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Whether you want to be able to cater to the needs of all of your guests in style, want to relax with a delicious drink after work, or simply want a place in the home that is the designated hangout spot with all of the right vibes, creating a home bar could be just what you need. Here, we’re going to look at what you need to make the perfect home bar, and how the right upgrades can really up both the atmosphere and practicality of the space.
Choosing the right location
First and foremost, you’re going to want to think about where you keep your home bar. The answer to this question might depend on what space you have available, first and foremost. If you have a whole room to dedicate to your home bar then, by all means, it gives you all of the space you need to meet every furniture and decor want you could desire. Not everyone is going to have a full room, so you have to decide what kind of space to prioritize. Easy access for guests, good foot traffic routing, and enough space to cleanly and safely serve drinks should be a priority. For instance, some people will keep their bar against the wall on the side of the kitchen sharing a door with the hallway.
The bar itself
The most important part of creating a home bar space is, naturally, going to be the bar itself. There are a lot of different home bar units that you should take a look at. This includes minibars, floating bars, and built-in bars that you can have installed on the wall. You want to make sure that your bar has enough space to serve your guests comfortably, and plenty of storage for the different drinks that you’re going to stock. The right choice of storage for your home bar is crucial, as well. Some people recommend a mixture of both open and closed storage, so that you’re able to easily access the drinks you’re more likely to grab on a regular basis, but you can more securely store the more valuable bottles.
Consider a wine tower
If you’re a fan of wine and you love to show off your collection of vintage bottles, then you should make sure that you have some space either right beside your bar or close enough to be convenient, built to store your bottles. A decent wine cabinet, tower, rack, or cooler is not only going to make it a lot easier to stack your preferred reds, whites, and roses, but it’s also going to add an extra touch of class to a bar. People like to collect bottles of wine not only because they enjoy drinking them, after all, but also because they come with an air of opulence and class that other drinks don’t tend to have quite as much.
Keep your glassware nearby
Of course, if you’re going to be serving drinks, then you’re going to have enough space for your glassware, as well. You might be able to store some of this glass wear in or on the home bar itself but, depending on how much space it offers, this could take up some vital room meant for your various bottles of tipple. To that end, instead, you might want to install a shelf or small cupboard nearby or above the bar that can give you a dedicated, easy-to-reach space for your glassware. After all, serving drinks in the right glasses does make a major impact on not just the drink’s aesthetic, but how its taste is altered by how much oxygen we take in with each sip.
A good bar table
It’s a home bar so, naturally, you’re going to want to be serving drinks, and you want your guests to be able to relax with those drinks, as well. To that end, you should look at the different bar table options and choose one that fits your space. Some places might suit a full table well, for instance, while for others, you might not have as much space, and might have to set up a shelf along the wall instead. Make sure it’s at a comfortable height to be reached by both sitting and standing people. The material of the bar tabletop makes a big difference too. You want to make sure that it’s easy to wipe clean to help you avoid any sticky stains, for one.
Some comfy seating
If you’re talking about tables, then you need to talk about chairs, as well. You’re going to want chairs that are a little higher up than usual so that people can easily slip in and out of standing with them, and so that they’re at a good height to reach your bar table. What you want to avoid is straight-up getting bar stools. These are chosen by bars and clubs for their space-saving qualities, not their comfort. High bar chairs with comfortable backs are available, so consider adding them, instead.
Get bold with your style
For the more practically oriented parts of your home, you may want to opt for a style that, while attractive, plays it rather safe with the conventions of interior design. Shared spaces should be made to suit the comfort of everyone who uses them, after all. However, in a space designed purely for recreation like a home bar room or nook, you should feel free to let your sense of style fly a little. There is a wide range of different home bar looks that you can opt for, whether you go for the clean and metallic, something poppy and retro, something a little more eclectic and interesting, or otherwise.
Hook it up with a tap
When you’re deciding on where to put your home bar, as well as what kind of bar you’re going to add, then you should be sure to seriously consider the question of whether you’re building a dry bar or a wet bar. The main difference between the two is that a wet bar is hooked up with a sink and a tap. If you’re going to install one in your home, then you’re likely going to need the help of a plumber who can help you connect your bar to the main water supply. If you’re not going to have one, then having some kind of caddy or temporary storage for used glasses is vital, as you need a place to hold them until you wash them, so that they don’t make the area look dirt.
Know what appliances you should keep
If you’re serious about serving, preparing, and mixing the best possible drinks for your home bar, then you’re also going to need the right appliances to make it a lot easier on yourself. For spirits, you might be fine with keeping in a cool, dry place, but for beer, cider, some wines, and the like, you’re going to need a refrigerator. You might even want a small freezer so that you can keep ice accessible, or an ice maker to quickly prepare some whenever you need it. If you have a sink, then you might want to connect a glass rinser to it, as well, to take the work out of washing up after a night in the home bar.
Connect it to the outdoors
It’s not always an option but, depending on where you put your home bar and its access to the outdoors, then you could make it even more attractive by connecting it to an exterior relaxation area. Adding some French doors that open up easily to a patio or some paving, with a garden parasol to offer some shade and a couple of outdoor chairs can help your guests make the most of the clear skies when they’re out. Make the area even more comfortable by adding some exterior lighting to it. When you want a little more privacy in your home bar, then a long curtain or shade on a runner can be drawn across the exterior doors to cover it with ease.
Stocking it up
Lastly, you want to make sure that you’re decently stocked up and ready to serve whenever someone arrives at your home. If you have your own preferences, then you might not need to include every variety of liquor under the sun. However, keeping at least some wine, some beers, and some spirits on hand should make sure that you’re able to sate most needs. If you’re hoping to do a little mixing, then be sure to keep your supply of extras, such as bitters, fruit juices, sugar, and the like. A well-stocked bar is just as important for the aesthetic and ambiance as it is for convenience.
A home bar is a space designed for recreation and relaxation, first and foremost. Try to remember that as you’re choosing what to fill the space with. Give yourself, your family, and your friends the place to sit back, enjoy a fine drink, and some fine company.