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  1. Home Bar
  2. Layout: U-shape

Budget U-shaped Home Bar Ideas and Designs

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BETHEL BLVD
BETHEL BLVD
Coley's CollectiveColey's Collective
Small traditional u-shaped bar cart in Other with light hardwood flooring.
BETHEL BLVD
BETHEL BLVD
Coley's CollectiveColey's Collective
Photo of a small traditional u-shaped bar cart in Other with light hardwood flooring.
Copper Bar
Copper Bar
River WoodcraftRiver Woodcraft
This is an example of a small urban u-shaped breakfast bar in Philadelphia with open cabinets, black cabinets, copper worktops, wood splashback, medium hardwood flooring and orange worktops.
Parade of Homes; Martin Custom Homes
Parade of Homes; Martin Custom Homes
Frigo DesignFrigo Design
Rob Buell
This is an example of a medium sized modern u-shaped breakfast bar in New Orleans with no sink, dark wood cabinets, stainless steel worktops, white splashback and vinyl flooring.
Park Lane | Preston Hollow | Traditional | Dallas, TX
Park Lane | Preston Hollow | Traditional | Dallas, TX
Mike Healey PhotographyMike Healey Photography
© Mike Healey Productions, Inc.
Photo of a large traditional u-shaped wet bar in Dallas with a submerged sink, recessed-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, granite worktops, multi-coloured splashback, medium hardwood flooring, brown floors and multicoloured worktops.

Budget U-shaped Home Bar Ideas and Designs

A home bar is one of the ultimate indulgences for a homeowner. By no means essential but all the more satisfying for that very reason. Whether your home bar ideas would be having the boys round to watch the big match in a pub-style atmosphere on a Saturday afternoon, ‘going uptown’ to sip an espresso martini in your home cocktail bar in the loft, or hoping to recreate the vibe of an intimate speakeasy in your basement, a style home bar is a treat that’s guaranteed to lift your spirits. A place where you are always guaranteed a seat.

How big should my home bar be?

The ideal style of your home bar will depend on your lifestyle and entertaining habits as well as the amount of available space. If big groups come round regularly then you should consider dedicating a part of your living room or basement to a larger seating area – complete with a bar table, bar stools and wet bar section – to keep everyone suitably comfortable and merry. If TV is essential, check if there is a wall nearby that’s a big enough to mount it on without restricting anyone’s view. A key feature of home bar ideas is the storage – gleaming wine racks and low-lit glass shelves. Make sure you can afford these little delights after you have built the basic structure. Alternatively, if space is limited, a freestanding home cocktail bar would give you somewhere to prepare cocktails that is out of the way – in the corner of your dining room or under the stairwell for instance. Also, mirrored surfaces can help to create the illusion of space. Sketch the layout of the room in which you would like to place the bar and think about where all those bottles, cans and snacks are going to go. Then speak to either a home bar specialist about your home bar ideas, or to a joiner about adapting a vintage bookcase or creating something bespoke.

What style of home bar should I choose?

Try to play off the interior decor of the surrounding area. A kitsch Manhattan-inspired home cocktail bar will look out of place in a country cottage, for example. Similarly, a long white walnut home bar would jar against a bright red contemporary kitchen. That said, contrast might be something that you accentuate, not least through the choice of flooring, which would help to make your home bar stand out. Collect home bar ideas in an Ideabook, settle upon a theme and then discuss the design with your home bar specialist or joiner. Lighting sets the mood in bars, particularly late at night, so pay special attention to placement, intensity and how you want your guests to feel. Dim underbar lighting creates a warm, intimate atmosphere, while spotlights brighten and energise.

Which home bar accessories and facilities should I include?

This really does depend on how far you are willing to go. A home bar can replicate almost everything you see in your local, from running water and refrigerated wine cabinets to draught beer pumps and bespoke lighting and a sound systems. Again, the most important thing is to work with what’s there – available space and home decor. Is that black lizard effect leather flooring really going to go? How about the turquoise splashback? Do those flowers look out of place or will they help to soften up what’s fast becoming a man cave? There are several ways to make a home bar more visually interesting without spending big on fixtures and fittings. Select furniture that’s comfortable but also sparks interest, such as salvaged chairs or a second-hand leather sofa. Add a touch of glitz and glamour through your choice of glassware, drinks trolley, ice bucket, shaker and spirit bottles if you want the home cocktail bar look. Then scatter a few curios around the bar – ornaments, lamps, artwork, photos and travel mementos are great home bar ideas to get the conversation started.
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