a cozy seating corner with a loveseat and accent chair, laying down two rugs, adding warm under-cabinet lighting, and hanging a few framed signs and plants. Mostly beginner-friendly weekend work — the only handy step is fitting the counter, and Lowe's can pre-cut it to size.
- Wood/butcher-block countertop sized to existing base cabinets + mounting hardware
- Beverage / mini fridge
- Drip coffee maker, mugs, canisters/tray
- Round café table + 4 chairs
- Loveseat / small sofa
- Accent chair + throw blanket + throw pillows (one custom "HARVEST" pillow)
- Side table + table lamp
- 2 area rugs + non-slip pads
- Plug-in under-cabinet LED light strip
- Framed sign: "Harvest Academy Est. 2008"
- Framed sign: "Together We Grow, We Learn, We Make a Difference"
- "Coffee. Teach. Inspire. Repeat." print/sign
- 1 tall faux plant + basket, 2–3 small potted plants + planters
- Picture-hanging hardware, wall anchors, assembly consumables
- Cordless drill/driver
- Screwdrivers
- Allen / hex keys (usually included)
- Tape measure
- Level
- Circular saw or jigsaw (only if counter needs trimming — Lowe's cut-to-size avoids this)
- Utility knife
- Step stool
| Item | Store | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Butcher-block / wood countertop + brackets/fasteners | Lowe's | $150–$350 |
| Beverage / mini fridge | Lowe's / Target | $150–$300 |
| Drip coffee maker + mugs + canisters | Target | $60–$120 |
| Round café table + 4 chairs | HomeGoods / Target | $300–$650 |
| Loveseat or small sofa | HomeGoods / retail | $350–$650 |
| Accent chair + throw + pillows (incl. custom HARVEST pillow) | HomeGoods / Target + custom | $150–$300 |
| Side table + table lamp | HomeGoods / Target | $70–$160 |
| 2 area rugs (kitchenette runner + lounge) + pads | HomeGoods / Lowe's | $120–$280 |
| Plug-in under-cabinet LED light strip | Lowe's | $25–$50 |
| Framed signs + 'Coffee. Teach. Inspire. Repeat.' print | Print/frame shop + HomeGoods | $130–$280 |
| Plants (1 tall faux + 2–3 small) + basket/planters | HomeGoods / Lowe's | $70–$160 |
| Hanging hardware + small tools/consumables | Lowe's | $25–$40 |
Measure the base cabinet run before buying the countertop — share length and depth so the right butcher-block size can be spec'd (and pre-cut at Lowe's to avoid sawing on site). Confirm an available outlet near the cabinet run for the mini fridge + coffee maker + under-cabinet lighting; if it's a single outlet, plan a power strip or surge protector. Cabinets, floor, paint, trim, ceiling lights, and window all stay as-is — this is furnishing and finishing, not renovation. The render reads slightly warmer than the current sage; paint is out of scope unless requested. Confirm a destination for the folding table, office chair, and mismatched chairs being removed.
One family — warm, satisfying, mostly beginner-friendly with a clear "after." Great for a family that enjoys decorating, or a coffee-loving family / local café or coffee roaster as a themed sponsor for the beverage station.
This project's a bigger lift — team up with 1 or 2 other families to make it happen.
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The Kinsinger
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