Full-Feature Home Bar
Choosing to install a home bar can be a sure-fire way to enjoy friends and family time. People love to gather at the home bar the same as they do the kitchen island. By adding billiards, shuffleboard, darts, and of course a large screen television you can be assured that your home is the one everyone will want to gather. We have assembled some important considerations for planning your home bar that can make for a functional and aesthetically pleasing space.
Decide the following for your home bar :
- Best Location
- Flexibility- Permanent or Moveable
- Wet or Dry Bar
- Refrigeration Units
- Ice Machine
Best Location: Where would be the best place in your home for the bar to be located? Do you have a finished basement, large family, or living room? These areas are usually where people sit and relax watching television, talking to one another, and the center of entertainment.
Flexibility: Are you looking for a permanent structure (required for full-featured) or something that could be moved if you changed residences? For apartment dwellers, this would be ideal but it would limit the type of home bar you could choose.
Wet or Dry Bar: This is all about the sink. Do you want a sink in your home bar that will allow for easy cleanup? By planning for a sink you can create a great prep area for entertaining and serving appetizers as well as cocktails. Choosing a dry bar will require running to the kitchen and if it’s not located on the same floor it could be inconvenient. Of course, where you already have plumbing will need to be a factor in location choice.
Refrigeration Units: Your home bar can be built with a special wine cooler and then a frig for beer, soft drinks, and water. A full-size cooler and refrigerator is a great idea if you have the room otherwise an under-counter beverage center is a perfect solution.
Ice Machine: In Europe ice isn’t as crucial to the drinks being served but in America, many cocktails are served with ice as are soft drinks. The choices for ice machines are varied from under the counter to stand alone or even an ice dispenser in a full-size refrigerator.
Design Elements and Layout
This is the stage where you make your home bar uniquely you. Deciding the location establishes the size and shape your bar can be and if electric and plumbing are available. The size of most bars is 42 inches high and 24 inches deep. With customizing you can create any size and shape that fits your space but be aware that most bar stools are 30 inches high. Keep in mind your cable hook-up so that your flat screen TV will be easily included in a place where most of your guests can enjoy watching.
Once you are satisfied with the size and shape of your bar the fun stuff starts! Choosing the materials for building the bar and top which can set the mood and style as can the decor. Will a modern sleek look fit perfectly in your room decor and personality style? Perhaps an English tavern look is more fitting with dark polished wood and leather seating. Whichever works for your home and taste it is available so dream on!
Design Elements to Consider
- Overall Style
- Surfaces
- Stool Type
- Bar Rails
- Bar decor
- Draft beer system
Visiting your favorite tavern may help you to decide which style fits your personality. Do you feel more comfortable in a laid back neighborhood bar, a sophisticated lounge, a posh modern nightspot, or an English-style pub? The answer to this question may help you move into a direction for planning your bar design. Take a look at the photos of projects below and whet your appetite for designing your home bar. Also, see a post for a recent project an English Style Pub. Bottoms up!
If a full bar isn’t your groove would you be interested in having a new beverage center in your home? Please take a look at our Beverage Center post.
