Designing your home bar can be extremely exciting. The best home bars are a place to relax at the end of a hard week and entertain friends. Whether you want to take on an entire home renovation and create a brand new room or utilize the space, you already have in your kitchen, dining area or living space. We have the home bar design ideas for you.
There are different types of home bar ideas and they range from vibrant colors to elaborate patterns to a simple addition to an existing room. You could pair them with poker room decor for a late-night, backroom vibe. Whatever style of house you have, we have scoured the internet for home bar ideas for you.
12 Best Home Bar Ideas
We have some fantastic entertaining spaces for your guests to inspire you, from home bar ideas that are easy to create to full-fledged bar ideas.
These 12 home bar ideas will inspire you in creating a cool, modern and fun area you will love.
Nautical Theme Home Bar
When you think of home bar ideas, the top of the list is usually vintage wood. However, this home bar has a rustic style. The chalkboard is a great place to add your drinks menu. It is the perfect venue for a party with plenty of bar stools for company and loads of shelves to store bottles.
Home bars can be a sacred space for fun, and this bar is no different.
Floating Shelf Home Bar Design
These floating shelves are a fantastic way to design a home bar without completely renovating a whole room for home bar ideas that don’t break the budget. Instead, use your existing kitchen counters and add shelves to the back wall for storage of your wine bottles, beer bottles and drink making tools.
You can easily DIY this bar in your house and add it to any location.
Bar Area With Mini Bar Fridge
This living room is ultra-modern and carves an entertaining space by using a counter and some bar stools against a wall with a mini-fridge. You can use the fridge as storage for your wine and the sunken-in shelves as a liquor cabinet. A sleek way to add a home bar to an existing room.
Make The Wine Bottles Pop
This room is a wine connoisseurs dream! Can you picture yourself unwinding at the end of a hard day with friends whilst sipping some delicious wine? The dark wood and rich textures in this space make it feel luxurious. One wall is dedicated to displaying wine, decanters for every variety. The wood makes it feel rustic, dark and moody. So picture yourselves smoking a cigar whilst sipping on your favorite wine of choice in your very own wine room.
Rustic Bar Counter
Not every home bar requires to be an elaborate affair. Cabinets with a counter, backed by rustic wood, create a feel of a home bar without having to spend lots of money. You could do this in a dining room, kitchen, or living room without taking up too much space. A simple silver tray to display your bottles and glasses is all you need. We love this home bar design.
Use Your Butler’s Pantry
If you are lucky enough to have already a pantry installed, you can customize it to include a home bar space. The drinks fridge is a brilliant way to display wine and other beverages. The classic cabinets and decor produce an elegant look. This home bar is also convenient with all of the storage with the cabinets.
Build A Liquor Cabinet
I love this cabinet as it’s an easy to replicate home bar design. The wood cabinet provides loads of storage for wine, whiskey, and cocktail alike. Picture yourself relaxing with a nightcap at the end of your day. Cabinets can be bought off the shelf or custom made to fit your room.
Basement Bar
If you are lucky enough to have the space, dedicating a room for your home bar is a cool way to have a weekend party space for entertainment. Invite your guests over for an entire home bar experience with this style. There are loads of storage shelves and counter space to make a perfect place for entertaining.
Game Room Home Bar
Why not incorporate your game room with a home bar and merge mans cave ideas with the bar. This room has a kitchen cabinet space in the corner with a counter area and stools making it the ideal basement room for a party. Taking an existing kitchen space and using it for a home bar is an excellent use of space.
Pallet Bar
Your home bar doesn’t have to cost you a fortune. You can easily turn wood pallets into built-in shelving to create a bar cart. This DIY home bar can be placed in an outdoor space with a BBQ on your deck.
Bookcase Bar
An elegant way to introduce a bar to your house is to take a bookcase and add it to your dining area. You can then use plants and bottles to the furniture for a homely touch. The cube shelves shown here are a great and easy way to have bar designs added to any room in your home.
Bar Cart
What simpler way to introduce a bar to your home than with a bar trolley. It can be easily wheeled in and out of any room in your home and is a brilliant introduction to any party.
What Essentials Do I Need For My Home Bar?
Home Bar Furniture
Whether it is a bar table, stools or counter, every home bar needs some essential furniture to complete the look. Whether you opt for vintage wooden pieces or the more modern metal, a couple of items can produce a sleek bar feel. We have put together some essential furniture tips for everyone’s home bar ideas.
Bar Stools
You will need stools. Even if you are using an existing room, purchasing some seats to sit at a counter give you a perfect spot for a bar. Please make sure they are comfortable and can be sat on for long periods.
Bar Signs
Clever signage and chalkboards can help recreate that party style. You can add a personal touch with signs on the wall, from the classic neon sign to a simple chalkboard. Of course, no bar is complete without some artwork and signs to adorn the walls.
Wine Rack
Every home bar requires a wine rack. You can make your DIY style or pre-buy, but displaying your wine and beverages should be a number 1 priority.
Glassware
A home bar calls for glassware for every type of drink. Pint glasses for your beer, the ideal cocktail and wine glass. Every party needs a good drink to get you started.
Wine Glasses
You might want a different type of white or red wine, and you will want to have them in the correct glassware. For example, white is usually served in a slightly smaller glass than red.
The Perfect Cocktail Glass
A martini glass is always a classic to have on hand. Display them on shelves on cabinets ready to serve guests. If it is the only one you purchase, you will not be disappointed.
Whiskey Glasses
Any spirit can be served in a whiskey glass, but a traditional whiskey should be served in a short glass at the end of the night.
Cocktail Recipe Books
When I think of a cool bar in New York City, I think of cocktails. What better way to recreate the scene than to serve up your own mix of cocktail. Grab a recipe book and put it on show on the shelves of your home bar. You will also need the basic mixology tools, like a shaker, strainer and ice bucket.
Drinks
Wine
Red, White and Rose are all staples of any good home bar. Racks, shelving and simply on trays, you can present them however you’d like.
Liquor
From Vodka, Gin, Rum and Whiskey, keep a good stock of beverages to keep your home bar well-stocked.
Lighting
You can go with lamps for a more dimly lit vibe, ceiling lights, or LED strips for a fun and cool look and feel.
Home Bars FAQs
How many stools do I need for a bar?
This will be very much dependant on the size of your bar. We would recommend as a minimum of 4 so that you can have a few people over to join in the fun.
What do I need for the perfect Martini?
This is by far the easiest recipe to make and a real weekend crowd pleaser. Most famously known from Bond movies, 007 likes his shaken, not stirred.
Gin vs Vodka – Although you can have a Martini with both, Bond would prefer his with vodka. It is, of course, personal taste. Whatever you go with, it has to be equal parts vodka/gin to vermouth.
Temperature – A frozen glass is a must; a warm Martini is a sin! If you cannot freeze your glass, fill it with ice whilst you shake up the mixture.
Garnish – Either a traditional lemon twist or an olive to garnish your Martini is a must.
Can I build my own bar?
If you think you have good DIY skills, you can absolutely build your own bar. However, we have listed a few valuable considerations below before you embark on your project.
Determine size – The standard bar size is 42inches high with an overhang of 8 inches. A stool is usually around 30 inches high, so you want to allow for legroom.
Wet vs Dry Bar – If you want to install a sink, you will need to consider plumbing for a wet bar. This does provide convenience but may not be as easy for installation.
Essential tools – You will need as a minimum the following tools:
- Hammer
- Drill
- Tape Measure
- Level
- Saw
- Safety glasses
- Silicone gun
- Nail gun
Materials – The easiest thing to do is to build a wooden frame for your bar. The following are some basic materials you will need:
Wood – Lumber and plywood connected with screws for a frame.
Bar Top – Depending on your budget, you could go with kitchen counters, marble, glass or chipboard.
Backsplash – Tiles, Acrylic or Mirror.
